Cv development

Curriculum Vitae: The course of life

This weeks lecture was all about  personally developing our CV's. This was something I did find quite difficult, due to the fact that I find it hard writing about myself as well as not realizing that I had done any work experience.

The lecture starting out with identifying what key aspects are needed on a CV which were.

*Work experience 

*Skills

*Qualifications

*Personal Profile

*Achievements

*References

*Personal Information

After looking at examples of different CV's we had to write our own personal profile to get us started on writing a professional CV. After some difficulty and help I manage to write what I think is a good personal profile.

Personal profile

I am a fashion designer currently at The University of Derby to gain the skills and life experiences I need to get into the industry. Fashion sustains my creativity, which makes me a confident and hard working individual. Personally, I set high standards for myself and thrive on achieving them. Researching new trends and designers is something I am passionate and excited by. I am also highly adaptable and am able to learn new skills quickly and proficiently.

To Knit or not to Knit

Recently i have started a knit rotation, where I have 3 weeks every Monday of knitting.The breif of this module was the create 4 Knit samples, which have to professionally presented.

 I was quite excited at first, to start this rotation, as I enjoy knit. However this excitement changed quite quickly when i realized I was going to be using the Knitting machines. They looked quite scary and daunting to someone (like me) who hasn't used one before. My tutor for Knit, Kay, was very helpful and instructive, especially with the beginners. Kay made sure everyone was at the same place to start off with, so nobody was lost, which made it easier to follow.

My first day of knitting, was just really to learn how to use the machine and a few different techniques such as lace holes, changing the tension, changing the colour wool etc.  

My first few samples, where I playing around with techniques and colour, really didn't go very well, most of them fell off the machine and had unwanted holes in them. 

however after the first lesson was over i did start to get the hang of using the machine, I quite enjoyed it as well as to  me its quite therapeutic well at least when things are going well. 

One of my samples, nearly finished. this was when i really
started to get the hang of the knitting machine.

Showing my sample on the machine. I am happy with what
I have produced.

Powerful and inspiration

" Inside my heart is breaking, my make-up maybe flaking but my smile still stays on "

Possible the most inspiration quotes I have herd, It is so beautiful and powerful! The quote is taken from the song The Show Must Go On, which to me is very emotional, as it one of the last singles to be released 6 weeks before he past.

The Lyric " my make up maybe be flaking but my smile still stays on" is so inspiration because even thought Freddie Mercury knew he was dying, he never grumbled to anyone or looked for sympathy he just wore a brave face with the odds against him. The initial meaning of the song is that even-though there are hard times in life, we should still carry on, aim high and be optimistic. This is something I am defiantly going to try carry in everyday life and will always refer back to this inspiration song for guidance when i feel like all is not going well. 

Lost in the 60's

The 1960's is an era that i am passionate about. Everything about the era, the music ,the hair, the short length dresses, the free spirits etc...truly inspires me. I carry this into my everyday life, with the clothes that I wear and the hairstyle I have, even the music I listen to, all informed but the 60's in one way or another.

1960's music was just brilliant, it was when the rock and roll scene was really coming into light. People were appreciating music more, breaking out of their shell and comfort zones. it was the era when (the teenager) really came into play, they were breaking out from wearing the same as their parents and stop listening to what their parents listened to. Artist such as The Beatles, The Kinks, Buddy Holly, The Who, The Rolling Stones were height of there career's at this time.

The 60's was also the era for the mini skirt which was popularized by Mary Qaunt  and other designers such as Andre Courreges and Pierre Cardin. The mini skirt became a statement in everyone wardrobe and has been carried on into today's fashion.

 Fashion nower days has taken inspiration from the 1960's as well, designers such as Orla keily take this inspiration into their collections. She uses her signature 60's shiluettes and peter pan collars teamed with modern prints, which always makes for a great collection.

Above are picture from Orla keilys most recent collection AW11 

Information Xchange

The information Xchange is an annual event where 3rd year fashion studies students present the work that they have carried out on their year out in industry. This evening gave us the chance to see what we could acheive if we wanted to working in industry for the year. It was a very interesting evening, finding out people's experiences, where they worked, if they enjoy what they did. I was very inspired and interested in 3 people in-particular:-

Elizabeth Rong

Victoria Lamburn

Holly Jones

Elizibeth Rong was the person i was drawn to first as i was excited and

intrigued to know how her inter with Alexander McQueen went.

flyer that she handed out, showing where she
worked and what her jobs consisted of.

Elizabeth worked for Alexander McQueen as a press intern, her daily tasks consisted of her reading newspapers and magazines,sending out samples to celebrities and publications, booking samples in that have been returned, organizing and tidying the press office as well as running errands for people. The intern was in London, and it wasn't paid for meaning that she was spending about £400 a week on accommodation in London, meaning that it was costing her loads. However she manage to stay at a friends which was a lot cheaper. In saying that her travel expenses and lunch were actually paid for on a weekly bases.  I was quite shocked to find out that she had a bit of an awful time at her intern, so much so she had to leave half way through, this was also due to sickness, but mostly due to the fact that she was changing as a person. She explained that she used to get shouted at most day, and come home crying it was that bad, in saying that though she came out a stronger person. One piece of advise she did give to me was always be prepared!. 

Elizabeth Rong did however have another intern at wedding belles in Blackburn, she said that she enjoy this one the most, she felt like it was more relaxed and could be herself a lot more. I guess just because it a designer company doesn't mean its going to be necessarily better. 

The second person who i saw was Victoria Lamburn, she had an intern at George @ asda designing which was in Lutterworth, so not very far meaning travel expenses are wouldn't have been to much. Originally victoria only worked a 2 week placement with George @ asda, however because she done a great job, left a good impression and said that she was free for the next year they offered her 8 month intern. I was so shocked to find out that they offered to pay her designer wages which was £18,000 a year.! Victoria wanted to design for women's wear at first, but they only had a children s wear available, because of the amazing opperturnity and they wage she took it straight away.                 

http://direct.asda.com/george/girls/tops/cat-print-top/GEM71382,default,pd.html

I was absolutely  blown away by what she had produced and achieved. For the last 6 month her designs (garments) have been in asda stores across the country, i think when she told me this i kept just saying wow! just because it was a brilliant thing to have achieved, having your own designs in store for everyone to see and buy. The pictures above are showing some of her finished garments and working drawings, which are up to such a high standard. They treated her with respect in asda, she got fully trained on Photoshop and illustrator, whcih i think is such a great thing that they did, helping her thrive and learn new skills in her future career. In doing this placement, it really opened her eyes and changed her mind on what she wanted to do career wise, children's wear designing was something that she really enjoyed. She also gave me the name of the man who organizes work placements (Paul Jenkins) and the place to go online for the email. After seeing Victoria's display and hearing what she had to say about the placement if felt very inspired and wanted to achieve what she had achieved. 

The last person I saw was Holly Jones who originally had a work placement at Topshop, because she had her heart set on women's wear designing, however her mind quickly changed when she started there, she found that she was more interested in styling. She started a work placement which Susie Coulhard who works world wide as a freelance fashion stylist.Working with Susie Coulhard really brought out her new found passion for fashion styling.

http://www.susiecoulthard.com/images.php

Her work placements were also in London, so she had to stay with friends as well as flat share, altogether i think she mentioned she stayed in 5 different places, so it was a lot of moving around, She said it was so worth though. As well as working with Susie Coulhard she worked with Jacqueline White & Bitching & junk food, so 3 brilliant fashion stylist/ clothing ranges that she has experience with. After she finished her placement, her passion her styling went further in that she wants to create her own freelance fashion styling company now. To start this off she need to make her own portfolio of work to show possible clients., which at the same time was helping the models out as well because they needed a portfolio. I was also very inspired by what Holly had achieve, because fashion styling is something that I am quite interested in.

Going to the information Xchange evening was for me quite inspiring, as i was really unsure if i wanted to do the 8 months of work placement, but seeing what everyone had achieved especially Victoria Lamburn made me realize that i had the potential to achieve that as well and has change my mind about about the work placement, i think i defiantly want to carry a year out industry now. Hopefully that will help me realize ,like it has done for the people I saw, where my true heart lies in the fashion world!