Meet The Fashion Graduates of NUA 2021

Four Norwich University of the Arts Fashion Grads Showcase Their Work and Reveal What It Was Like To Graduate During The Pandemic.

Interview with NUA students, by Emma Golley

07.09.2021

It’s that time of year again where fashion grads can take a big sigh of relief- that grueling final year is now behind them, the excitement of graduate fashion week is still in the air and graduation day is fast approaching. But for most, this final year has been a little unusual. Creating a final year collection while grappling with a pandemic can’t have been an easy feat. With restrictions on in-studio learning, less dedicated time with studio technicians and the ‘new normal’ of online studying, students had to rely on themselves more than ever to make their final year collection a reality.

As they prepare to enter the real world of the fashion industry, their thoughts have turned to the future of fashion- whether that be sustainability, inclusivity or gender stereotypes. Many are also considering furthering their education to make up for their final year and seeking out internships to gain the industry experience they missed out on.

I spoke to four fashion design graduates from Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) to find out more about their collections and their experience graduating during the pandemic.

Did you have to pivot to online learning during your time at University? If so, describe your experience:

The way my university coped with the pandemic was to put all of our seminars, lectures and tutorials with tutors onto Microsoft Teams. Although I missed walking across the campus to different buildings for lectures and such, I wasn’t too upset with these being moved online. In some ways it made things easier. Being dyslexic, I always struggled taking notes in time, but this year everything was screen recorded so I never missed any information. Apart from the exception of some occasional bad WIFI and buffering, this transition was smooth and easy. 

In your opinion, where do you see the future of fashion heading?

This pandemic has definitely shed some light on how the fashion industry will develop and change in the future. Social media and online platforms were depended upon during the drastic first lockdown and platforms like TikTok have had a big impact. Perhaps out of boredom, fashion trends have been cycled through quicker than ever and you can watch it happen in a handful of 30 second videos. My generation has grown up with social media and I can’t remember another time when trends lived and died so quickly.

On a positive note, the big emphasis on social media this year has spread more awareness about sustainability with the rise in popularity of thrifting. People have had more time to sit down and truly research what they can do to live more sustainably and I would love to see this continue in the future as it really is one of the best ways we can independently make a difference.

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduating I want to take some time out of full-time education to really explore my creativity and let it flow without the strain of a tutors deadline or boxes to check. In September I am enrolling in a 6 week long course about marketing and branding so I can be as well rounded as possible when I eventually venture into the industry. I’d love to do some internships and I’m avidly looking but I’m not sure how those things will manifest while COVID is still around.

Do you have an advice for future students?

I have learnt so much over these three years and I’m so excited for future students to learn too. I would say to really just enjoy the university experience. Go out whenever you can and meet as many new people as possible, I’m really going to miss the social life and I never quite made the most of it before the pandemic hit. One last piece of advice would be to not be afraid of mistakes. I struggled with design development in first and even second year because I was afraid to have something in my sketchbook that I didn’t like and wasn’t perfect, but I realised that’s how you grow as a designer. By pushing boundaries and maybe doing things that aren’t sewn or drawn correctly, you learn way more than you would by staying in the safe zone. If I didn’t push myself to learn how to grade up patterns to be size inclusive and fit right, I wouldn’t be as proud of my collection as I am now. 

Do you feel your final year experience during the pandemic has differed to those before you, and if so how?

Absolutely, from missing a huge amount of studio time, to not being able to gain the experience that we would have before this year has been incredibly challenging to get through. Trying to keep highly motivated in a world full of the unknown was very hard to navigate and I applaud everyone in their final year for pulling through.

Did you have to pivot to online learning during your time at University? If so, describe your experience:

Yes throughout a lot of our first term we had 2 days a week on teams going through our work, having online lectures and tutorials. I felt given the circumstances it was helpful although in comparison to 1-1 help and knowledge it was also hard to adjust to. Doing a practical subject from home wasn’t easy to manoeuvre and I felt given the extra time in uni, my collection would’ve flourished even more.

In your opinion, where do you see the future of fashion heading?

I think the rise of genderless fashion will definitely be a huge step that the industry will take in the future. It is already a more sustainable option and one which would hugely reduce the waste that gets thrown out each year. Genderless fashion is also hugely important in progressing with inclusivity and diversity and these will one day become the norm.

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduating my plan is to do some exciting internships and gain some valuable experience which I feel I am missing. Afterwards I plan on doing a masters course to extend my knowledge even further and then my end goal is to own and run my own inclusive brand where there are no stereotypes, no labels and my items can be worn and enjoyed by anyone and everyone.

Do you have an advice for future students?

If I could give one piece of advice to future students it would be to follow your dreams when designing, don’t feel you have to hold back because thats what society tells you to do. Be bold in your ambitions and believe in yourself. Break boundaries, be controversial, people remember the things that stand out. Don’t be a sheep be a pioneer!

Tell us about your final graduate collection an the inspiration behind it:

My final graduate collection is titled ‘The Dynamics of Disobedience; An Obituary for Flesh’. It focuses on the use of emotive responses (such as discomfort and disgust) to explore fashion as an expression of human suffering at the hands of climate change through biological-horror imagery, as portrayed by the Extinction Rebellion sub-group ‘The Red Rebels’.  I have incorporated elements from the 2014 V&A exhibition ‘Disobedient Objects’ as well as motifs and styles I have documented at climate change strikes and protests. My final garments feature grotesque-looking textiles and skeletal silhouettes, inspired by body-horror films. I consider this collection to be a love-letter to my personal style and my own political beliefs.

Do you feel your final year experience during the pandemic has differed to those before you, and if so how?

I do feel as if my final year experience has differed massively as opposed to other year groups due to the effects of the pandemic. Considering the implications of being in and out of lockdown with reduced studio access, as well as the impacts financially, I don’t believe that this year was handled in the best manner. I often felt like we had a huge loss of opportunities that would normally be offered to final year students, as well as a lack of communication between students and tutors. However, I am very proud of how resilient and hardworking myself and my course mates have been and do appreciate the efforts of the university staff.

Did you have to pivot to online learning during your time at University? If so, describe your experience:

The online experience for me personally has been very difficult. My assessment submissions were all digital, and I struggled with being able to present my work with reduced access to necessary equipment such as scanners and printers. One major impact of online learning has been limited contact time in the studio with our university studio technicians. Our studio technicians are usually so incredible in helping us with the practical manufacturing elements of our work, and the loss of time with them I’ve felt impacted the direction of my final collection. However, I think a positive that has occurred due to the use of online learning has been an increase in engagement/better understanding of social media and how social media platforms can be used to boost our careers/design process.

In your opinion, where do you see the future of fashion heading?

I see the future of fashion as moving to being 100% sustainable, with the incorporation of a circular garment lifecycle. I believe that consumers are much more engaged with the impact of their purchases on the environment and are actively researching the ethical standards of brands. Additionally, I think that there is a resurgence in anti-fashion and clothing that makes a bold personal statement. I’ve seen that consumers, especially younger generations, are moving away from the disposable, tend-based ‘fast-fashion’ mentality and I’m excited to see this develop.

What are your plans after graduating?

After graduating I plan to continue my education, hopefully an MA. This is partially due to feeling like I’ve missed out on learning experiences due to lockdown and the pandemic, but also because I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of my creative identity and I would like to solidify this before going into the working industry. As well as this, I gained some social media attention that has allowed me to start selling custom-made pieces and I would like to progress this into the creation of my own label.  

Do you have an advice for future students?

The most important advice I could give to future students would be to try to have fun and experiment with as many techniques and experiences as possible. I do believe that the way to finding your identity as a designer is through trial and error through exploration of opportunities.