Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Arts students get hands on design experience
Students from Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s School of the Arts are developing their design skills working with a number of leading clothing manufacturers and giants of the retail world.
The students are working on a series of live projects which complement the formal teaching they receive, giving them the opportunity to put into practice what they learn. The experience provides students with significant employability skills, while developing their creative thinking.
Students from Textiles Innovation and Design have been briefed to create design collections for high street retailer White Stuff. There will also be a visit and the final design selection process for the company will take place early in the New Year.
A partnership also exists with American lifestyle apparel brand Abercrombie & Fitch as they seek to recruit students to work for them in Columbus, Ohio. More than a dozen graduates are currently working in the design studio for the company and the School has built up a successful working relationship with the brand, resulting in placement opportunities for a number of students.
Swedish clothing brand H&M and underwear designers and manufacturers Gossard and Pretty Polly are also due to launch live projects for students in October.
Andrew Selby, Head of Department for the School of the Arts, believes that these projects are vital to students achieving success as designers. He comments: “We believe students who engage with industry at a formative point of their studies are better equipped to deal with industry challenges. The fact that leading international brands want to work with the staff and students in the School speaks volumes about our graduate work turning the heads of people that matter in the industry.”
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