Collected Wisdom From This Year’s Crop of Fashion-Industry Graduation Speakers

It’s that time of year again, when the world’s most successful people travel around the country to give university commencement speeches. This year, a handful of fashion-industry heavy-hitters joined in the tradition. From the shoe designer Christian Louboutin’s address to the student body at F.I.T. to the lecture given by Steven Kolb of the C.F.D.A. at Kendall College of Art and Design, the speeches of several design luminaries suggested that slow and steady, more often than not, wins the race. Here, some of their collected words of wisdom.

Christian Louboutin at F.I.T.

“It is a great thing to be at your age, where you cannot only follow your dreams but you can change your path. When you start something when you’re young, you shouldn’t think that that is it and you will go all the way. Do not necessarily pursue a very specific goal, be gentle with yourself and enjoy the process every day because it is the journey of all of these every days that will constitute your career.”

(Image: formal white dresses )

Angela Missoni at the Academy of Arts School of Fashion

“Enthusiasm, passion and a dose of luck make our family work together. We chose a beautiful spot and we created a garden, a beautiful place that inspired us. That was the secret to our success.”

Tory Burch at Babson College

“We may live in an age of instant messaging, instant gratification and Instagram, but there is no way to short-circuit the path to success. It takes commitment, tenacity and lots of patience. There are many things you can do overnight — you can write a paper, you can put the finishing touches on a fashion show — but there’s no such thing as an overnight success.”

Steven Kolb, C.E.O. of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, at Kendall College of Art and Design

“No one is perfect in life. I will encourage graduates to remember that as they enter the workforce. Learning from a mistake is just one step away from getting it right the next time.”

Also Read: http://www.kissydressinau.com/vintage-formal-dresses