I have just completed my three year course in Costume for Performance at the London College of Fashion. During this time I learnt a lot about myself not only as a costume practitioner but as an individual. I'm an incredibly passionate, creative and eager to learn person who thrives on busy work environments with plenty to do. My passion and one day dream would be designing and creating monsters and creatures for films and television. I am a confident sewer, love drawing and have strong passion for films and music. I am a very initiative person that settles quickly into new environments and works well with people. I have been building my list of skills up over the 5 years, and am excited to discover the endless world of creative possibilities.
My two weeks at Cosprop was the most valuable work experience I've had to date purely based on how much I learnt while I was there.
Use expert selling skills to assist the Shop Manager in maximising profit and hitting agreed targets and budgets.
Use visual merchandising talents to ensure the store is presented well and promote commercial success.
Organise, process, and price donations to promote sales.
Managed till transactions, resulting in accurate accounting.
Established connections with the local community by providing friendly and efficient service.
Research and upload higher-priced items and clothing to eBay to increase income.
During a summer break, I had the opportunity to assist the Costume Designer at Garsington Opera. My responsibilities included contributing to the creation of costumes and assuming the role of dressing the main character for their performance. This experience marked my first time experiencing to a live opera production and participation in a large-scale theatrical performance, an engagement that I found immensely enjoyable.
My time at college allowed me to participate backstage at London Fashion Week for a day. This was a valuable opportunity to gain a hands on, practical experience of life in the fashion world. I was dressing models for fittings and the show and organising garments so they were steamed and ready for the runway. I was part of a team which meant I delivered excellent communication skills and fast paced decisions.
My local theatre was recently showing the pantomime Cinderella over Christmas which I was lucky enough to help out backstage with the costumes. I learned so much from my time with them as I was working with experienced costume makers and designers. It was a fast past atmosphere with lots to complete before the first show night. I was making items and props for the show as well as adjusting, hemming and altering ready made costumes. This was an invaluable experience which taught me a great deal.
Lara Jenson - University Tutor - l.jenson@arts.ac.uk
Gwendoline Dummett - Garsington manager - gwen.nelson28@gmail.com
Sam Jones - College Tutor - sam.jones@farn-ct.ac.uk