After the course I am on at the moment, I will either stay on and do the Foundation course in fashion, or work for a year to gain some skills and experience. After another year I am thinking of going onto doing an apprenticeship in fashion or fashion retail, the reason for this is because this will give me the skills I need to start of my career in becoming a designer and more high retail companies will give me the job as I am already trained in this specialism.
The website I have used to find some fashion apprentice jobs is www.gov.co.uk
The only problem I have with finding an apprenticeship in Fashion, is that there is not one near where I live. There is an apprenticeship on the website that I am interested in and it is being an apprentice for a Fashion Warehouse Operative, but the down side is that it is in Manchester.
DIGITAL PORTFOLIO
UAL Diploma in Art & Design 2015
Find and describe 2 different apprentice opportunities
(Fashion Capital Apprenticeships)
1: Level 2 Apparel Apprenticeship/ FashionCapital.co.uk is England's leading provider for the Fashion and Textiles Apprenticeship programme. It is a unique combination of training and career work experience, working with one employer for an entire course.
2: Level 4 Technical Textiles/ Some of the possible jobs covered by this apprenticeship include Sales manager, New project development manager and Technical manager. This apprenticeship is made up of both college and work based learning and will help give you the specific work experience you need.
What are the qualifications needed?
1: To start a Fashion Apprenticeship you will need to have some general skills to start, such as pattern cutting and sewing. Additional skills that employers like and look for are people who have a good eye for colours and shapes, and people who are able to spot trends. Although for this specific apprenticeship you will need a relevant degree to give you the knowledge to work in this industry, such as a foundation degree.
2: The minimum entry for all fashion apprenticeships if four C grades at GCSE level, the professional experience and to be commited to the interview process. To these interview you will need to bring a portfolio of your work to show, include mood boards, designs and technical drawings, especially for a Technical Textiles apprenticeship. Fashion specific apprenticeships may wish to see actual garments you have produced.
What are the hours and pay for each apprenticeship?
1: Hours are variable and the starting salary per year can be around £18,000. You will have to work long days and hours in order to meet deadlines, for example at the launch of a new collection.
2: Again the days in this industry will be very long as you are required to work in a workshop/studio all day working on ideas. The pay for these apprenticeships may vary. (Starting salaries, £18,000 - £22,000 a year) Senior designers can earn up to £60,000 a year or more.
What are the long term benefits for you with each apprenticeship? (On-job training, Pension contributions, valuable experience, CV advantage, stepping stone to other employment)
1: You will often start out as a design assistant before working up to a full designer roll. At the end of the apprenticeship you will usually work for a high street retailer or independent fashion house. Once you have developed the skills needed to be a designer, you can progress and apply to positions such as senior designers and head of appartment.
2: After completing any fashion apprenticeship, another option you could do afterthe apprenticeship is up is become a freelance designer, as not everyone would want to go onto working in a shop. A freelance designer is where you would work on a specific project for a company or become self-employed and launch your own collection. ( There are loads of websites out there to help you look for vacancies)
GAP YEAR
UAL Diploma in Art & Design 2015Research and describe what sort of Gap Years are available. ( Adventure, work experience, volunteering?)
Gap Yr 1- Getting a job/ its a way of earning money for the future and becoming more independent and gain confidence. It also looks good on your cv.
Gap Yr 2-Travel or Work Experience abroad/ Will give you the experience to travel while gaining valuable skills and qualifications needed to get into a University.
Gap Yr 3- Volunteering/ A good place to work and help out would be in Charity Shops and this job would be meaningful and useful in the UK.
Where, when and how long?
Gap Yr - Depending on how commited you are, you could get a temporary job working for a year to help support you until you return to education, or working a weekend job/summer job. You can find a job online to see whats available in your area ranging from supermarkets, office jobs, retail or holiday parks for summer terms. You can even look for jobs over seas.
Gap Yr 2- Work Experience Abroad usually runs on a one to twelve month scheme. Depending on what you want to study depends on where you go to work. For example if you are a aspiring journalist you would study 'Journalism in Bolivia' and would have to create four pages of content for a magazine company each month.
Gap Yr 3- Volunteering would be working in a Charity Shop. It is an independent decision on how long you decide to take part in Charity work for. Because it is volunteer work you will not be getting paid for your work therefore it depends on how long you and/or your family can support you for. Its perfect for a summer job to just gain experience and confidence.
What do you gain from doing it? Is it paid?
Gap Yr 1- You could gain either a full time job if you enjoy working and dont want to return to education. You would also get paid to help fund for travelling or fund for University.
Gap Yr 2- Working Abroud will help you bring in some income to pay for travelling in the future/university/etc and you will gain valuable skills and qualifications for your CV.
Gap Yr 3-Volunteer work will not help you gain an income as you do not get paid for charity work, yet it is useful to help you gain independence and confidence. You can list your work on a CV and it will help you proceed further if you look into paid work or University as you would have gained experience from your volunteer work.
What are the requirements? Do they want special skills? What are they? (age, experience and so on)
Gap Yr 1- If you are looking for a full time job, some places such as retail, may need you to have some experience in this sort of work. Such as a previous job or a previous apprenticeship. Additionally many jobs need you to have a C or above in certain subjects such as maths and english.
Gap Yr 2-For a experience to work abroad, I think you dont need as much previous work experience yet I think you do need some GCSE to back you up in what you are working on abroad. Additionally, I think you would need to just be a mature and confident person to successed.
Gap Yr 3-To volunteer in a Charity Shop, you need to be passionate about the charity the shop is supporting. You also need to be confident and independent with well spoken english. But there are no formal qualifications that are necessary in order to work for charity.
Describe in what way can a gap year can help your CV
A gap year can help your cv in alot of ways to make you stand out from all the other cvs. If you took a gap year to take up a temporary job shows reliablity and gives you a reference to leave with. It can also show that you have already got skills and experience forthe job/university you are applying too. Also, if you took a gap year abroad to help out in some volunteer work, it will help you look very special as it shows you are willing and passionate in your work.
DEGREE OPPORTUNITIES
What are the important differences between a FdA and BA? How do these differences affect funding?
A FdA is normally a 2 year long course and at the end of the two years you will have a foundation degree. A BA degree is usually just one year course; and it is a course that will help bring you up to a full degree which is called a BA. An important difference is that if you did the BA and dropped out you would have nothing to fall back on but if you do a FdA you will always have that qualification if you decide to drop out after the two years.
Find and describe 3 different degree courses in your chosen specialism
Course 1- BA(Hons) Fashion/ will help you to build a portfolio of creative and practical skills, as well as finding your own design identity.
Course 2- BA (Hons) Fashion Buying Retail Management/ buying Retail Management degree stands out for its creative approach to fashion management issues
Course 3- BA (Hons) Fashion Photography/ this course offers you the unique opportunity to study alongside photography students.
What are the course fees and entry requirements?
Course 1-Minimum entry criteria of 220 UCAS tariff points, see list of accepted qualifications for further details
Or Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
Or Pass at Extended Diploma (Level 3)
Or Access Diploma
AND
Four GCSE passes at grade C or above, including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).
Course 2-Minimum entry criteria of 220 UCAS tariff points, see list of accepted qualifications for further details
Or Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
Or Pass at Extended Diploma (Level 3)
Or Access Diploma
AND
Four GCSE passes at grade C or above, including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).
Course 3-Minimum entry criteria of 220 UCAS tariff points, see list of accepted qualifications for further details
Or Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
Or Pass at Extended Diploma (Level 3)
Or Access Diploma
AND
Four GCSE passes at grade C or above, including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).
What other advantages do these courses offer? (Are there halls of residence and what are the fees? Are there any bursaries or concessions? Better connections to employment?)
Course 1 - Fashion at UCA has really good connections with household name fashion brands who the students can work with, securing your own work placement in the second year.You can also have the opportunity to work on live project briefs set by leading fashion companies. This course offers industry connections to brands such as Vivienne Westwood,Burberry and Alexander McQueen.
Course 2 -Advandages that this course has to offer is the industrial links. On this course you will have opportunities to take your second year work in leading businesses and brands such as John Lewis and Ted Baker.
Course 3 - The Fashion Photography course help offer the students to secure a work experience, studio visits and take part in exciting live projects and this is available as this course has strong connections with network advisers who work in the industry.
Find a member of staff for each course and google them. Describe briefly the sort of work are they doing? Is it the sort of work you want to do?
Course 1-Course leader/Steven Dell= Steven has over 20 years experience working in higher education providing leadership and direction for a number of successful fashion degree courses.
Course 2-Course Leader-Miguel Martins = Miguel is the Fashion Buying Retail Management leader, and he teaches Retailling, Marketing and Statergy.He is also a external examiner for several UK Universities. He has 30 years of international experience working in lots of different countries such as Portugal and USA.
Course 3-Course Leader-Heike Lowenstein = She is the leader for the BA(Hons) Fashion Photography at UCA Rochester. Aside from being the leader she has also published a few books about her photography work she has done.
All of these course leaders have very different jobs/work. Yet none of their jobs/ previous jobs are what I would like to do in the future. If I were to chose one of the three, it would be Miguel Martins. This is because with his job, he has travelled around different countries with his work, and I think it would be a really nice experience to travel to different countries.
Of the 3 courses you have researched, which is the best? Say why.
If I would have to say which course is the best for me, I would say BA(Hons) Fashion course. I think this course as the range of things you could do is alot wider than the other courses and they help you find your own design identity. It can also help you secure a retail job with a high end fashion company/brand which is great if you think you would like to work in the retail industry. Although the Retail Management Course will also help you have these connections, I feel like the Fashion Course lead by Steven Dell has a wider choice of jobs and can help push you in a direction of what you want to do if you are still not sure on what job in the fashion industry you want to take on.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Find and describe 3 different job opportunities
Job 1-Volunteering Over Seas/Is a life changing oppotunity to work as an international citizen service (ICS) for three months over seas.
Job 2- Retail Sales Assistant/ Become a retail assistant and be part of a team to help manage a busy shop. This is perfect if you want to start off small in the fashion industry, by working in a Clothing Store if you dont particually fancy going onto University.
Job 3-(Art Jobs) Head of Marketing/ Working in exhibitions such as 'The Lowry' where you would develop and execute marketing plans across all strands of the artistic programme, leading and managing the team.
What are the qualifications needed?
Job 1- To work over seas you do not need a qualification in another language, only team leaders need to have a language skill. You dont need any other qualifications. What you will need is a funraise of £800 to beginning the ICS
Job 2- To work in a retail job you would need to have at least 5 GCSE'S and a C or higher in maths and english. This is needed to be able to display good communication skills and work behind the till. You may also need some previous experience to apply for a specific place in retail.
Job 3-To apply for Head of Marketing you would need to have excellent communication skills and will need to have previous experience. You would need to have experience in managing and developing a marketing team.
What are the hours and pay for each job?
Job 1-You will spend 12 weeks over sea becoming part of the community abroad. As it is a volunteer funraiser you will not get paid for your work.
Job 2-You could apply for a temporary or full time job in retail but would have 5 month contract. You would have to do 37.5 hours a week including working on weekends. The pay would be around £8.40 an hour.
Job 3-As for Head of Marketing in an Art job, as your placement is higher you could get paid more for what you do. For this specific job you would again have to work 37.5 hours a week and would get paid £40,000- £45,000 per annum dependent upon experience, plus staff beneifits.
What are the long term benefits for you with each job? (On-job training, Pension contributions, valuable experience, CV advantage, stepping stone to other employment)
Job 1- For volunteer work it would look great on your CV and will help you stand out from everyone else as it shows commitment and passion for what you do. This could then help you get a better job opportunity or get you into a high University if you want to study further education.
Job 2- In retail, its a great way to start of small in the industry and work your way up the ladder in becoming a manager/etc once you are fully trained in retail. Additionally once you have been trained you could then go onto working in different stores as you would have had previous experiences which is referenced on your CV.
Job 3- With Head of Marketing I dont think you could achieve a higher placement unless you were really good and passionate about your job. Having a higher job will help contribute to your pension.
UCAS
EXHIBITION REVIEW
Zara is a high end fashion retail store. I decided to look in the Zara at Exeter Princesshay. As it is the 'Party Season' many of the shops have got their party collection in store. So I decided to look at the collection Zara had to offer this year.
As everyone is trying to find their perfect Christmas outfit, Zara has displayed some of their collection in this shop window. They had made the shop open for all people by displaying outfits for men, women and even children! What I have noticed from the garments in the Windows and around the store, is that Zara has gone for a very minimalistic and simple collection, by sticking to monochrome colours like black and white, and a lot of dark blue. They have complemented these dark colours by adding bright simple lights in the store window, to attract attention by people passing.
As you can see, by the entrance of the store, they have more mannequins wearing their newest collection to persuade people to come in.
Like many other popular high street stores, Zara has arranged the collections in a specific order to make the customers move around the store more efficiently. For example, they have put all the reduced items at the back of the store, so they can snake you around the entire store hoping that you will pick up another item you are interested in. This also stops customers going in and straight back out! Additionally I have noticed that some stores such as Next have two doors- one at the front of the store, and one at the back. Zara only has one door so it encourages customers to have yet another look at their collections.
Also from the images above, you can see that Zara is very spacious so it allows customers to have a much more enjoyable shopping experience.
Zara has ordered all their collections in a specific order so they all work well together. At the front of the store they have their newest party collection as they know that these are the pieces that people are looking for at the moment as it is nearing Christmas and New Year. As the collection is very monochromatic, they have moved all the black,white and dark colours towards the front of the store as well so the collections flow together, and it makes the customers continue looking further.
Zara also arranges the store depending on the season. I found that alot of the coats and winter wear was towards the front/mid section if the store.
They have also tried to switch up the dynamics inside the store by folding up the basic staple pieces such as jeans and t-shirts. They also had shields for accessories such as bags and heels.
The lighting through out the whole store is well lit due to the big windows at the from of the store and lighting inside. What I like about inside is they have brighter lights along by the shelf's to light up the whole area.
Also from the images above, you can see that Zara is very spacious so it allows customers to have a much more enjoyable shopping experience.
Zara has ordered all their collections in a specific order so they all work well together. At the front of the store they have their newest party collection as they know that these are the pieces that people are looking for at the moment as it is nearing Christmas and New Year. As the collection is very monochromatic, they have moved all the black,white and dark colours towards the front of the store as well so the collections flow together, and it makes the customers continue looking further.
Zara also arranges the store depending on the season. I found that alot of the coats and winter wear was towards the front/mid section if the store.
They have also tried to switch up the dynamics inside the store by folding up the basic staple pieces such as jeans and t-shirts. They also had shields for accessories such as bags and heels.
The lighting through out the whole store is well lit due to the big windows at the from of the store and lighting inside. What I like about inside is they have brighter lights along by the shelf's to light up the whole area.
We had to look at the outfits inside the store. Because I love the clothes Zara has to offer at this time of year. I focused on their Party Collection. I had a look at the collection in store and on their website.
 |
| CHAIN STRAP LONG JUMPSUIT £49.99 |
This is a Jumpsuit I saw on a mannequin when I entered the store and I instantly feel in love! I really like how it is all a navy blue shade but gives you shape by going in at the waist. Additionally the gold thin chains adds a unique touch to a normal jumpsuit and makes the whole outfit look a little more outgoing as it gives the illusion of a low cut back. The fact that it is a jumpsuit means it is suitable for all body types so Zara is trying to target a larger audience. What I have noticed while looking at their Party collection in store and online, is alot of the garments consist of dresses and jumpsuits that are fit for more people. This makes their garment more successful as their is a higher chance that more will be sold.
 |
| GUIPORE YOKE DRESS £35.99 |
The next garment that stood out for me was this dress. It stood out among the rest of the monochrome garments because of the surface texture along the top of the dress. The lace on the top also makes the look look more girly without going to over the top yet sticking to the minimalistic theme Zara is going for this year.This dress is like a swing dress as it isn't skin tight, but it still shows of your figure by going in at the waist slightly. The zip at the back makes it easy to get on and also acts as a cool feature to the outfit. This dress also doesn't need to be paired with many accessories as it the lace detail that makes it eye catching.
 |
| SEQUINNED STRIPED DRESS £39.99 |
I went for a slightly different dress for the third outfit to show what Zara has in their range. This dress is very different to the other two. The style of the dress is very simple so it doesn't over power the surface texture. The dress is covered in black sequins which reflects off a unusual yet unique look. To make this dress not to plain the designer added navy blue sequins too in a striped pattern across the whole dress. Again the stripes aren't a usual contrasting colour such as a classic white. They have stuck to the dark colours which seem to be occurring throughout Zaras collection. This dress also has a low cut back for an extra something to the whole look.
All these garments above range from sizes 6-18 which is good as it is targeting a large audience so again has a higher chance of selling more of each product.
In conclusion, I feel that all the materials used and the whole layout of the store is really clear and organised well for the customers. The theme that is occurring throughout the store is really minimalistic and simple which I personally love as that is personally what I like to go for, and what I mostly wear is black, So I can relate to most of the garments in the store. All the products sold there can be pricey at times yet the quality is really high standards and is worth the money. Each piece of clothing are designed as well as the other and are all very different in terms of shape and style. This means that each piece is unique and it shows that Zara are making the store appealing to everyone by producing garments that will suit a range of sizes and ages.
EMPLOYMENT IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Many people I know have told me that it is very difficult to get noticed in the fashion and textile industry but I feel that if you have the skills and are willing enough, there is nothing stopping you from succeeding.
Many people I know have told me that it is very difficult to get noticed in the fashion and textile industry but I feel that if you have the skills and are willing enough, there is nothing stopping you from succeeding.
There are alot of jobs in the fashion industry but its just finding the one that you feel is right
for you. There are jobs such as becoming a designer, and deigning clothes of your own for your clothing line-whether its mens/women wear or even children's wear. You could even start out by designing clothes for someone else and work your way up to creating your own clothing line! There are jobs to become a Fashion Illustrator, Costume Design, Fashion Editor, Marketing or even use textiles and go into Interior Design. As long as you are consistent and gain experience along the way, it will help you get to where you would like to be.
I have always said to myself that I would like to design my own clothing line and have my designs be sold in a high street store such as Topshop or Zara. But as I have got older, i have realised how many different jobs there are in the fashion industry and this has changed my ideas of what I would like to be in the future. All I know at this moment in time is that I would like to work in the fashion industry! I am thinking of studying fashion textiles at Brighton University to gain some more qualifications and experience. Its all about gaining experience and confidence as it is such a difficult industry. It is always best to start small and work your way up. To get started I am currently looking for a job in a clothing retail store so I can get used to working in a clothing environment. I also have a blog as a hobby on the side which I could have as a part time job one day! So I could get a job in the blogging industry as a back up plan...
The fashion industry is all about having an open mind as you never know whats around the corner.
I decided to look at the Saint Laurent Fall/Winter collection of 2014. I went on the Vogue website to look at all the designers designs for this upcoming season. I decided to look at Saint Laurent because I love all the designs in the collect as they are all mostly monochromatic and very basic, which is personally my favourite style as I go for simple and minimalistic pieces of clothing.
Both garments I looked at our dresses as this is what I would like to focus on.
This is one of the outfits from the 'Show' collection this year. It is a plain black fitted dress with a halter top neckline with some added embellishments. I really like the mesh detail either side of the dress as it adds a modern touch to the dress to stop it looking to basic. It also helps keep the look from being too revelling.
This dress can be paired with anything as it is such a basic wardrobe piece. Here they have paired it with a blazer to give it a sophisticated look but kept it modern by having the blazer made out of a pleather material.This shows that they are aiming the collection at young adults as well by pairing it with more daring and unusual pieces that older people can get away with. The chain belt and chunky bracelet adds an extra bit of edge.
This collection has changed from the previous year to some extent yet they have still gone for a sophisticated approach by having staple pieces. They have just made it more edgy by adding modern tweaks here and there and dressing it up with bold accessories which I personally love! They have even made the model look edgy by the way she is standing and how her hair is slightly over her face- I am loving this new collection.
Here is another dress from the Saint Laurent 'Show' Collection for Fall/Winter. I chose this dress as it has a more girly approach yet is still keeping to the monochrome theme I like.
This is a loose fitted dress made out of a sheer material. The interesting ruffled neckline again adds a unique touch to keep the garment looking modern. It also has a ruffled effect at the end of the sleeves as well. I like how this dress has a small black and white polka dot pattern all over the dress. I feel like it adds something unique to the whole garment and makes it stand out amongst all the black dresses out on the market. The standard belt at the waist of the dress adds an extra feminine touch and adds some shape to the whole look. Because of the pattern on the garment you don't need to pair it with any bold accessories as I think the main thing about this dress it the pattern and material.
This dress is more of an everyday dress to wear in winter. In the picture they have styled it with thick tights and a knee length winter coat to make it more season appropriate. To keep it classic they kept the tights and coat black so it doesn't take the attention away from the dress.
Again, they have made the look look more edgy by having the model stand in an abnormal position as it grabs attention. Saint Laurent also kept the pictures black and white. This makes them look very classic and edgy but I am not a big fan of it. Even though the looks are very monochromatic, you cannot see the true colours and tones within each item of clothing.
MY SPECIALISM
There are alot of skills and ideas involved in my chosen specialism which is Fashion Textiles. To achieve I would have to gather alot of information. To do this, I will do alot of research based around my project and initial ideas. If I didn't have any research or notes to back up my ideas and development it would mean anything to anyone other than the designer who designed the product. In Fashion Textiles it's all about getting your thoughts down on paper to show the process of your design and show where you ideas originated from. Additionally doing research will help build up my knowledge. Not only about the latest fashion trends but also about Fashion Designers. By doing research; which I think is the main factor behind succeeding in Fashion Textiles. You can find Fashion Designers you may have never heard of before but really like their designs because it's your 'style' therefore you can relate to it in a certain extent. Additionally having that evidence to back up your support will help you get to wear you want to be, no matter how wealthy or not you are.
For example my favourite fashion blogger is Kavita fromShe Wears Fashion. She inspires me daily because I love her 'high street' style. Something I wear alot of is monochromatic colours and tones, as I am not very daring with my outfits I like to keep it classic and chic with my outfits, and this is what she wears alot of as well. She started of a blog as a hobby and has no turned into a full time job/business for her as she gets sponsored by many well known high street stores.
You can even retain research from bloggers like like these and gather thoughts and ideas from their blog. Since this is a job aspect I am thinking of looking at, I like to take inspiration from bloggers who have 'made it' in the blogging/fashion industry.
No comments:
Post a Comment