Tell me what you want...

What Universities really, really want...


It's quite simple, they want to see passion and dedication.
This means extra work, projects visits and experience that your eduction doesn't just hand to you on a plate. From my interviews I noticed few things that seemed to go down really well and a few more things that they were looking for:

• Fashion Illustration skills 
• CAD and CAM
• Relevant work experience 
• Interest in all areas of the course, not just design (especially business, actually)
• Finished garments that you made yourself
• Finished garments that you pattern cut yourself (NOT from a commercial pattern)
• Good sewing skills
• Samples of ideas with clear thought progression
• Sketchbooks made out of college
• Life drawing experience 
• Knowledge of current news and trends

All of these things they really really love. I think it's because they're skills that many candidates don't have. So yes you may have brilliant designs but that doesn't mean very much of you can't the pattern cut and sew them. They're looking for the full range skills. 
Also, they adore everything done outside of college. So work on that!


While I'm here I can remember some things that they don't like as well...

• Mess! So unorganised portfolios are out.
• Over-decoration. Let your work speak for itself, don't drown it!
• Irrelevant work. So you made a print. Why didn't you print it onto lingerie?

That's about it! Umm, Good Luck!