“Some people can do styling without a degree, but I think it is important to get formal training,” says Yenifer Ubiera. When Ubiera first started researching programs, she looked close to home in New York, but was dismayed to discover that the school she was interested in didn’t have a styling program. What she found in the Academy’s School of Fashion was not only one of the country’s only accredited BFA Fashion Styling programs, but one that she could complete and earn an online fashion degree from without disrupting her life in New York.
The Academy’s flexible online education program allows Ubiera to customize her class schedule to fit her busy life while taking advantage of the Academy’s resources for online students—resources like access to library databases and subscription-only publications and, of course, the world-class School of Fashion faculty. “The reason I’m always passionate about my career is that the instructors push me forward. I think that’s the best a fashion student can have—a critic to help you grow.”
Ubiera’s client list so far includes Nike, Levi’s, Andreeva, Priscavera, Echtego, Plakinger, Nika Tang and Voodoo Australia, to name a few. She’s styled shoots for Vogue Australia, Hope St. and Schön magazines, and shows for Gen Art, Amconyc and PLITZS Fashion Marketing. Her work has been published in Gen Facio, Sheeba, Disorder UK, MOOB and McGlory Fashion magazines.
Ubiera acknowledges that the role the Academy played in her path to success is not small. “Everything always goes back to the Academy,” she says.
Summer Expo for Online Students
One of the opportunities Ubiera was able to capitalize on as an online student was the Summer Expo, an annual event during which the Academy’s online students from around the world get the opportunity to spend a week on our San Francisco campus attending hands-on workshops, live demos, onsite classes and tours. It’s also a chance for students to meet their directors and instructors, discuss their progress, and plan for their transition from art student to working creative. Evening events provide opportunities to network with students, faculty and alumni, and participants have the option to stay in student housing. Many students leave the Expo energized and inspired—including Ubiera, who styled a photoshoot during her time at the Expo that ended up leading to more styling work when she returned to New York. “I love San Francisco. It was amazing to go there and get the right pictures.”
Fashion Styling at its Finest
Academy of Art University is proud to offer the first—and one of the only—accredited BFA Fashion Styling degrees in the United States. Fashion Styling students at the Academy develop a styling portfolio and gain hands-on experience developing concepts and assembling compelling outfits for photoshoots that deliver the message of a designer or brand. Graduates of the program are trained to style, produce, and art direct for print or online fashion magazines, ad campaigns, commercials, catalogs, look books, fashion shows, fashion videos and personal clients.
