Spotlight: Liza D. Created an ‘a la carte’ Dream Design Academy and the World is Noticing
With 3-decades of experience, garment industry veteran Liza Deyrmenjian launched The Cut Fashion Design Academy to upend the traditional learning model that fails students in the fast-paced technology-oriented fashion industry and it is working. After our Press Release went live, the story was picked up in Shanghai, Montreal, Reno, Ipswich, and Silicone Valley!
#DYK The Cut is the only accredited educational institution that offers diploma and certificate course customization with a 1:8 teacher-student ratio? By removing the 1 to 4-year commitment, Liza D. design effectively eliminates the accrual of excessive student debt and with its small-class size allows students to develop skills quickly and more expertly to move into the workforce and succeed.
Deyrmenjian explains, “Our model is sleek by design with no ‘filler’ classes as the goal is not to hold student’s hostage for years but to bestow upon them an education, taught by industry experts, that sets them up with an expert-level set of skills that will have them following their dreams in a shorter period of time.”
The Cut Fashion Design Academy is the only accredited fashion and design academy in North America (and possibly the world) offering students à la carte options when it comes to their education. No more careers cut short or dreams put on hold by an obligation to enroll in one to three years of classes. Since its launch in 2018, TCFDA has experienced a 333% growth in enrollment, brought onboard industry experts Jason Matlo and Joanna Delaney, and has alumni at Tentree, design firm Apparel Mark, Lululemon, and Arc’teryx.
“The traditional model fails students who are looking to learn a skill or to build a career, by tying their education to an outdated model that pushes a multi-year pre-packaged course load as being ideal. Our world moves too fast to insist on a design student take a 3-year course to learn 3D pattern-making. What I have developed is an experiential educational model that is an ideal pairing of choice and pricing,” says Deyrmenjian.
Liza Dyermenjian | Founder and Dean of The Cut & Robbie Ragiste, BA BSc MEd | Director of Operations & Admissions
Director of Operations & Admissions, Robbie Ragiste, has also been in education for over 30-years and points out “unlike other learning institutions, The Cut caters to the best interest of the student through experiential and kinesthetic learning. Our courses are offered in-class with a maximum of 8-students per instructor, online live, and online recorded - when we say international, we truly are. Additionally important is the ability to offer installment payments, homestay options, and the ability to start with a Certificate and upgrade to a Diploma. For those abroad waiting for visa’s the ability to study online and transition to Vancouver at any point in their courses.”
The Cut Fashion Design Academy is committed to inspiring, educating and creating true fashion and business professionals by promoting academic excellence through our rigorous programs and distinctive learner-centered environment. Deyrmenjian and Ragiste are open to public institution partnerships and aligning TCFDA with a corporate partner to facilitate expansion to eastern Canada, ideally in Toronto.
What is next for Liza Deyrmenjian and The Cut? Immediate plans for curriculum growth include the launching of four new Design Certificates in Fashion, Graphic, and Interior, that will be consistent with the brand, culture, and educational experiences. Ambitious and amazing!