About Me
My love affair with fashion started at a young age, when my mum taught me to knit and sew miniature garments for my Barbie dolls. I then forced my mum to make me all the ridiculous clothes I dreamed up for all the school discos i attended.
At 13, my friends and I would go to Leeds and spend all our pocket money in the incredible corn-exchange which was, at one time, an Aladdin’s cave filled with every fantastical trend a thirteen year old girl could imagine. From gothic corsets and studded dog collars, to lycra, flouro clubwear and glow in the dark jewellery. I believe you have to take some risks and experiment to find what suits you. Clothes are not only there to keep you warm or cool! Your clothing can project your mood, your aspirations and quirks. I still take risks with the clothes i wear and the clothes i design, though thankfully got over my brief interest in PVC and shiny lycra!
Throughout school I was naturally drawn to the arts and bizarrely maths. I took Art, Dance and Maths A-level.
During my four years at University I worked on the shop floor at high street fashion stores. This was a valuable education into a wide spectrum of consumers needs.
I graduated from Northumbria University in 2007 and was selected as one of the few students to show their collection at the prestigious London Graduate Fashion week.
I have worked as a design office assistant for Amanda Wakeley, during the sandwich year of my course (see autumn/winter 06 collection, www.amandawakeley.com). Also during my final year I was commissioned to design and make a wedding dress.
Since I graduated I have worked in the Pringle of Scotland flagship store on Sloane street and now (since December 2007) work for a supplier. Here I design mainly jersey and denim for a number of massively successful high street chains. As we are a reasonably small company my job includes the whole design process, from trend research, to fabric and trim sourcing, design, pattern cutting, print design, creating spec tables, communicating with factories and meeting with buyers.
‘The reason I design is ultimately to make women feel good about themselves and comfortable in their own ‘second’ skin.’
