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Advice
Graduate Fashion Foundation are delighted to announce that the Class of 2020 from UK and International Universities will be showcased throughout a series of exciting activities at Coal Drops Yard, London this September. Setting up home for six days in Coal Drops Yard during London Fashion Week, GFF is delivering four unique innovative activities, central to which will be a spectacular exhibition at Samsung KX, London’s hub of Innovation.
During Copenhagen Fashion Week, Small Talks Big Conversations has been discussing the big issues of the industry. Today, we’re sharing some learnings from Sarah Sozzani Maino from Vogue Talents, Ida Petersson, Buying Director of Browns Fashion and Mariasole Pastori, Talent Acquisition Expert for Bottega Veneta about support that institution are and could be providing emerging design talent. They shared some great advice on portfolios, how to stand out, what brands are looking for and more!
We’re excited to share this interview with GFF Global Ambassador, Caryn Franklin MBE, who shares her thoughts on the opportunities available in the wake of COVID-19, the key skills she believes will be valuable for graduates and practical ways to bolster resilience and care for your mental health in challenging times. Read on for more of Caryn’s advice, including her list of 12 things successful people do.
With the rise of Instagram has emerged a new generation of companies, run by young designers, who have shown that it’s possible to go independent from a young age. GFW contributor Amy Reast spoke to Emily Houghton of Em’s The Label, Joel Pereira of Focus Sports Apparel, and Ramona Gohil of Rani & Co., who did just that. They talk about their experiences, and offer their advice to young people considering taking the same approach.
To celebrate Ralph Lauren joining GFW for the second year running, we asked Kim Giangiuli, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Ralph Lauren, to share some of her best tips for creating a CV and portfolio: what she looks out for, common mistakes and how to score your first job out of university.
This week, GFW contributor Faith Richardson speaks with nutritionist and personal trainer, Kayleigh Armstrong, for the ultimate list of tips for students to stay healthy and eat well while at uni.
We spoke to Alec Dudson, founder of Intern, about practical ways that young creatives can overcome Imposter Syndrome and gain the confidence to begin freelancing while they’re studying or fresh from leaving university.
Faith Richardson, a GFW contributor based in Newcastle, finds 5 ways young creatives outside London can gain valuable industry experience.
As we bring you the Inside View on the fashion industry, we’ve been talking to everyone from Fashion Editors to Showroom Owners, to find out how to get into the different areas of the industry and once you’re there, how to make it work for you. This week, we spoke with Portia Shaw, Director of International PR Agency, POP PR.
Millennials have been given many names. The boomerang generation, those obsessed with avocados, the ‘me me me’ generation, entitled Gen Y and more, have informed a narrative of negative stereotypes about the younger generation in Western culture. These have dominated the stories present in the media, and created a generational divide in the way we approach our work lives.
We asked our award winners, alumni and industry members what they would say to themselves in first year. From taking time for yourself to interning to gain that industry exposure, here are our top tips for excelling from the moment you arrive at university, from those that have been there!
This is the first in our new series of advice from industry experts, when we’ll be putting the questions you want to ask, to varied experts in their fields, from trend forecasters to digital marketing managers, and everyone in between. Find out their professional advice and ideas for how to pursue a career that you love, below.
Caryn is a pioneer of championing mental health in fashion specifically and a refreshing advocate for a disruptive, political and inclusive industry. Here, we release the podcast of her Survive & Thrive workshop from Graduate Fashion Week 2018!
Caryn Franklin MBE chairs a panel talk, with YKK Creative Director Kei Kagami, designer Jas MB, Designer Oliver and Designer Tomasz Donocik offering advice on designing accessories.
In this GFW Live! talk by Boohoo the HR advisor, Demi Halliday discusses how graduates can land their dream jobs in the fashion industry.
We want our graduates showcasing and presenting with us at GFW18 to make the most of this fantastic opportunity but developing self confidence, and knowing how to network and present themselves in ways that will benefit them in the future.
In the wake of Mental Health Awareness Week, we spoke to final year students about dealing with criticism and if they still love fashion design as their courses come to a close.
Hilary Alexander OBE, our Industry Trustee and celebrated Journalist, recently judged the FatFace Graphic T-Shirt Competition. With a distinguished reputation and extensive career in the industry, Hilary has spent time as the Fashion Director at the Telegraph, and was named Journalist of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in both 1997 and 2003.
Holly Fulton, Graduate Fashion Week Ambassador and notable British designer, recently sat down with Annabel Waterhouse-Biggins, Digital Editor at GFW, to discuss what makes a memorable collection, and the importance of supporting home grown talent in the current climate.
Wondering what to do next year?
It can be difficult to know whether to get an internship, go on a gap year, or apply for further education, especially amongst trying to complete your BA at the same time. To help you decide whether a Masters might be for you, we spoke with students from Edinburgh College of Art, who are ready to take the plunge.
Hopefully you won't still be sitting on the fence after this, as Max Wells Gray and James Reeves give you the lowdown on deciding and then applying for Masters degrees...
Hiya! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Firstly, how did you find your BA experience?
It has been very fun, stressful, expensive and rewarding. At ECA we have fantastic tutors and small year groups so we have a lot of contact time. It has been a great place to develop my work in a way in which I like - Max
Varied and experimental, Edinburgh has given me a deeper knowledge of what I like, and what I don’t. It has also given me a taste for my areas of interest for further development and progression. - James
What made you decide to do an MA?
During my final year I decided that I still had ideas I wanted to explore and push work I am currently doing further. An MA will allow me to do this and help me gain both stronger ability and a better idea of what area of design I want to go into. Studying in Edinburgh has been a lot of fun and the course is great, however it is far away and quiet, so studying in London will be completely different and hopefully make it easier to integrate into the industry - Max
It was Westminster particularly that appealed to me. I hadn’t decided to do an MA and apply for them all, I had decided I wanted to do the Menswear MA at Westminster, whether I did that now, or in a few years, if I was doing an MA then that was the one I was interested in. And also after going to the open day and seeing the space and meeting staff and current students, it felt like the right place for me. I think open days are really important. - James
Did you consider any other options?
Doing an MA wasn’t the only option for me right after graduation, it was more of an aspirational option. Although saying that I hadn’t quite figured out what the other options would have been but I think whatever happened I would have continued developing work and working on commissions of my own accord, perhaps staying on in Edinburgh for a little longer - James
I considered fashion buying and did a summer internship in this area to help decide. It was great but I felt it wasn’t quite as creative as design- Max
What do you think the benefits of studying for an MA are?
I think it is a great opportunity to meet people working not just in the fashion industry but also many more, it gives you time to strengthen and sharpen your portfolio or work - Max
I think, especially with a two year course with a summative first year, that taking a step back from the pressure of producing a graduate collection (that you want to somehow show everything you have learnt during your degree) and being able to use those skills to explore ideas in a more loose and relaxed way. I guess not having to worry so much about getting it ‘wrong’. Also with Westminster the opportunities for industry connection and industry briefs, support with internships between first and second year - James
What are you most looking forward to?
The southern weather! Also having the opportunity to develop my work and have access to amazing facilities - Max
I think I’m most looking forward to the tailoring project in first year. I self taught some tailoring techniques for my BA collection but I’m really excited to learn the process in more detail to be able to apply that to my design practice - James
Can you please give one piece of advice, to a soon-to-be graduate that isn’t sure which steps to take next?
If you're not sure what area to go into, intern, and get work experience in different areas. Don’t just do a design internship because you're studying design, it’s a huge industry. I think an MA is something you should only do if you are sure. It could be a very expensive mistake to make. If you are sure you want to do a MA research early because you won't have much time in your final year. Go for a place you feel comfortable in and you think will help push your work. Getting your portfolio together early will help massively and help push your final year work. In your interview don’t be cocky, however even if you're not sure about your work act like you love it and it’s going in the direction you want – save uncertainty for tutorials - Max
I guess don’t rush into it, if think you want to do an MA, go to open days, talk to current students, do research (I think I read the course overview about 20 times). Every MA is different, especially the main London ones, one might be really right for you and another completely not. But also just wait and see what happens, you don’t have to do an MA straight after your degree. Go to Madagascar! - James
Interview by Annabel Waterhouse-Biggins
