Lesley Mobo partners with Mint College for a non-traditional approach to nurturing the creativity of students as well as honing skills to sustain them in the business of fashion
Lesley Mobo, who didn’t care much for formal schooling, will set up a school for fashion. It will, however, be different from the education he had from the traditional institutions of learning. The curriculum he and his partners designed will be offered at the Meridian International (MINT) College. The eight-year-old school provides quality education with a modern approach, enlisting students in a collaboration that allows them to learn from both the faculty and with their fellow students. Mint, which is located in McKinley Hill, Taguig City, holds creativity, diversity and community as core values. It will provide enrollees in Lesley Mobo’s newly established MINT School of Fashion the opportunity to apply their creativity while acquiring the skills to manage business aspects of the fashion industry.
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Sights on the International Stage
During a dinner where the internationally recognized Filipino designer talked about his vision, he described a progressive, project-based program. Instead of putting students in classrooms to learn how to cut and stitch, the focus will be on developing an aptitude in fields related to fashion as well as developing the capabilities to sustain the business. “We want them to train them to be competitive internationally,” says the London-based designer.
The program is configured to spot talents during the first year of the program. Lesley is looking to support students who are interested, not only in design but to see the possibilities for business and start-ups. He laments that young people’s interest in getting into fashion is mostly to make a name for themselves. “They want to dress famous people and become famous themselves,” he says. Lesley bemoans the rise of social media influencers who write blogs without a mind to contribute to the growth and development of the industry.
Lesley Mobo believes the time is ripe for fashion to explore new ideas, experiment and innovate. The school of his vision hopes to cultivate talents who will contribute to the growth of the fashion industry with its many facets, including fashion photography, marketing, journalism and new media.
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Mentors
His desire to nurture young talent and equip them with skills for an international presence finds support, not just from MINT but also from the organizers of the Red Charity Gala. Proceeds from the annual fashion event will contribute to a full four-year scholarship. This year’s benefit event is reaching its 10th year of showcasing and supporting Filipino fashion artistry. The alignment with Lesley Mobo and Mint College augurs well for the fashion industry. When the school opens in August, it will receive enrollees who may not have the capacity to pay but have the talent. Lesley does not want them to be disadvantaged by their lack of funding and is grateful to the Red Charity Gala for the help they are giving.
Lesley Mobo spells out the four “I’s” that will guide the program. “Innovation, Individuality, Independence and Imagination are the cornerstones of the creative philosophy of MINT College.” Students will be mentored in project-driven programs while taking academic subjects in a regular college course. “What we want is to provide a stimulating environment for fashion students where creative, intellectual and critical thinking are developed.”
MINT College is located at 1030 Campus Avenue 2F CIP Bldg., McKinley Hill, Taguig City. For more information visit www.mintcollege.com
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