Interview with Sílvia Castelló: the Degree in Fashion unites innovation, technology and design.

Changing the world with fashion. Sounds impossible, right? Well, Sílvia Castelló, coordinator of the Fashion Degree at ERAM, disagrees and explains it very well.

Sílvia, why did you decide to fight for so many years to achieve an Official University Fashion Degree?
Innovation and technology, which continuously evolve within the fashion industry, must be accompanied by a generation of professionals who seek innovation and excellence in their work. We need a university degree to provide the tools and training required to achieve this excellence, allowing us to create new business models and invent new ways of making fashion.

From left to right: Miquel Bisbe, Director of ERAM, and Sílvia Castelló, Coordinator of the Fashion Degree. (Photo from ARA newspaper. 19/07/2023)

What do you think sets the Fashion Degree apart from other fashion-related university studies?
The Fashion Degree at ERAM is revolutionary because it’s the first 4-year official program in Catalonia where students cover the entire transversal creative process from start to finish in the creation of a garment. First, we find inspiration through subjects like fashion history, aesthetics, and art theory. Then we move into design, pattern making, and prototype creation. Finally, we address the selling aspect, asking questions like, “How do we sell it? What prices? Where?” with subjects such as marketing, event creation, and business models.
After four years, students are prepared to work in any professional role within the fashion industry, whether in their own projects, small businesses, or large multinationals.

What professional opportunities are available to Fashion Degree students?
There are many and they are very diverse. The most obvious one, which everyone imagines, is fashion designer, right? But there are also fashion illustrators, costume designers for performances, pattern makers, tailors, fashion communication, marketing, stylists, personal shoppers, entrepreneurs, etc. Then there is, of course, teaching, research, and new technology development, especially with the rise of ethical fashion.

Do you think it’s important to have a Fashion Degree to work in the fashion industry in Spain?
It’s very important because, in the end, these students are prepared to offer a professional response with university-level excellence. Therefore, they will apply innovation and technology, not just fashion design. This way, new business models can be created, for example, with wearable technology. The university provides a transversal view of the fashion sector and gives students the ability to take a step forward and invent new forms of creation.

“No prior knowledge is necessary, but having enthusiasm and the right attitude is.“

Is previous experience required to enter the Fashion Degree? For example, having studied artistic high school?
The short answer is no. It’s true that if you’ve studied artistic high school, you’ll be more aligned, but I’m a big advocate of interdisciplinarity, and if students come from, for example, a scientific background, they will also bring valuable knowledge. Prior knowledge isn’t necessary, but enthusiasm and the right attitude are. However, we sometimes see that students who have never worked on a sewing project or touched a needle may have expectations that don’t match reality. It’s important for people to understand what creating a garment entails.

First-year Fashion Degree students at Qstura facilities. (Rodriguez, P., 2023)

Is there work beyond fashion design?
Fashion design is overrated, and there isn’t as much work as people think—too many people want to do it. Right now, pattern makers are in high demand. Recently, an HR manager from a multinational company visited me because their pattern maker is retiring, and they can’t find anyone to replace her. They used to be undervalued, and many went abroad where they were appreciated more. Now, companies are willing to pay whatever it takes to get a pattern maker.
There are many other examples, like costume design for performances. One of the professors in the program works internationally, designing costumes for film sets. She’s the one responsible for most of the superhero costumes we see from Marvel, all because they couldn’t find someone to design the new Spider-Man suit, and a friend of a friend said, “Don’t you sew?” So off she went.
It’s important to keep an open mind in this sector. There are many opportunities; for example, companies that aren’t directly related to fashion still need the textile industry Louis Vuitton, which makes handbags, and Kave Home, which makes furniture. These companies need to make models, patterns, and sew their products.

“This is the essence that will help you find work when you graduate—the energy you put into doing things.”

Sílvia, you’ve been teaching fashion for many years. What do you say to young people who tell you they’re afraid to study fashion and then not find work?
I tell them to be brave, that if fashion is really their passion, what makes them get up every day, they can contribute something to the world. In the Fashion Degree, they will find the guidance and tools to work in what they love, and that’s the best thing that can happen to them. Many times, life doesn’t make it easy. They tell me it costs a lot of money, it’s far away, they don’t have the grades, etc. Well, find a way to do it; there are many paths to reach the Fashion Degree, and it’s a matter of having the right attitude to achieve it. If you don’t succeed right away, it’s okay; along the way, you’ll gain knowledge that will always help you achieve your goal if you’re clear about it.
This is the essence that will help you find work when you graduate—the energy you put into doing things.