“I feel more confident and prepared for my future” – UKFT’s MADE IT internship
09/04/2024
A Fashion Design student at the University of Westminster undertook an internship at London Contour Experts as part of the UKFT’s 2022/23 MADE IT programme. Continue reading to find out more.
Georgia Clarke, a second-year student on the BA Fashion Design course at the University of Westminster, undertook an internship at London Contour Experts with support from UKFT’s MADE IT internship bursary programme.
The MADE IT programme has been developed to enrich the production and sourcing knowledge of graduates. It provides students from selected universities with the opportunity to participate in a two-month paid internship within a UK production environment, to gain real-life manufacturing and sourcing experience.
Georgia had such a positive experience at the lingerie and intimate specialist London Contour Experts, that she decided to extend her internship. She said:
“My experience working with London Contour Experts / Bodywear Lab had been incredibly positive. After the eight initial weeks I spent through UKFT, I decided to extend my internship for a further 13 weeks. I feel very grateful to have had this opportunity to intern with LCE/BWL and to have had the first eight weeks funded by UKFT.
Although I didn’t see a full collection from start to finish, I had been working on enough various jobs throughout different timelines that enabled me to put together the process from inception to launch.”
“I feel very grateful to have had this opportunity to intern with London Contour Experts / Bodywear Lab and to have had the first eight weeks funded by UKFT.” – Georgia Clarke
Justyna Kołodziej, Executive Assistant at London Contour Experts, commented:
“Georgia is a dedicated all-rounder and has met our expectations in the required areas of the business, both technically and creatively. Her day-to-day tasks mainly involve creative research and CAD development.
She is a great team player, with a high level of organisation and excellent communication skills. She also works well under-pressure and possesses an outstanding level of creativity.
The team is generally impressed with what Georgia can deliver. She has brought a lot to the team by supporting the creative department.”
This internship was an eye-opening experience for Georgia, who got to explore a production design environment and a wide range of tasks. Georgia explained:
“It was eye opening to see production design in this professional setting, it taught me features that wouldn’t have been brought to light just through projects at university. I was tasked to contribute to specification sheets on designs not of my own, which allowed me to focus on honing my skills on Illustrator. Then a bit further into the internship I was given the responsibility to design lingerie, swimwear, activewear and resort- wear for brands and social media posts, allowing me to be more creative.
I also got to do creative research for the brands to help clients figure out what they might be after. This consisted of finding references for particular shapes of bra, for example. It involved more aesthetically driven research by making a variation of possible directions with mood boards and colour schemes, which would help the client curate a certain energy for their brand and the collection.”
“Georgia is a dedicated all-rounder and has met our expectations in the required areas of the business, both technically and creatively. Her day-to-day tasks mainly involve creative research and CAD development.” – London Contour Experts
Her time at London Contour Experts has had a lasting impact on Georgia, who considers pursuing a career in lingerie design. She said:
“I am considering a future in lingerie design more so than before and I can see lingerie influencing my designs even further. I feel more confident and prepared for my future – having this background here will set me up in a professional workplace stronger. If I ever get the chance to start my own business, I will be much more equipped, and I’ll also have a brilliant company I can come back to help realise my dreams.”
LONDON CONTOUR EXPERTS UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER
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 2022/23 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 two-month 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.