Kira Albiston, a BA Hons Textile Design (Knitwear specialism) student at Winchester School of Art, has been interning at SOBOYE, a London-based African fashion and lifestyle brand in London, with support from the Drapers’ x UKFT Bursary programme.

Kira said: “My internship has been amazing! It was such amazing experience for me where I’ve met so many different and lovely people!

“It’s opened lots of doors for me and [founder] Samson Soboye has even commissioned me to knit him an Afri-Kimono for his shop which he’s hoping to include as part of Africa Fashion Week.

“I’ve helped him on photo shoots for his collection, a charity fashion show and a video promo for Africa FW. He’s taught me a lot about styling, merchandising and the fashion world.”

UKFT and The Drapers’ Company are working together to support fashion and textile students across the UK to achieve good quality internships through the scheme.

Financial support from The Drapers’ Company is available to ten students annually to take up internship opportunities they may otherwise struggle to afford.

UKFT is providing mentoring, guidance, and networking opportunities to each student to ensure their internships are safe, enjoyable and valuable.

The scheme is part of UKFT’s work to increase the industry knowledge and experience of graduates, as well as opening up new routes into the sector.

Find out more about the bursary scheme here.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT UKFT’S WORK WITH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES