Get Down And Get With It The Fashion School

Ollie's history is in creative and VM (visual merchandising) project management. His roles have included fixture and concept design, fashion communication, window schemes and mannequin management. As a young person wanting to go into fashion you might not be familiar with those roles but if you tap 'jobs in fashion' in your search engine you'll see more exciting fashion jobs in these areas, outside of the 'fashion designer' role. 

Ollie's story is such an unusual one and what a lovely guy. How does a boy who studied BA Menswear at Central St Martins end up switching courses to BA Fine Art and is now at a very important job? 

Many of you know I approached Primark Cares to offer 'no buy incentive' and completely free customisation workshops. I could see the influence they have over children from all backgrounds and how we could harness this to create a youth club feel whilst the teens took charge of their own sustainable wardrobe at a roots level. The team at Primark were so positive, totally up for it and you should see what the children have created from what they already have! 

As you can well imagine, Ollie's potential podcast created more interest and well-considered questions coming forth from teens than any other, thanks, everyone!

Want to get into fashion but don't want to be saddled with a £35,000 debt and possibly no job once you finish your degree? Well, an apprenticeship might be the viable answer for you.

These days apprenticeships are exciting, relevant and get you straight into a fashion brand from the very start. The employment rate is very high as companies teach you the skills they need, so it makes sense to keep you on once your apprenticeship training has ended.

We're very fortunate to talk with someone who knows all about them. Louis-Christian Pendegrass is a lecturer in Fashion & Textiles for Apprenticeships levels 2 to 5 at Fashion-Enter / Fashion Capital and he's going to tell us all about apprenticeships, how he got into fashion, his own rich industry experience and of course answer to all of your questions!

@thefashionschooluk @_louischristian_

Do you ever worry that the fashion industry is full of nasty people waiting to rip you off and throw you out? Worry not, today we’re interviewing the vibrant Katie Hopkins, only a year out of university who’s now the Education, Communications and Events Manager at New Talent Fashion. We discuss how most people in the industry are approachable. Characters that you can have a chat and a laugh with as you work hard and successfully in a career you feel so passionately about. If they’re not then they’re still living in the past and still possess a mindset from the fashion dark ages and no longer relevant today. Listen in and enjoy hearing about Katie's own experiences.

Katie’s agency is a platform to empower and showcase new fashion talent, connecting creatives, graduates, and students with the fashion industry. Their support is extended through two subscription services – the Student Hub, a unique service for partners and education, and NTF Exclusive, a targeted solution for professionals to learn, progress, and stay informed on the ever-changing industry. @Kateh_ @newtalentfashion @thefashionschooluk

Have you thought about menswear in fashion? Men make up half the planet so if you want to learn more about fashion, then you need to know more about menswear! Today I'm talking with Maya Rutland who's at the end of her 2nd year on her Menswear BA at Westminster University - one of the top places in the UK if you want to study the subject and pursue a career in such a vast and important area of fashion. Plus, it's exciting!

I've known Maya since she was a schoolgirl and had just started at Dorothy Stringer School in Brighton. Always level-headed, measured and very creative in all areas of art and design. Maya had the ability to choose whichever discipline she wanted, I thought she might go into jewellery, just goes to show how little I know! Listen in as Maya lets you into her world and tells you what it's like to study menswear. @mayarutland @thefashionschooluk

Laura Teasdale is a bespoke tailor who trained on the Saville Row. After studying fashion Laura persued tailoring through extra training, putting in her 10,000 hours into mastering the craft and internships. Working in a position which is historically male, Laura  give us an insight into the difference of tailoring to fashion, especially bespoke tailoring. @thefashionschooluk @laura_teasdale

Julie is an artist whose roots are in fashion. Julie is another shining example of a creative whose work continues to influence art and fashion everywhere, yet her own entry into the industry was not conventional. Julie started as a design assistant at John Galliano but without a degree. I'll let her tell you all in detail as it is so enlightening and I'm sure it will help you as you encounter tricky stuff as you grow up. Her lovely cat joins in too, which makes it really feel as though you're in Julie's studio with her! Julie's an iconic fixture as a much-loved tutor at Central St Martins. I had so much fun interviewing her and she has some really thoughtful advice for all you young creatives out there. @julieverhoeven @thefashionschooluk