Sairra Holder, a second year student on the BA Fashion and Textiles course at the Buckinghamshire New University, undertook an internship at LLUK, which offers textile services to luxury brands, with support from UKFT’s MADE IT programme.

During the internship Saiira:

• Learnt about different types of backings and fabrics for embroidery
• Used embroidery software Wilcom
• Trialled different types of embroidery thinking about textures, shapes, compositions, fabrics and threads
• Took part in a pop-up embroidery event
• Visited another facility to learn more about sewing and pattern cutting

She said the biggest lesson she learned was: “discovering there is often more than one way to do things and you don’t have to follow a rule book.”

For someone about to take up a placement, she advised: “Be open minded about what you’re going to learn. Even if it is something you’re not sure you want to go into, you pick can pick up skills and expertise which you can then use wherever – get as much understanding about what the environment is so you can take it on somewhere else.”

Lucy Minty, Embroidery Production Manager at LLUK, said: “It’s been great having an intern like Sairra join the team. She gelled to the team really well and added a new sense of creativity to the sampling team, offering fresh, innovative ideas! She was not afraid to get stuck in and help with bulk production also. This gave her an all-round understanding of the areas within textiles manufacturing, from sampling/design stages to bulk production and how this process works.

“I think this has enabled her to have a better idea of the textiles manufacturing industry as a whole, seeing product from start to finish. It feels great to educate the younger generation on the actualities of UK textiles manufacturing and all involved into making a product, it’s not all design! There is so much more to learn, processes and skills!”

About MADE IT

Five university design students have undertaken paid internships at UK fashion and textile businesses including Cookson & Clegg, Nosakhari, London Contour Experts, LLUK and Toogood, as part of UKFT’s MADE IT scheme.

Students have been selected from the four participating universities on this year’s MADE IT programme: the University of Bolton, the University of Westminster, Manchester Metropolitan University and Buckinghamshire New University.

UKFT held a production and sourcing masterclass for fashion and textile design students at each university to promote the importance of production and sourcing within a rounded fashion education and to highlight the breadth of job opportunities across the supply chain. The sessions also highlighted the rich manufacturing expertise and specialisms within the UK.

Following the masterclasses, students took part in a production-focused project and UKFT selected winners to undertake the internship scheme.

Supporting UK manufacturing

UKFT’s MADE IT campaign is generously supported by The Clothworkers’ Company and CapitB. It is part of UKFT’s broader aim of supporting the future of the UK manufacturing sector, which includes running projects to support growth and innovation, promoting and matchmaking businesses and ensuring that the next generation of skilled people entering the sector are being trained to the highest level.

UKFT MADE IT