Vanessa's work

I have always had an immense passion for textiles and throughout my University experience I feel this has developed and flourished.

During my placement year I was lucky enough to undertake three placements within Marks and Spencer. Firstly I was a Menswear Intern at M&S head office, assisting the designers and helping with trend and colour prediction. Then I moved to a local M&S store where I was a Visual Merchandising Assistant, creating unique and exciting displays throughout the store. Finally I was a Womenswear Colour Intern at M&S head office, assisting the womenswear colour team with colour prediction, fabric sourcing, store reports and colour management. Being able to work both in store and head office gave me a very beneficial view of the entire retail and clothing life cycle. I was able to witness everything from initial inspiration, colour selection, designing, merchandising, then straight through to the point of sale. I feel from this placement year I now have a great and indepth knowledge of the industry.

While at University I have also specialised in woven design, I feel my knowledge in colour analysis allows me to create new and exciting designs within this specialism. Studying a BSc I also feel this gives me a greater comprehension of the technical side of weaving, the weave structures, yarn counts and fabric analysis for example.

I feel both my knowledge and passion for textiles with continue to grow after my University experience, as I move into the industry.