Echo L：Fashion Designer to Fine Artist
On Thursday 14th April 2022, we had the pleasure of an interview with Echo L, a remarkably talented year 13 student at Dulwich International High School Suzhou, who has recently received a broad pallet of offers from five of the top Art Schools in the World, including The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Parsons, and Pratt:
Pratt Institute is ranked as one of the World's Top 10 Colleges for Art and Design by QS in 2021. QS World University Rankings has named The New School’s Parsons School of Design the top art and design school in the United States. These two prestigious art schools are in New York City in the United States of America. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) rose to become the nation’s second ranked program in the Fine Arts category of the 2021 Best Graduate Schools. It is testament to the talent on display in Echo’s remarkable portfolio, that she was able to receive such an incredible range of offers.
University Major Selection
We started the interview by asking Echo how she decided which university major to follow. Echo went on to provide us with one of the most detailed explanations of the process of selecting a major, that we have ever heard. It goes some way to addressing the question of just how stressful making these decisions can be, as they carry the potential to have a profound effect on the future. Echo Explained that:
“The reason I wanted to do this interview, was that I wanted to talk about my experience, which I think is quite unusual, due to the changes I made. I’ve wanted to devote myself to fashion design since I was a child, when my mom owned a clothing store, it was my dream to be a fashion designer. I studied fashion design for almost four years.
However, things changed when I finished my ED (early decision) application to study Fashion Design at Parsons. At that time, I didn't get the place, so that gave me a chance to think, “am I really interested in fashion?” Am I passionate about it? Because at the same time, I was studying fine art at Dulwich and my fine art portfolio was accepted by SAIC and I also gained a scholarship.
So, it's a big contrast, and one which made me a little confused about my choice of major. It's an interesting story, the struggle of the process of making a choice. I’d really focused on Fashion for the past four years, I’d prepared my fashion portfolio for a very long time, since I was in Year 10. It took a lot of hard work. I remember that I went to Shanghai alone, in Golden week, to produce the garments for my portfolio. I stayed in Shanghai for a week to study fashion design. It was tough. There were no teachers to tell me what to do, in a city that I wasn’t familiar with.
I also needed to pick the materials. It's troublesome to be a fashion design student because you need to consider every detail you will need in your garments; every piece of textile and you need to keep track of lots of things. I had to depend on myself. It was a really important time for me and was truly memorable.
My mother owned a store, and she was also interested in fashion design. And so, I think there is a family influence on me, as they all supported me to do fashion design. You know, some parents can be unsupportive, because they think it's not a very good career because it’s not like other subjects like Maths or Economics.
I feel very fortunate to have really nice parents. They are very supportive of me in both fashion and the fine arts.
Dulwich CCA Program
Echo enjoyed participating in the Chinese Debate CCA, but significantly, she ran her own student led art CCA called the “Art Association”, where students talk about famous paintings and painters, as well as discussing the history of Art.
“We also spent some time in the art studio, to work with clay or other materials to help students explore their imaginations and learn about materials they may never have used before.”
It is easy to see how the experience of running a student led art based CCA helped Echo support her applications to five of the best art schools in the world, and how the admissions officers would have been impressed by this. What Echo has provided here is just one example of how motivated students can leverage the power of the Dulwich CCA program.
Echo also attended to the fashion show held by another student-led CCA: WING’S PLAN in year 12. “As both a model and a designer, I had a further understanding in fashion design and fashion industry by joining a real fashion show, which provide me a precious and memorable experience.
How do you think life at Dulwich has helped you become a better applicant?
Echo explained that as a termly boarding student, she has lived in Dulwich (in Alleyn House) for four years now. She told us that one of the most important things about this experience was how it had helped her to gain her independence and become much more self-motivated and self-reliant.
“My Home is far from Suzhou. It’s an interesting question, and I’m frequently asked why I study here when my home is in Xian in Northern China. It’s a two-hour flight to get home. When I was at school in my home, I made little mistakes, like being late for classes. But in Dulwich, I've never been late because I know it's just me and I'm by myself.”
Counselling Department Support
Echo’s university counsellor is Mr. Mark Coyle. It was Mr. Coyle that recommended we should interview Echo, because she was such a remarkable and talented student, with an interesting story to tell about her choice of Major. Echo explained that Mr. Coyle had been an immense help during the application process and had provided her with valuable feedback on her personal statement.
Hobbies and Interests
In terms of hobbies and interests, Echo explained that she loves listening to music and reading books.
“Reading is a good way to discover yourself and find out what you really want in life.”
Echo, who has impeccable taste in literature, went on to tell us that her favourite author is Haruki Murakami and that her favourite book by the author is the controversial Killing Commendatore.
Killing Commendatore is a 2017 novel written by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.
When a thirty-something portrait painter is abandoned by his wife, he holes up in the mountain home of a famous artist. The days drift by, spent painting, listening to music and drinking whiskey in the evenings. But then he discovers a strange painting in the attic and unintentionally begins a journey of self-discovery that involves a mysterious ringing bell, a precocious thirteen-year-old girl, a Nazi assassination attempt and a haunted underworld.
A stunning work of imagination, Killing Commendatore is a surreal tale of love and loneliness, war and art. The Library at Dulwich International High School Suzhou has several books by Haruki Murakami on it shelves, encompassing both his fiction and non-fiction. You can read a review of his book about running on our school website here.
Advice for younger students
We always conclude our student interviews by asking them what advice they have for our year 10s. This gives them a moment to reflect on the time that they have been at Dulwich and consider how they would have approached things differently if they could have their time at school again. Echo explained that:
“If you really like something, don’t hesitate! Start preparing as soon as possible, especially if you are an art student. If you find that you are also interested in another major, do not lose the chance because people are versatile. You don't have to focus on just the one major. You can explore other areas you are interested in.
While some students know exactly what they want to do in the future, very clearly, some of them don’t. So, my advice is to do experiments and do not be afraid of failure. Try lots of things, Whatever things you are interested in, and do not set boundaries to yourself.”
Wise words indeed, from a highly talented student who has clearly demonstrated that it is possible to make a significant change of plans and still be phenomenally successful. We wish Echo L. all the very best for the future!
