Earlier this week, Nottingham Trent University was host to the last Graduate Fashion Week masterclass of the year. Martyn Roberts, Creative and Managing Director of GFW, celebrated fashion journalist Hillary Alexander OBE and Nicola Hitchens, PR and Communications Manager at GFW and NTU Fashion Design alumni all visited the Nottingham Trent campus to give unique insights and information about the Graduate Fashion Week 2018 event.
‘I found the masterclass very valuable and motivating! I’m excited to start my final year project and attend Graduate Fashion Week next year and see the work from Universities all around the country, along with the long list of industry experts Martyn spoke about during the masterclass’.
Grace Creed, Fashion Marketing and Branding final year student
Nottingham Trent offer a wide and diverse selection of fashion related courses ranging from Fashion Design and Knitwear to Fashion Marketing and Branding. The University is renowned for its creatively innovative and industry-embracing approach, and it's outstanding links with brands, companies and designers on a global level. Martyn, Hillary and Nicola were enlightened to the incredible facilities available to fashion students at the University whilst on a tour with a range of NTUs senior fashion lecturers. Along the way the GFW team engaged with final year students, discussing their current projects and giving guidance on what it takes to create a successful collection.
The late afternoon consisted of the exceptionally well-attended masterclass event in the Universities largest lecture theatre. Hilary and Martyn shared valuable insights throughout the masterclass on the topics of how to get the most out of our Graduate Fashion Week event, creating a cohesive collection for the catwalk and tips for producing a CV.
Hilary shared her thoughts on a selection of the collections showcased at GFW 2017, whilst students busily took notes as she revealed what she believes does and doesn’t work in a graduate collection. Triggering a giggle here and there, the students at NTU undoubtedly thoroughly enjoyed the masterclass from our panel of experts and left with a breath of knowledge on GFW and what it takes to be successful in the tough industry of fashion.
Words by Emma Mitchell
Photography by Richard Hargrave