The Idea
The Lab is a workshop and fashion laboratory that offers curated series of workshops and mentorships for young fashion creatives in Bucharest.
As aspiring creatives, there is so much support one needs to succeed. We have been down that road and met many professionals that helped us grow along the way - but also dug deep to find them. And now we know that education, especially in fashion, should always come from people that practice what they preach. So we've put together The Lab, where practice makes perfect.
— The Team
Our Mission
We know there is a rising interest for fashion and design in Romania. As prove to that stands several exhibitions, talks and initiatives, from which Romanian Design Week stands out by far, bringing together each year creatives from design, architecture, furniture etc domains in an one week celebration of of exhibitions, panels, talks, workshops and events. However, the opportunities to learn and practice on the long run in this domain still remain to a minimum.
We think young creatives deserve and should have a better idea about the kind of work that goes into producing clothes, starting from the idea and how to apply it. Thus, we offer the opportunity to learn new skills or perfect existing ones through our carefully curated workshops. Most of the practical aspects of the industry are covered: from the basics tools to start studying fashion design to how to develop the product and vision as an emerging designer, from how to set up your own brand (planning and implementation) to what happens during a fashion show and how to prepare for it, how to secure healthy distribution channels. All of these and more are covered in our courses for creatives that wish for an alternative to the traditional education system.
The workshops are completed by regular interventions from relevant professionals from their respective areas of expertise, be it fashion PR & marketing, fashion media or auxiliary industries like styling, event planning, etc.
Unique to our concept is that we provide young creatives with a relevant professional team equipped with industry knowledge to contemporary standards.
The Workshops
Studying and practicing in the fashion field is a complex matter that develops both aesthetic and practical skills. We developed our workshops with that in mind – interactive classes that cover a diverse range of curriculum and levels.
Starting from basic knowledge – such as drawing to one-on-one business mentoring, we help young creatives pursue their career dreams. The workshops are divided into three levels, that cover individual interests and are designer for absolute beginners, students or young professionals.
The Space
The Lab is part of Ioana Ciolacu Headquarters based in downtown Bucharest. The workshops take place in two high ceiling rooms that are equipped with drawing boards, lights, mannequins and professional sewing machines. The students have access to studying materials, personal drawing boards, drawing equipment and a photo studio for final projects.
In the near future we will dedicate an entire floor for The Lab activities.
