FAD Connection by Federica Levrero – Global Education Platform for Fashion, Art & Design
Federica Levrero is an entrepreneur that believes in the importance of creativity, cultural exchange, and education. After a long journey to match her professional life with her personal values, she launched FAD Connection in order to support others in their vocational goals.
Miami Living chatted with Federica Levrero to learn more about FAD Connection.
Tell us about yourself and your journey to creating FAD Connection.
Born and raised in Uruguay, I was exposed to diverse cultures and languages from a young age, as my family owns a travel agency. We traveled extensively and had the opportunity to experience various cultures. By the age of 17, my professional expectations and ambitions were high, but when it came to choosing what I wanted to study, I had no idea.
At the time, school counselors did not exist, so my bachelor options were limited. With pressure from my family to work in the family business, I chose to pursue a bachelor's degree in business.Today, I can say with absolute confidence that I have found my vocation, but it was a long journey. After completing my business degree and studying abroad, I still did not find my passion. It wasn't until I finished my coaching diploma in 2020 that I was able to leverage my multicultural background, passion for arts education, and support others in professional exploration.
Helping individuals reach their goals more easily and quickly, promoting cultural exchange and artistic education through a network of international universities focused on fashion, art, and design is very rewarding. Honestly, I wish FAD Connection tools had been available to me when I was 16 or 17 years old.
What is your goal with FAD Connection?
We believe in the transformative power of creativity and how simple daily routines related to the arts can improve our lives, change the way we think, and enhance our ability to communicate with others. At FAD Connection, our mission is to encourage young students to pursue bachelor's degrees in any form of art, including fashion, design, music, filmmaking, acting, and performing arts.
Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross's book, "Your Brain on Art," highlights the new sciences behind humanity's evolutionary birthright to create and appreciate art and its power to transform our lives. We believe that our mission embraces the importance of art by guiding students toward fulfilling vocational paths in the arts.
Who or what inspires you?
Watching movies without any prior knowledge about them inspires me. Additionally, simple routines in my daily life, such as going to the market on Sundays, also provide inspiration. I don't wait for inspiration to strike; I pursue it every single week. For example, I recently started a reading group where we meet every Tuesday to read and discuss authors from various disciplines related to design.
Tell us about any projects or collaborations you’ve done with students or institutions in Miami.
FAD Connection represents two prestigious schools in Miami: Istituto Marangoni Miami for fashion and design programs and New York Film Academy for film, acting, and photography programs.
We assist students from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay in deciding their paths of learning. At the age of 16 or 17, it can be difficult to distinguish between fashion styling and fashion business or understand the role of a film producer.
That's where FAD Connection comes in - we help students with their portfolios, personal statements, auditions, monologues, and all related application documents. We also guide them through their life in Miami.
From your perspective, what are some of the new/trending careers?
From a fashion standpoint, I've noticed that more students are choosing careers in fashion styling and creative direction. The complexity of effectively communicating a brand message requires prepared and visionary students and future professionals who can understand the different platforms that speak to diverse audiences in unique ways while communicating a single, clear message.
The introduction of the metaverse has transformed the way fashion relates to its audiences, making these skills increasingly important.
However, I believe the most crucial role today is that of the designer. Creating new products with a positive impact on the environment is a highly challenging career that demands skilled, innovative, and sustainable designers.
Additionally, game art and multimedia art are new trends, and more students are choosing technological careers in these fields.
Can you share how you envision AI impacting education?
Recent studies predict that by 2026, more than 25% of the population will spend at least one hour per day in the Metaverse, for work, shopping, education, social interaction, and entertainment, and over 30% of the population will have Metaverse-ready products.
Therefore, education needs to adapt to this new reality. In the fashion industry, there are three major areas: Fashion Design, Fashion Styling, and Fashion Business, and AI is now integrated into all of them. Education programs are in the process of adapting to this reality. For instance, the luxury sector of fashion utilizes 3D Modeling and Avatar design, and students need to learn these new tools that the market requires.
Likewise, fashion stylists must know how to produce and advertise campaigns in both physical and digital spaces. This directly affects higher education. Not all schools can quickly adapt to these tools that the luxury market uses, as these software and hardware are still quite expensive to incorporate into study programs, and only a few universities can keep up with the pace. Moreover, the shopping experience has shifted to virtual spaces and NFT, and fashion business students must understand this and how to use technology for social AR and Avatar Design, which is part of the industry.
Knowing how gamification and fashion interact, how to create a fashion event in the virtual world, how to design social AR, create an avatar, use 3D modeling, create an NFT strategy, or design a virtual space requires advanced skills, and only a few universities are equipped to provide such training.
As a result, my job is to help students and families who want the best education in the fashion and design industry understand the differences between European and North American education. I help them understand the various pathways that Bachelor's programs offer and the professional careers that await students after they finish their degree. Most importantly, I guide them through the process of making a life-changing decision about what to study, where to study, and how to make their dreams come true.
What’s coming up next for FAD Connection in the year to come?
FAD Connection is Uruguayan based company with over 14 years of experience advising students (and families) on fashion, art & design undergraduate and postgraduate education. We started growing fast within Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay markets in the last years and we are expanding our advisory services to North America and Europe. We truly believe in the power of creativity and we want more high school students choosing artistic disciplines.
Website: www.fadconnection.com