If your ears perk up when you hear the word “fashion,” then pay a visit to room 1210 after school this Thursday for FIDM Fashion Club.  

You might be thinking “what on earth is FIDM? Is that a typo? Flame Ionization Detector Mode?”  FIDM stands for the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, which is a college based in Los Angeles, California. FIDM focuses on the art of fashion, entertainment, beauty, interior design, and graphic design. They also offer the opportunity for students in high school to start their very own FIDM Fashion Club. As juniors here at MHS, Val Roa and Bella Tabor decided to take advantage of this and bring FIDM to Minnetonka.

Val Roa said, “Bella Tabor and [I] took the fashion class here at school and we both want to be fashion designers. We both hopefully will go to FIDM and so naturally we were excited when we heard about this club and all the scholarship opportunities that came with it. So we got together and, as co-presidents, decided to start the club.”

Each club is mentored by an advisor at FIDM who helps with the process of starting the club and maintaining it. Grants are even offered through the college to help pay for materials for the club.

The FIDM advisor for Minnetonka’s FIDM Fashion Club, Joanne Lennard said, “there are over 800 FIDM fashion clubs all over the globe started by people who all share the same affinity for fashion. It’s a great way to explore careers in the fashion, beauty, and entertainment industries.”

“There are many benefits to starting a Fashion Club, however, the members can also benefit greatly. As an active member of Fashion Club, you become eligible to receive a $4,000 scholarship to attend FIDM,” said Lennard.

At Fashion Club, members have something interesting and entertaining to do every week.

Roa said, “at our weekly meetings, we have a variety of activities we do such as sewing lessons, customizing jean jackets, jewelry making and we’ll even be having some speakers come to talk to us.”

Although a new club, Fashion Club has plans to do big things this year.

“We will also be hosting a fashion show at the end of the year to showcase everything we made in the club,” said Roa.

Fashion Club posters profess that, “everyone is welcome.” So if you’re interested in the world of fashion, you love to create, or you just want to try something new, stop by room 1210 on a Thursday afternoon. And if you’re not sold yet, there will be food.