Jad Baghdadi, 2010 BFA Fashion Design, alumnus. Image: courtesy of Jad Baghdadi
“I’ve been lucky with my career since graduation,” said 2010 BFA Fashion Design alumnus, Jad Baghdadi. “I worked at BCBG in evening gowns and atelier, Herve Leger and now I’m part of the Monique Lhuillier design team.” While currently based in Los Angeles, Baghdadi’s love for fashion came years before he started working at BCBG or Lhuillier. It started with an affinity for illustration. “I’ve been drawing from a very young age. It is my therapy in a way. I do it for both work and fun,” said Baghdadi of his graceful, couture like sketches.
One of Baghdadi’s sketches. Image: courtesy of Jad Baghdadi
So what’s a day like in the Lhuillier office? “Usually it starts out with emails and a meeting to recap the weekly agenda. Then a fitting for ready-to-wear or bridal. I work on new concepts for upcoming collections, research, design, work with the cutting room, print development, and deal with the daily challenges with the collection or production samples,” he said. It’s no cake walk, but Baghdadi says what he loves most about his job is the amount of creative freedom he gets and getting to work so closely with the pattern makers and design team.
He’s come a long way from his days at the Academy, where he admitted his biggest challenge was “learning how to sew on an industrial machine.” However, he shared brighter memories too like, “taking draping and corset classes with Rob Curry, and working on my senior collection,” he said. When asked what advice he would give to current or prospective students he said,”Dream big, start small, and everything else will fall into place.” It certainly did for him.
By: Malcolm Thomas