Interview With a Fellow Design Student #2 Featuring Jessica Cork

Like Gabi, I met Jessica for the first time at a little meet & greet for the major before classes started last fall. First appearances wise, Jessica looked fierce. If I remember correctly she had on these high heeled boots and some combination of clothes that just made her look like she was meant to be a designer. I don't think we really became friends until we sat by each other in Intro to the Apparel Industry, though we also had AD105 together, so we survived that class together. Because of her I learned that taking the bus to art in the morning is way better than walking there at 8am with a huge portfolio kit and a coffee. She's fun and creative, and has a great sense of humor. Because we became friends fall semester, come spring we took drawing together too, which I don't think I could have survived without her and our friend Hale. She has tons of sketch books and her designs are always interesting and fresh. For the fashion show she had a little problem model wise, meaning her original model, who she had made the dress to fit like a glove, quit just a few days before the show. Given the circumstances she did her best, had one of her friends be the model, and fix the dress as best she could since her new model was a little more gifted up top than her original one was. Jessica is a hard worker and I look forward to having art again with her in the fall as well as other design related classes.

Now for her interview:

Jessica Cork.

What are you studying/majoring in? And why?

I am majoring in Apparel Design and Technology and minoring in Art. I chose Apparel Design as my major because Fashion Design has been my dream since I was five years old drawing stick people in square shirts and triangle skirts. I’m minoring in Art because it’s nice to have a little extra something to spice up your resume and because it’s easy. 

Why did you choose Purdue? And what made you want to decide on Apparel Design?

I chose Purdue because it was the first college I found with the major I wanted and it was close enough to home my parents could still come and buy me groceries every once in a while. I was also impressed by their program and their facilities with machines I had never seen before.  Originally I was searching every college’s website for “Fashion Design” in their Art departments. Obviously I was way off. 

 Please describe what you made for the spring fashion show and how you felt seeing all your hard work going down the runway. Also, if you want, any funny stories about making your garment or any struggles.

I made a little party dress that was supposed to be really easy and go together smoothly….didn't happen that way. I will NeVeR work with Lamé ever again. It was a huge pain in the butt and silk brocade… I should have learned the first time I tried to work with it but it is very difficult to work with as it is very slippery and doesn't have any give. It was really beautiful fabric but, because there was no flow, the dress wasn’t quite how I imagined it. Not to mention I sewed the Lamé wrong 5 different times. Inside out, one inside out other backwards, both backwards, wrong side and one backwards and one forwards. Then my model quit on me . . . so can you say stressed?

Jessica's Model on the runway during
the Fashion Show.

A back and front view of Jessica's dress.

What was your favorite class this past year/hardest and why?

Hands down, my favorite class this year was the fashion history class. I loved that class with Nancy. I learned about a lot of things I hadn't known before and was highly interested in. My hardest class was AD 105. It had too many restrictions and specificities for me to be able to work well in that class. The teaching assistant would say that there was a better way to do something when it was actually how she would have done it so she expected it to be that way though it was the student’s work and therefore their self-expression. 

What would you say is your dream job?

I think my dream job is to be a fashion illustrator maybe for Armani.

I prefer to dream and draw the designs rather than sit down and piece them together. I can envision and draw a garment better than I can sew a perfectly straight seam.

Who are your favorite designers?

I fell in love with Giorgio Armani’s designs when I opened a magazine and saw a beautifully composed black and white photo of a simple and sophisticated dress that’s design rather than color hinted at an earlier era’s fashion. But I also love how Chanel’s designs are what I describe as “clean”.  No useless frill and needless fripperies. Just details that emphasize the body that is wearing the garment, I love body conscious, simple and sophisticated clothing.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Live and learn

How would you describe your personal style?

Normally comfortable and simple, a lot of black because it’s easy to maintain and match but I do have my more….frilly moments which sometimes turn out badly…live and learn. But a friendly hint…cheetah print and zebra print at the same time = not fantastic idea, unless it is done very minimally and tastefully. 

What are your favorite stores?

Jessica's Bulova Watch
Image Credit: Jessica Cork

Body Central, Rack Room Shoes and Goodwill (Goodwill is the best place to buy from because everything has been washed at least once so you know how the fabric is going to react, like if the seams are going to twist because of poor construction).

What’s your must-have accessory?

My Bulova watch, It’s flashy and functional.

What is your go-to outfit?
Jeans, t-shirt, and black boots (whether heeled or flat).

How are you spending your summer before sophomore year?

Working my butt off to pay for books, hanging with my boyfriend whenever we can get together, Reading (already conquered 14 books), fixing everyone’s clothes they can’t put thread through needle and fix themselves, and school and stressing over what I’m going to make for this year’s fashion show (nothing to do with Lamé, Silk Brocade, or unreliable models.) and driving my younger sister insane of course. :D