We chat to Fabio Piras, director of Central Saint Martins' Fashion MA

Date
21 October 2014

When the sad passing of Louise Wilson, the head of MA Fashion at London’s Central Saint Martins, was announced in May of this year, it was received with a tidalwave of grief from former students, friends and industry professionals alike. For those who passed through the hallowed doors into the MA Fashion studios at Central Saint Martin’s, her influence was akin to that of a well-loved monarch. Famed for her brutal honesty and unapologetic criticism as much as for her fierce loyalty and warmth, Louise was instrumental in tutoring an astounding number of the most successful designers working in the fashion industry today – Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney, Mary Katrantzou and Louise Goldin among them.

As with all endings, however, her passing also marked the beginning of a new era for London’s most preeminent creative universities. Louise was succeeded by Fabio Piras, a figure with 20 years experience in the industry, and who had been teaching alongside Louise since graduating from CSM in 1994, as well as having founded his own eponymous label, and consulted some of the most celebrated brands in the industry.

160 years after the school was first founded, Central Saint Martins’ MA Fashion course continues to uphold its reputation as one of the most prestigious courses going. As part of our month-long series of Back to School-themed content we spoke to Fabio about the role of the tutor, Central Saint Martins’ advantage over its rivals, and the mammoth task of upholding Louise’s legacy.

The MA Fashion course at CSM has an outstanding reputation, both in academia and in the fashion industry. What do you think it is that sets it apart?

Besides experimental learning, creative talent, nurturing, supporting personality development, having a vocational approach, cultivating the notion of rigour in students’ work ethic, challenging aesthetics, analytical (de)-construction, emotional (re)-construction, which are what any art/design school/college do or have… I would not know. Maybe on top of that we might have a strong point of view, a resilient nature and a chronic CSM attitude, acquired over time.

The news of your appointment as Louise Wilson’s successor after the sad news of her passing easier this year was met with delight by many students. How do you plan to build on her legacy?

Louise Wilson’s legacy is also the course mission. We have worked, and will continue to work with the ethos of nurturing creative talent, being part of the beginning of significant careers and extraordinary achievements, contributing to the industry with creative relevance and quality. Being at the forefront of fashion/design education is a hard spot to reach and never to be taken for granted. I would rather answer: that you build on the legacy by being into what you do and getting on with it. That is what my team and I do.

What do you think is the most important aspect of a tutor’s role?

Nurture, critique, help define, bring focus, inform, support, maybe inspire, question, question, question…

The much-debated rise in university fees means many students who had hoped to study for a degree or an MA might not be able to. Do you think in this day and age that it’s possible for students to get into the fashion industry without a formal degree? Do you believe this is changing?

Having a degree is not like being given a passport to professional success. The formative process is invaluable as it allows you to experiment and define your work and character as a creative being. The context of college connections helps too and can bring opportunities to start you up or introduce you to professional life. It must be very difficult to do all that alone.

Louise famously said that it isn’t the role of a teacher to have favourites, or to feel proud of the careers of her former students. Do you feel pride in what your former students go on to do?

Louise was right and I share her opinion; it is not about feeling proud of what students go on to do. It is about feeling that your part in their formative process was meaningful.

What is your favourite element of working with fashion students?

Having to renew or alter my creative view point, and re-discuss aesthetics at all times, engage with ways of creative expression which need to be understood in order to be discussed without necessarily having to share them.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

Who knows?

Above

Fabio Piras: Portrait

Back to School
Throughout the month of October we’ll be celebrating the well-known autumnal feeling of Back to School. The content this month will be focusing on fresh starts, education, learning tools and the state of art school in the world today – delivered to you via fantastic in-depth interviews, features and conversations with talented, relevant, creative people.

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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