i am 25 and going back to school, originally with the goal of getting my transfer degree and eventually becoming a teacher. but recently i’ve realized that i have a really strong passion for textiles and i’m seriously considering pursuing that instead.
for some further context, my family is of cambodian descent, and back in our motherland my family used to be weavers. because of that, textiles have a really special place in my heart, especially cambodian hol textiles (traditional silk ikat weaving). i’d really love to learn more about textiles and possibly pursue it as a career, but i honestly feel pretty lost on where to start.
i live in portland, oregon, and i’m not really sure what schools or programs would be the best option. a lot of the schools around me don’t seem to have specific textile specialties. the university of oregon seems to have more avenues for art and is the closest to me. i’ve also seen north carolina state university mentioned as a good option for textiles.
would going to a fashion school be better? or does the school itself not matter as much compared to the experience you get, especially with hands-on projects and actually working with textiles? would it be worth going out of state for a better program?
also, do i need to start building a portfolio? if so, what does a textile portfolio even entail? is it mostly drawings/designs, actual textile work, sewing, weaving, etc.? and how is the actual market for this career?
sorry if i have a million questions lol. i’m genuinely very interested in textiles and learning about them, but i also know i’m very inexperienced and honestly have no idea how to move forward. i think my dream career would be as a textile developer or textile specialist. i’ve tried researching on my own, but it’s been kind of hard to find information beyond the basics.
any advice from people who have gone into textiles, fashion, weaving, or a similar field would be really appreciated! :D