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On the Cutting Edge As fashions change, so do methods of teaching fashion. And while fashion may be regarded by some as a superficial subject in the great scheme of things — more about looking good than doing good — the successful fashion program at Mesa College has always put substance above glamour. Not that there’s anything wrong with glamour. “We keep growing and getting better,” said Andrea Marx, the fashion program director at Mesa College. “The fashion industry is forever changing, and we need to prepare students to under-stand and prepare for those changes.” Marx began teaching at Mesa in 1978, using her own lifelong love of fashion to turn on students. Five years ago Marx became the program director, and has continued to stimulate the program’s progress. The fashion program at Mesa is a thriving and respected one that has long been not only the pride of the district, but also recognized nationwide as a thorough, well taught and vital educational endeavor. The fashion program has sent numerous students to major fashion institutions, and spawned industry leaders. Thomas Woodard, a 1999 graduate of the program, now designs for several major labels and has his own line of clothing. “My career really took off with Andrea Marx,” Woodard said. “She goes above and beyond, dedicating many extra hours to her students. She showed me so much. I still call her when I don’t understand something.” Students in the program are also encouraged to seek employment in San Diego, where they can in effect give back to both the fashion community and the local economy. “The fashion industry in San Diego is always changing, but stays strong,” Marx said. “We’re always looking to help that industry, as it has helped us.” Kym
Milburn, owner of As Cute as a Button boutique in Mission Hills, and a
1988 Mesa fashion program graduate, says that part of the program’s
appeal to the San Diego fashion community is how much Marx stresses interactivity
with the local businesses. “She stays in touch,” Milburn said. “She is very well connected and is always a good contact for jobs.” With students learning everything from how to design clothes for major designers to designing for theater to how to merchandise and retail their creations, the program is wellrounded – and about to become more so. The program now offers certificates in design and merchandising, and Marx seeks to add a third certificate, in computer fashion. The program is well underway in its teaching of computer use in the fashion industry. Technology and fashion have met head on, and they appear to like each other. “The possibilities for designing with computers are amazing, and already we are seeing the results,” Marx said. “The future is bright for computer fashion.” Every program needs a showcase, and the Mesa College fashion program gets just that every year at the Annual Golden Scissors Awards. The 21st such affair will be held May 17 at the Westin Horton Plaza Hotel. An audience of as many as 500 will view student designs modeled by fellow students as well as district faculty and administrators. “It’s something we work on all year, and is a wonderful representation of the talented students in the program,” Marx said. Also in the works are agreements with Woodbury University in Burbank and Point Loma Nazarene College for students to begin their fashion education in the two-year Mesa program, then receive their degrees after two years in those schools. “These
are very strong fashion programs,” Marx said. “Combined with
our program, we will be sending talented, very well-trained people into
the professional fashion industry.”
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 Andrea Marx |