Owen Abrahamsen’s London Fashion Experience
Owen Abrahamsen, a senior majoring in apparel, merchandising and design (fashion), had the opportunity to study abroad at the London College of Fashion during the Fall 2023 semester.
The Vermont native decided to attend Iowa State University for its top-ranked fashion program.
“I knew Iowa State had a fashion program,” he said. “I did some research and realized how good the program really was. I took a tour with my grandfather because he knew the campus well – and I knew it was the place for me.”
During his senior year in high school, Abrahamsen knew he wanted to study abroad. After doing more research while he was at Iowa State, he learned about the London College of Fashion (LCF).
“Realizing the London College of Fashion is one of the best universities in the world of fashion and realizing I had the opportunity to study abroad at a fraction of the cost of what it be like normally – it was a no-brainer,” he said.
“During my involvement in TREND magazine and the Fashion Show, I developed great relationships with the upper-level students who had also studied abroad at the LCF,” he said. “They had the opportunity to go and couldn’t say enough good things about it.”
Studying abroad helped Abrahamsen build his knowledge and revealed his strengths.
“Being able to have an addition to my education with the experiences at LCF is cool to be a part of,” he said. “I had a draping instructor who was vital in figuring out and using my creativity to match my strengths. My instructors were all great at
pulling out all of our creative aspects and strengths and seeing how we worked individually but also as a team.”
After attending the London College of Fashion, Abrahamsen had new career goals and aspirations.
“I’ve always been set on New York City,” he said. “After studying abroad, I could see myself needing and wanting to go back and find an opportunity to get a career going in London.”
When asked what advice he’d give to someone thinking of studying abroad, Abrahamsen shared that studying abroad may seem intimidating but encourages others to explore the opportunity.
“You’re going to have the time of your life,” he said. “You’re going to meet some of the best people you’ve ever met in the world, and you’re going to experience new things that you wouldn’t have thought possible or aren’t possible in our little fraction of Ames, Iowa, or even in the United States.”
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