FIDM Graduation 2008 Held At STAPLES Center

FIDM Graduations aren't quiet, sedate, small events—they’re utterly spectacular. Just recently, 13,000 FIDM Grads and their guests filled the STAPLES Center, a venue where superstars like Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Shakira have performed.

Rock music played while the guests were taking their seats, and video clips of FIDM events, such as the annual FIDM Graduation Carnival, were projected onto massive video screens as the 2008 Graduates lined up and formed a processional to enter the Center. Faculty and Graduate awards were presented, with Nick Verreos, Project Runway star, FIDM Grad, and FIDM Instructor among the presenters.

As a special surprise, three key FIDM Advisory Board members congratulated the Graduates via video: Michael Gould, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Bloomingdale’s; Terry Lundgren, Chairman/President/Chief Executive Officer of Macy’s Inc.; and Paul Marciano, Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Guess, Inc. all sent video congratulations to the 2008 Graduates.

FIDM Graduate Vani Kumar, who opened a woman's suit store called The Suit Closet after graduation, was one of the accomplished guest speakers. Vani switched from studying dentistry to fashion when a friend noticed that she had more fashion sketches in her biology notes than molecules.

"My story demonstrates that not having it all figured out can sometimes be the greatest gift of all," she said. "Perhaps designing couture dresses wasn't in the cards for me," she went on, "but perhaps owning and building a fashion empire was." A successful business owner, Vani is well on her way to accomplishing that goal.

FIDM Graduation is always a thrilling event, where so many leave behind their school years with both a degree in an exciting major and, often, experience in the Fashion, Interior Design, Graphic Design, and Entertainment industries via internships and jobs they’ve held during their college career. Congratulations to this year’s graduating class!