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Marie Sophie Beinke<\/p>\n Marie Sophie Beinke<\/p>\n
\nAs this year’s round of final presentations begin at fashion’s top universities, Sleek talks to last year’s MA graduates about life after college.\u00a0How did they overcome their struggles, and was the most important thing they learned in the world’s best fashion schools?
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Miriam Laubscher<\/p>\n
\nOn studying at the Royal Academy in Antwerp<\/strong> \nI found out about the school when I visited the Bernhard Willhelm<\/a> exhibition at the MoMu. Right away I realised that fashion went far further there, it was more like a story combined with drawings and installations. Creativity above all. My heart went at a hundred miles an hour and from that instant I knew I wanted to study there. As well as its fantasy, the academy brings together a lot of different cultures, which pushed me to broaden my horizons. The main thing I learned there was how to focus and how to be my own best critic.
\nOn life after graduation<\/strong> \nI didn\u2019t have a clear plan for the future when I graduated. I was thinking that maybe I\u2019d go back to work for Alexander McQueen, where I’d worked before. But quite unexpectedly Katsura-san,\u00a0head of design at Uniqlo,\u00a0asked me to\u00a0visit Tokyo and see how the\u00a0company works.\u00a0I had never worked before in fast retail and for me it\u2019s a\u00a0completely new world.
\nHowever, I was very positively surprised. Now I work with an amazing team; I learn so much and get a chance to see the whole process \u2013 from sketching to production.\u00a0Before it was very abstract for me. I\u00a0knew the creative part but I had no clue about the business side.
\nNow I design clothes and travel to factories in different\u00a0countries. I can say that I\u2019m certainly getting a better understanding of today\u2019s global culture.\u00a0Japan \u2013 where I\u2019m based now \u2013 is so different from everything I knew. There is no place that I could compare it with. It’s\u00a0fantastic with all its beauty and extremely polite people. I\u2019m happy to be here and learn the world from a different angle.
\nA piece of advice for fashion students:
\n<\/strong>You must think for yourself, figure out what you want to do and do it!
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Hayley Grundmann<\/p>\nHayley Grundmann<\/h2>\n
Central Saint Martins Class of 2015<\/h2>\n
\nOn life after graduation<\/strong> \nDuring my MA I had ideas of what I would like to do, but what I ended up doing was quite a surprise and definitely not planned or predicted. As I was taking the remainder of my stuff from the end of our MA presentation home, I received an email for a potential position at Acne Studios in Stockholm. After a quick interview in Paris a few days later, I started working with their main womenswear team. This was an exciting whirlwind! I’ve been working at Acne for a year and have decided to concentrate on starting up my own label. I’m currently doing the research. I want part of my label to upcycle and recycle waste textiles and clothes. The goal is to join forces with recycling textile companies in the UK and to champion\u00a0collaborative creativity and skills while thinking about the environment and then be able to give a percentage of the sales to different charities and organisations. I think that would be amazing!\u00a0<\/em>
\nOn what she learned at CSM:
\n<\/strong>The most important thing that I learned at CSM was to never give up – to push an idea and then push it some more, to continuously challenge yourself, believe in yourself and always remember who you are designing for. I think the MA prepared me for a lot things. I remember those long nights when I would still work, under a lot of pressure trying to meet the tight deadlines. When you get your first job you also realise that creativity comes with lots of paperwork, emailing and organisation.
\nA piece of advice for fashion students<\/strong> \nThe advice that seems funny to say but really did help me when I was studying \u2013 it\u2019s really okay to sleep! It is important to keep your mind clear and focused even if you think you could use those extra few hours sometimes. Besides, be true to yourself and don\u2019t worry about what everyone around you is doing; have confidence on your idea, don’t overdesign it; and embrace, export and learn from every moment you have at school!
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Marie-Sofie Beinke<\/p>\nMarie-Sofie Beinke<\/h2>\n
Royal Academy of Fine Arts class of 2015<\/h2>\n
\nOn life after graduation<\/strong> \nI have always been fascinated by the artistic and personal approach of education at the Fashion Department of the Academy. I felt that this was the place I had to get in. This time last year I already knew what I was going to do next \u2013 an internship with Walter van Beirendonck. I still work for Walter, where I have an assistant job in his studio. At the moment I am working on my second collection at the company. Additionally,\u00a0I’m creating costumes for a dance performance that will be shown during the \u201cZomer van Antwerpen\u201d in Antwerp this summer, I am also taking part in the innovative Post-Couture Collective project and I am just about to start developing the concept for a short fashion movie. I feel incredibly inspired and very excited.
\nOn what she learned at the Academy:
\n<\/strong>The most important thing that I learned was not to be afraid to be myself and stay true to my values.\u00a0If there was anything I was not prepared for? Well, I\u2019m a very optimistic person, so I think, you can never be prepared for every step in life. You just have to take the opportunities that life has to offer and do your best
\nA piece of advice for fashion students:
\n<\/strong>Take the opportunities that come your way, try to always give your best. Work hard. Enjoy!
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Fengyi Tan<\/p>\nFengyi Tan<\/a><\/h2>\n
Royal College of Art class of 2014<\/h2>\n
\nOn life after graduation<\/strong> \nI’ve always wanted to launch my own label \u2013 and I finally did after graduation. Now I am working on the SS17 collection while trying to get my head around the business aspect\u00a0of running a company. That\u2019s definitely not what you\u2019re normally taught at a fashion school, so I have to push myself and learn as I go along, which is actually an interesting challenge. Apart from the new experience of running a label I am full of plans. In the future, I would love to go beyond fashion design and try collaborating with people from other areas \u2013 and use mediums like performance, video or installations to talk about the concept of my brand.
\nOn what she learned at RCA:
\n<\/strong>In the beginning I just wanted to have the experience of studying in London, as most of the designers I admire were educated in London, so I decided to come to London after my BA in Beijing. I did a one-year course at CSM, then I got an offer from RCA. I wasn\u2019t sure if I was ready to start the label, so I decided to spend two more years looking for answers in an academic environment. It was nice to share a studio with architecture students and there were a lot of opportunities to collaborate with people from other departments. It makes you look at fashion from different angles. I think the most important thing that I learned during my time there was never to work on too many things at once, and instead do one thing at a time and do it extremely well.
\nA piece of advice for fashion students:
\n<\/strong>Listen to yourself, and don\u2019t be afraid to make mistakes.
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James Theseus Buck, images by Lucy Macdonald and courtesy of James Theseus Buck<\/p>\nJames Theseus Buck<\/a><\/h2>\n
Central Saint Martins Class of 2015<\/h2>\n