DESIGN SCHOOL REDUX
CCS, in Detroit is a school that teaches design theory through experiential learning.
V. Notes - Many industries have embraced the wonder that is Detroit, joining the conversation as the city leads a 21st century creative renaissance. Detroit has become a hub, providing accessible, affordable space for people to learn and excel at their given crafts. While learning skilled trades and being hands-on throughout the process, used to be the norm, it's a novel approach now. Companies that are finding they need a specific skillset to see their brands into the next decade and beyond, are supporting this type of design school redux. CCS, in Detroit is a school that teaches design theory through experiential learning.
As the saying goes, once you know the rules, you know how to break them. That's when creativity can really soar.
The College for Creative Studies in Detroit is just one example in a growing list of design schools around the world that are saving, celebrating and honoring the old-school knowledge of how to make things through their programs.
WWD, 11.20.2024 featured a story on the school told through the eyes of Aki Choklat the school’s chair of fashion design. As a successful designer, he had a life many would envy, living and working between London and Florence. So when he was asked to consider developing the fashion program at far-flung CCS in Detroit, he was not too excited to make such a move. However, in considering the position, two things happened that changed the course of his career. First, he was moved by a heartfelt personal testimony of an alum of CCS and second, he was impressed and moved by the opportunity the school presented.
After being shown 6,000 square feet of empty space at CCS and money to create anything he wanted, Choklat was sold.
Impressively, in 2015, Detroit was designated as a UNESCO City of Design, which, to this date, makes it the only city in the US to have achieved such status. In fact, while Detroit hasn’t traditionally been known as a design hub for fashion, times are changing in many ways.
As students are increasingly challenged by “how to navigate and survive in this posteverything world,” Choklat said that many are questioning whether they want to go for a trophy job, start their own labels, find work near their parents and or land a design job that won’t require living in New York. Before, it was quite easy, you go work for a big company and you made it,” Choklat said. “We’re trying to make our education really student-centric. We’re lucky that we’re so small. I know probably too much about the students."
"We’re trying to make sure they will be good humans when they go out in the world. It sounds a little bit utopian but that’s what we practice.”
AKI CHOKLAT for WWD
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