Lauren Switzer

Overall Experience

I had the honor of taking part in the semester-long study abroad program offered by the London College of Fashion in London, England. During those 4 months I lived in a university housing flat and took the tube to get anywhere I needed to go. Some of the classes I took were shoemaking, draping, and fashion drawing, which were all amazing and taught me so many skills through making final products I was able to take home. I had the chance to explore all over the city and see so many amazing buildings, shows, and iconic landmarks along with immersing myself in the culture. I also had the chance to go into the English countryside as well as some other European countries on weekends or over spring break which was absolutely amazing to go and see so many new places and try so many new things.

Learning experience

The most valuable learning experience I had while in London was learning how to use the public transportation to get from one place to another. London in a HUGE city, and there is so much public transportation provided that is really easy to use once you get the hang of it. After my first couple of weeks over there I felt really comfortable going places by myself. This stands out to me as the most valuable learning experience as I have a lot more confidence towards taking and using public transportation anywhere (as I did get to use some different types during my travels) which I feel is an important skill for anyone to have.

Memorable experience

My most memorable experience would be taking a sketchbook and some pencils to go and complete some of my fashion drawing homework in the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery in London. Both of these museums are absolutely beautiful and it was so cool to be able to not only walk around and see all of the amazing art pieces but to get to sit down and draw within some of the big exhibit rooms and spend more time there drawing myself instead of just passing by the art pieces.

What did you not expect?

I was surprised at how much I loved the smaller grocery stores tucked in all over London instead of the large ones I am used to in the United States. I would go down the street to a little tiny store a couple times a week to go and grab some fruit or pasta or whatever I was hungry to eat for that day or the next which is very different from going once a week and getting everything you need for a whole week at once. I really love this way of grocery shopping and I am very glad I had the chance to try it out (as well as all of the different brands and foods available).

What advice would you give?

I would totally reccommend taking part in a study abroad experience! It is a little scary to think about moving to a whole new country (or continent), but this is one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I would suggest taking the time to see where you would be staying and how to access public transportation from there before you go as well as how transportation works there that way you have some sort of and idea of how to get around as well. Also I would look at places you would be commonly visiting to get an idea of what they look like before you get there that way you have something familiar to look for when you first arrive.

How has this experience impacted your life?

I am so grateful to have been able to have been able to take part in this program as I not only learned and developed skills necessary to successfully design in the fashion industry, but I learned how to live in a whole new culture and part of the world. This expereince was dedicated to learning skills needed for becoming a designer in the fashion world which was incredible to take part in as I learned from current industry professionals who not only taught me how to draw or drape, but also insight into living life as part of the fashion industry. I also learned so much about how to adapt to live in a new area of the world and how to interact and become part of a society entirely different to the one I was raised in; in the future I would love to continue to travel and learn more about the world and the different cultures within it, and this experience has given me a lot of confidence and knowledge on how to do that.

How did you learn about this experience?

When I was applying to college, I knew I wanted to take part in a study abroad program at some point, so I looked through the different ones offered for fashion majors at Iowa State. This program immediately stuck out to me as it provides the chance to live in one of the fashion capitals of the world while getting to learn from instructors who are experts in their feilds and understand how the industry currently works.

International Connections