For as long as I can remember I have wanted to go to fashion school but not just any fashion school it had to be London College of Fashion. Why, you may be wondering! Well aside from my obsession with London the University is ranked one of the best fashion Business School's in the world for postgraduate studies! London College of Fashion also falls under the University of the Arts umbrella and includes the most famous design school - Central Saint Martins that has produced famous industry leaders such as Stella McCartney.
What made this dream a reality for me is a scholarship I received from Chevening. Chevening is the UK government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders. Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations, Chevening offers two types of award – Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships – the recipients of which are personally selected by British Embassies and High Commissions throughout the world. The Scholarship allows students to study any Master's course at any UK University. Chevening offers a unique opportunity for future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK. For the year 2016/2017 60 South Africans were selected on a Chevening Scholarship and I was lucky to be one of them!
Ok so back to the University, studying a Master's at London College of Fashion is no joke! Everyone who thinks attending Fashion School is glamorous guess again, I mean it is Business School after all. The course requires a lot of self-directed study as most masters do but couple this with living in London and having graduated from University many many years I found it to be my biggest challenge. There were days I thought to myself why did I come back to do this I mean I lived in Cape Town had a great job and a great life! But then...
A conference in Milan surrounded by industry leaders from:
Gucci
Celine
Zegna
Vivienne Westwood
Dolce & Gabanna
TOD’s
Sunglass Hut
Bottega Veneta
Kering
Italian Touch
Canepa
Coccinelle
Bally
A visit from the CEO of Jigsaw:
Peter Ruis
Selected for the Kering Project:
To work on innovative solutions to drive sustainability in the fashion world with the Kering Group which includes the likes of Stella McCartney, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, to name a few!
....and I knew why - EXPOSURE!!!
This was just some of the exposure we had to industry leaders. We also had guest speakers from Urban Outfitters, Edited, Longchamp and many more.Not only were we given the opportunity to listen to these amazing industry leaders but we are able to network with them and even add them on linkedIn - Unbelievable right!
To date it has been an unsurpassed experience and I encourage all of you who even have just an inclination to study abroad to go ahead and pursue it!
Below some of my pics from University and some of the Chevening experience...
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