B&FC fashion students receive advice from top designer during Career Day

A former Blackpool and The Fylde College student and successful fashion designer told current undergraduates they must seize their opportunities if they want to be successful in the highly-competitive clothing industry.

Jenna Young, Creative Director of This Is The Uniform, spoke to degree students as part of the Fashion and Costume Career Day at B&FC, where she outlined what she looked for in new collaborators.

Jenna studied art and design at B&FC before completing her degree in Fine Art and Textiles at Goldsmiths in London and told resort students it was important to begin building industry-relevant experience for their CV while still in education.

She added: “A lot of commercial designers have previously been London-based which has given students there more opportunities to get internships, but I know more are now basing themselves elsewhere as they can’t afford London prices.

“I did my foundation year in Blackpool and it was honestly the best year in education I had. B&FC runs extremely well-rounded courses which focus on giving you the skills needed to be a success in the industry.

“There are opportunities in the North and it’s important to be aware of those and get as much experience as possible. If you can’t get that through an internship or work experience then create your own opportunities, look at working with other students in creative arts to put a project together.

“I look for all these things when I’m considering whether to employ someone.”

The Career Day event saw Jenna’s presentation followed by a networking opportunity with industry figures and student portfolio presentations. In the afternoon a Question Time-style event was held surrounding employability with invited guests and B&FC alumni.

Angy Young, Programme Leader for BA Fashion Design at B&FC, said: “It was great Jenna was able to come and share her views on how to secure jobs in the fashion industry.

“She was just one of a number of successful alumni and guests who attended and were able to give students the benefit of their experience.

“The fashion industry is extremely competitive and graduates will be up against many candidates for a small number of roles so it is important to make sure they know how to stand out from the crowd.

“We believe in what we do and can point to a large number of successful people in industry who began their careers at B&FC.”

B&FC works closely with industrial partners and co-creates many of its qualifications with leading organisations so they remain relevant for the ever-changing needs of business.