Complaint Review: Academy of Couture Art in West Hollywood - West Hollywood California

A friend of mine told me an interesting story about her experience with an LA school that goes by the name of the Academy of Couture Art (ACA) in West Hollywood. The school is run by Sonia and Thierry t, assisted by a number of helpers in their efforts to con ordinary people.

Now, let me start from the beginning. It remains unclear as to what the story of this couple is, but Sonia t has claimed she is a great connoisseur of French fashion design, including Haute Couture, and holds an MFA degree from l'Ecole Suprieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode (ESMOD), France. According to her, not only did she develop a new teaching method previously unknown in the USA, but new body measurement and pattern design techniques as well.  The truth is that Sonia only spent 7-9 months at ESMOD and, obviously, has never been awarded an MFA degree. Awhile back she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing (FIDM) with an A.A.A. degree, which she carefully concealed until the trial started (well get to that later). The new pattern design method had in fact been lifted from ESMOD and Helen Joseph-Armstrongs textbooks, but those textbooks are not offered to the students at ACA. It seems that Sonia would be unhappy should someone else get their hands on the same book she has. The unique US teaching method, according to Sonia and Thierry, is separating Fashion Design from Pattern Design and then splitting each program into an enormous number of courses (over 100), which, of course, means more and more money for tuition.

Sonya's biography, just like ACAs catalogs for previous years , is replete with beautiful, well-constructed phrases and the names of celebrities and well-known personalities of our time, both French and American  ( Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Tony Danza, and Michele Lee, etc.)

Who will, for example, start checking the qualifications of the faculty or verifying the claims of the owners personal connections, when the World Wide Web abounds with ads for this school describing its unique nature? When somebody smiles at you nicely and promises a warm welcome in an elite school, international recognition in the near future, and employment in the best companies after graduation, you want to believe. Especially when your childs bright future can be vividly described to you by Thierry t, a psychotherapist by education who is ready to cure EVERYBODY. He will also calculate your tuition fees, using a formula of his own invention which he keeps to himself, and you will be surprised how quickly money disappears from your pocket while you continue to owe more and more. And if you still have any questions, ask Michelle Myers who, since she has been employed by the school, has learned how to snow all those who call or come to ACA.

 Dont ask Sonya though she will most likely yell at you or break into tears. She doesnt like questions and prefers compliments and admiring stares. Years with a psychotherapist have taken their toll.

What an amazing school!

Located in the prestigious Pacific Design Center building, this school offers small classes to its students, who from the very first day are systematically indoctrinated to believe they have been chosen. Very nice! But remember :  If youre unwrapping a nice wrapper and see something brown,  it does not necessarily mean its chocolate.

Sonia has a gift for recognizing talent with money in theirs  pocket  and Thierry is a great psychologist who, through periodic private conversations with students, helps them develop the correct (i.e. convenient for Sonia and Thierry) opinion about everybody and everything.

Now back to reality. A court in Los Angeles, CA has recently ruled on a complaint filed by a former ACA student who raised questions about whether the school is misrepresenting itself. Sonia and Thierry were found guilty of knowingly and systematically telling tales. Interestingly enough, during the deposition Sonia denied having any direct contacts with celebrities, but later, in court, probably knowing that nobody would challenge her, said she could always call those people.

So, dear celebrities, expect a phone call!

Thierry t has failed to explain why students who enrolled at the same time in the same program were paying different tuition fees and studying absolutely different courses. His magic formula for calculating tuitions and figuring out how much you will still owe after you have actually paid for everything remains a mystery. Dont even think about asking him questions youre not going to get any straight answers. What you will get is anti-depression treatment whether you need it or not. On the other hand, it may completely change your view of the world and you can save some money on rose-colored glasses.

Watch those guys!!!!