Graduate Fashion Week
What is it all about?
The fashion diary event of the year dedicated to promoting the talent and professionalism of fashion graduates from all over the UK. River Island, the UK’s most dynamic, high profile High Street fashion chain is the key sponsor of this annual major fashion event. Richard Bradbury, Managing Director, has undertaken to sponsor the event for another year - so thank you very much indeed, the BA (Hons) Fashion Retail Management programme and graduating students for 2009 very much look forward to participating.
Earls Court - A brand new venue
2008 is the 18th year and Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) grows from strength to strength. 2008 has been particularly special as we were in Earls Court for the first time. This most impressive venue, very central location and wonderful space and ambience, made the show a great success. This further endorsed why the international fashion community, the press, buyers and would-be fashionistas all flock to its doors to source its rare talents - the future of the British fashion industry and global ideas - all under one roof.
Making a Stand - Fused08
Our own wonderful Birmingham graduate group called themselves Fused08. They went for a very fresh dynamic look to their stand influenced from Bridget Riley stripey, but regimented pop meets the free-form of modern graffiti to bring attention to the diversity of the group, but fused as one.
Fresh blood
Fused08 fundraised to showcase and promote and expose their ideas, experience and new skills to the big wide world. To exchange ideas and get a reaction, see the competition, make industry contacts and have an insight to know what it is really like to be at a trade fair is an excellent real world experience, but to be able to promote your creativity and ideas and who you are is a rare opportunity.
We were really grateful to River Island for giving us the opportunity to showcase our work. GFW highlights the threats and the opportunities we will face after graduation. It is a great place to come and meet new people, network and enhance your skills.
Gemma Williams
Mixed blood
New blood from abroad Schools from Paris and Amsterdam came to strut their stuff along with the best of the rest. New graduates and alumni from the UK should also be aware of the opportunities and importance of networking with art and design colleges even when they have left, as there are a vast array of contacts - very useful, especially in today’s global marketplace. The programme continually furthers its stance to create a strong cultural student mix and eclectic identity in its year groups with opportunities for student exchange. So watch this space ...
For life after GFW - use good the DNA
Wonderful ideas might be on show - but it is essential to be prepared to introduce those ground breaking ideas through clear verbal communication as well as talent ... just a five minute conversation might change your life - consider the simple, pleasant, but essential approach to a visitor. And don’t forget the great cv, business card and electronic portfolio at the ready, you never know who you might be talking to. And where better to dress to impress? This is good Graduate DNA where students demonstrate Dynamic Networking Action.
How might you make the contacts and get that job otherwise? Shameless self-promotion is simply common sense, answer the questions, be nice and have contact details and a pen at the ready NEVER, NEVER be seated when visitors are approaching the stand! This is bad Graduate DNA.
For a successful operation The Student + Recruitment Agency + Industry
Graduate Fashion Week is the place where you will see how important it is to network as a new graduate, but you have to be around your work to network and be interested in who you are talking to! Gemma Williams just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Her project - Holey Moley - Save Your Tights To Save The Planet , appears to be thinking along the right lines for Jonathan Aston, UK hosiery company who search for fresh graduate ideas, How did that networking happen? Well, Sally Fenton from Designer Forum was the vital link who came to the stand to “talk tights” on behalf of Jonathan Aston the hosiery company. Sally was introduced to Gemma, A very busy conversation ensued and phone numbers and emails were hurriedly exchanged. The result? Jonathan Aston very much looks forward to meeting with Gemma and discussing her highly innovative and wittily branded invention Holey Moley, aimed to prevent snags in tights, but very appropriately designed and marketed. Watch this space.
Lifelines - Making the most of the River Island job opportunities on offer at GFW
Even after GFW, the new graduate is not on their own, there are many advice and recruitment agencies to help as well as River Island’s own personnel team.
Our involvement with Graduate Fashion Week has raised our recruitment profile without a doubt
Richard Bradbury – Managing Director, June 2007 at the Birmingham City University stand
By June 2008, Gaby Tannenbaum had already secured her dream job of buying with River Island, but took the opportunity to visit the River Island stand and re-introduce herself to the team and with people she had not yet met.
Every year graduates from this course have managed to get terrific jobs at River Island in visual merchandising, buying and marketing, from making the most of Graduate Fashion Week! 2005 Kirsty McDiarmid and Deborah Watson were offered jobs as Brand Assistant and Area Visual Merchandiser with driving lessons and car supplied! Lynne Huey had an interview a few days after the show and then worked in Dublin as Visual Merchandiser.
Alanna Leow-McKenna came to GFW in 2007, 6 weeks later she emailed “I’m elated!” when offered the role of Buyer’s Clerk in womens handbags and accessories. Of course she was also then offered a job at Warehouse at the same time, but Alanna chose to commit to River Island.
Going into Theatre
Work Experience at Graduate Fashion Week is a must for second and first year students aiming for jobs in PR, event management for making lots of contacts and to gain great experience. Lucy Humphreys, a second year student, worked as Front of House for the Graduate Fashion Week catwalk shows in 2008.
GFW was really good thanks - met lots of celebs! It was definitely a worth while experience and I managed to get the contact of the event manager for future work experience which was very good
The Press Clinic
How many graduates would love to have had experience with a magazine, aspire to be a budding fashion editor or a stylist or even have ambition to see their name in print? How difficult is it to make the contacts with such a very fast industry? At GFW, it was open house, where The National Magazine Company, Company Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, SHE, Zest and NatMag Direct were all available to give advice and knowledge on a one to one basis to any students who wanted it at timed sessions throughout each day. Birmingham students said these were very helpful.
