Katie
Hayward

Can you tell us a little bit about your main responsibilities at British Fashion Council?
“My main responsibilities included collating all furniture requests for the Designer Showrooms across London Fashion Week, London Fashion Week Men’s and London Fashion Week Festival.

“Another aspect of my job included sourcing products for the fulfilment of goody bags for the Fashion Awards and London Fashion Weekend by searching for quality and luxury items, all within an agreed deadline. Helping the Events Executive organise and send out tickets for these events was another element of my role.”

What has been the highlight of your placement?
“Being a part of London Fashion Week and The Fashion Awards have definitely been the highlight of my placement. They are both events that I have always followed and to actually work on them and contribute to the success was surreal.”

Why would you recommend other students to complete a year in industry?
“I think completing a year in industry is so important and such a beneficial thing for students to do. The fashion industry is becoming increasingly competitive making it even more important to gain as much experience as possible. A placement year provides you with an invaluable opportunity to learn skills, gain experience and make important contacts for the future. My placement experience in particular has really helped with my confidence, as well as increasing my organisational skills, time management and the ability to prioritise tasks.”

What do you enjoy most about studying Fashion Management?
“The main thing that drew me to this course was the diversity of the modules. During my A levels I wasn’t sure which aspect of the industry I wanted to get into, so this course is perfect in giving me detailed knowledge of the different paths I could take.”

Has the course included any guest speakers?
“We have lots of guest speakers visit and they are a great way to learn more about the current industry. We had a designer from ASOS talk to us about the design process she goes through in order to create a range which was really interesting.”

How do you find the course staff?
“All of the course staff are really great - they are on hand to help whenever you need them. Even when you are on your placement year they are great at supporting you, by answering any questions you may have whilst on placement, or regarding final year. You are assigned a tutor whilst you are on your placement, who comes to visit you half way through the year which is great support.”

How do you find the student community at NTU?
“The student community is really strong at NTU - both within the School of Art and Design and the wider University. Everyone is always friendly and good fun!”