The Next Name in Couture Fashion is an NC State Graduate

Hermes, Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga. These are all common employers for the alumni of Institut Français de la Mode: one of the world’s elite fashion institutions in Paris, France. 

The next great designer to walk the halls of the Institut chose to start his fashion design education at NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles.

“I had applied to a lot of art schools, which I’m sure are also an amazing experience, but it  would have been a big risk financially,” Mark Saber says. “I also liked the idea of being able to stay close to my family instead of having to move to New York City, so I came to State and I’ve loved it here.”

In Paris, he’ll attend the Institut’s intensive fashion design program, a one-year, post-graduate program intended to accelerate careers in luxury fashion. 

“I’m hoping that will kind of push me to the next step in my career and give me more internships abroad that I want,” he says.

In a sense, Saber will be continuing his family’s legacy. He first learned to sew at the age of 13 in his father’s tailoring business in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s a trade passed down by Mark’s grandfather, who also had a career as a tailor.

Click a thumbnail to explore Mark’s portfolio

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“The first time I ever learned to sew was on my dad’s machines, and I would make these terrible looking things because he had these industrial machines and they were just so fast and I definitely broke a ton of needles,” Mark remembers. “But I would go to his shop every weekend during high school and  play around and make little things with the scrap fabrics that were around.” 

The portfolio he’s built in the Wilson College’s labs and studios helped Saber land two influential internships. First, with the nationally recognized luxury boutique Capitol, and last summer with Maison Rabih Kayrouz in Paris.

During his time with the Parisian atelier, he worked on weekly fittings, draping, alterations and garment construction for the upcoming ready-to-wear collection. He even draped, prototyped and fitted a skirt featured on Vogue.com.

“I learned so much, not just about sewing and creating his ready-to-wear collection that he was presenting that season, but also the process of running a brand that has bridal, couture and ready-to-wear,” Saber says.

While much of his focus has been on honing his craft and building his portfolio, Saber says he also cherishes the community he’s built at NC State. He owes much of that, he says, to serving on the executive board for Phi Psi: the college’s co-ed textile fraternity. 

“Phi Psi was a little bit smaller when my friends and I joined fall of our sophomore year, so we ended up being the only ones eligible for the executive board next semester. We went on a mission to revamp Phi Psi and rebrand the social media account. Fifty people joined that semester, and ever since then it’s grown,” he says. “Going into college, I never thought I would join a fraternity, but Phi Psi really became like a family for me.” 

What has the process of creating your capstone collection taught you?

In the very beginning, I drew six looks but those looks have changed five times within the process that I’ve been making them. So I’ve really had to learn about organizing your thoughts and trying not to stray away from an original plan.

I’ve also been focusing a lot more on styling, because I want each look to be strong and stand on their own without relying on the other looks to make sense.

It’s a lot to think about as one person, but it’s been a fun challenge and I have loved every moment.

Which class has been your favorite?

Other than FTD Senior Studio, which I’m in right now, I would say Fashion Workroom Practices. For one of the main projects we got to select a couture designer and use their design language and techniques as inspiration for our mini-collections, almost like being the creative director of that brand. So that was really fun, and I loved getting to think about styling two looks together. We had a lot of creative liberty. 

How did studying abroad in Florence impact you as a designer?

The classes I got to take were really cool. For my sustainable fashion class, we sourced sustainable materials and were assigned to create these wearable art pieces. Then, my painting class, I love fine arts and it was just very meditative for me. I just felt like I was so creative during that time.

But honestly, being abroad in Europe and seeing all the rich culture, the rich history, was so inspiring. I was always going to museums, traveling and just like becoming inspired by everything around me.

I felt like it really influenced the way I did my senior collection this semester and influenced the way I think about designing now.

What advice would you give your first-year self?

I’d say stay strong and don’t get overwhelmed. Sometimes stress can ruin your performance, so just trust that and it will all work out.