Nina Van Volkinburg interviews MA students at Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion, University Arts London to discover the focus of their final major projects. All Fashion Business School students are required to complete a final major project in their final year, with a focus on fashion business.
 
We are joined by Kiran Ali, Melanie Wijesinghe, and Fernando Cortés Martinez from the Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion, who outline their research capturing an industry in flux. Our discussion focuses on the use of immersive technologies in luxury fashion e-tail, the well-being of the apparel sector’s female garment workers and how clienteling is implemented in the Spanish fashion luxury industry.

LCFMA22: Nina Van Volkinburg in conversation with Fashion Business School graduates

In this episode, the Graduate Futures Placements Team are joined by guest speakers and LCF students Sam Thelwell, studying BA Fashion Design Technology: Menswear and Yoonsoo Lee, BA Fashion Buying and Merchandising. They will be sharing details about their experiences before and during their placements abroad in Paris and Sweden. If you are interested in doing a placement abroad, as this podcast can inspire your journey. We will explore how to prepare for a placement abroad, the potential challenges and how to manage life outside of work.

• Email graduate.futures@fashion.arts.ac.uk for a full audio transcript.

Careers in Fashion: Placements Abroad

LCF’s Professor Reina Lewis took Faith & Fashion to St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, London, to discuss how diverse religious, spiritual, secular and philosophical moral perspectives are articulated through fashion and style. In relation to the exhibition Material Witnesses: Fashion as Everyday Activism, Reina set out to explore how people use fashion in forms of everyday activism, creativity, and sustainability in a panel discussion with:

- Dr Christine Checinska, the V&A’s Senior Curator of African and African Diaspora Fashion and Lead Curator of the Africa Fashion exhibition
- Humeera Dar, whose graduate menswear collection drew on her Kashmiri heritage – using dead stock to create streetwear with messages of support for Human Rights
- Alisa Ruzavina, artist, designer, and educator, whose interdisciplinary socially-engaged practice and community work is informed by vegan philosophy and animist beliefs

Join Reina to hear the panel and audience discuss fashion’s role in expressing materially how people see themselves and their beliefs and in shaping the means through which this can be articulated.

LCF Global X Faith & Fashion: Material Witnesses: Everyday Fashion Activism

Track 4 - Nana - A Nigerian Matriarch

Track 3 - Grandad - The History Of An East London Print Worker

In this episode, Graduate Futures' Placement team is joined by students Bella Magee, Arianna Antoniazzi and Sharon Ng, and BA Fashion Journalism and Content Creation lecturer, Emilie Hill. The team will be sharing their thoughts around work experience placements, how to secure them and how to make the most once you're there. The podcast explores networking, refining applications and top tips for leaving a lasting impression at your placement. Tune in for candid conversations on how to best navigate the world work.

• Email graduate.futures@fashion.arts.ac.uk for a full audio transcript.

Careers in Fashion: Making the most of your placement

In this episode, the Graduate Futures team is joined by students Jessica Curry, Iga Paterewicz, Mathilde Weihrich who will be asking questions about all things costume design, and the realities of working in the film industry to our Emmy nominated alumni guest, Jovana Gospavic. Tune in to find out more about Jovana’s thoughts and experiences, and how to find roles and navigate as a newbie in the industry.

• Email graduate.futures@fashion.arts.ac.uk for a full audio transcript.

Careers in Fashion: Navigating the world of film with Jovana Gospavic

British fashion and set designer Simon Costin has had a life long passion for folklore set in motion by a childhood experience. He set up and is the Director of the Museum of British Folklore and has been going to the Jack in the Green Festival in Hastings for about 30 years. He describes the ‘Jack’ as an ambulant hedge which is attended by the ‘Bogies’. For several years Simon has been part of a flamboyant group known as the ‘Gay Bogies’. He used to make his own costumes for the festival but recently collaborated with the costume designer Christopher Kelly to create a Gay Bogies costume based on a frock coat, which was in fashion during the 1730s, the approximate date of the first written accounts of the Jack in the Green Festival.

Making Mischief Oral History Project 'Jack in the Green' full

Boss Morris is a group of female Morris dancers from Stroud in Gloucestershire. They formed in 2015 and perform at all sorts of events, such as local seasonal events, fetes, festivals and music awards (including Glastonbury and the Brits). Their style of dancing is Cotswold Morris but Boss pride themselves on adding 'twists and tweaks' and wearing 'radical' costumes. This has enabled them to engage with new and different audiences. They often perform with 'beasts' such as a lamb, a bull and an owl. All the costumes including the 'beasts' are hand-made, and designed and created by the whole group. Josie Wilkes and Lily Cheetham have been involved with the group for several years and absolutely love what they do.

Making Mischief Oral History Project 'Boss Morris' full

Tim Watkin got involved in folk traditions through music and Mummers’ plays. He joined Stratford Morris and took on the Tourney Horse after finding it in a rather tatty state. He revamped the horse (using an old archive photo of it from 1910) and  performs in it alongside the Stratford Morris team. The role of the horse is to clear the way for the dancers or interact with the crowd and collect money. The horse hangs from the wearer's shoulders and has a wooden head, basket neck and a skirt covering the wearer's legs. It's supposed to resemble a medieval tournament horse.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Stratford Tourney Horse' full

Chris Barber has been involved in folk music and folk clubs as long as he can remember, and joined Forest of Dean Morris in the 1980s after getting married and moving to Gloucestershire. Shortly after joining the team, he was asked if he would like to be the Old Fool. The Fool  is 'the Lord of Misrule' - his role is to attract an audience, keep them entertained between the dances and add an element of danger to the dances by interacting with the dancers. Forest of Dean Morris wear rag coats. These are homemade garments made by stitching multi coloured rags on to old jackets or waistcoats. Chris and his wife made his Fool’s costume from an old tailcoat. They created his top hat out of a cornflake packet.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'The Old Fool Forest Of Dean Morris' full

Whitelands College (now part of University of Roehampton) has an archive of May Monarch robes that date back to the 1870s. The first ceremonies were sponsored by John Ruskin, the writer and polymath, who commissioned the children’s book illustrator Kate Greenaway to design the first robe. Each year Whitelands elects a May Queen (or since 1986 King) who wears a specially designed robe. The monarch leads a May Day ceremony and is invested by a bishop. These days there's a procession led by Morris dancers and a service, and previous May Monarchs are invited back and wear their costumes. Gilly and Gemma are the College archivists and have both been involved in organising the ceremony.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Whitelands College May Queen' full

The Thread | Fashion Marketing Unravelled | Episode 1

Ian was a puppeteer before becoming a clown. He created his clown persona Gingernut (because of his red hair) on a cruise in 1976. His first costume came from a London store and was a Royal Stewart tartan suit. He used plastic gingernut biscuits for the buttons. Over the years Ian has learnt skills and tricks associated with clowning such as tightrope walking and magic. He has worked abroad and in many different environments. Later in his career his costumes were made for him by a lady called Heidi who designed things like false arms for some of his characters. In Ian's view, clowns are part of folk tradition and have much in common with fools, jesters and comic Morris characters.

Making Mischief Oral Project, 'Gingernut the Clown' full

Bob Crouch won the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race in 1958, the year he completed his apprenticeship as a waterman on the River Thames. It’s the oldest rowing race in the world and has been continuously run for more than 200 years. Bob competed against 4 other apprentices and won against the odds. The prize is the right to wear the red coat and badge. Bob explains how he felt when  he won the race, what the coat is like to wear and the pride he feels in upholding the Doggett's tradition. He has written a book on the subject called 'The Coat of Mr Doggett'.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Doggett's Coat and the Badge' full

Bettina and her husband Richard set up Para Carnival in 2010. She describes it as an all-inclusive carnival group working with vulnerable people. Many of the members are disabled, use wheelchairs or live with conditions such as autism. About 400 people take part each season in dance classes, festivals and local parties, and many take part in both the Notting Hill and Hackney Carnivals as well. Richard is the main costume-maker. He once made a Bayana costume for a wheelchair in one night. For each carnival, they come up with a theme such as Egyptian or Windrush. They either create costumes from scratch or modify previous costumes.

Making Mischief Oral Project, 'Para Carnival' full

Malik was born in the Gambia but moved to the UK as a child. He set up Yaram Arts to showcase African music, culture and dance. Moulaye is a 'zimbalia' artist (a medieval art form) and performs with Yaram regularly. He is Senegalese and moved to the UK in 2010 where he met Malik. They promote African Carnival (pre-dating Caribbean carnival but there are many links between the two practices). Moulaye performs the Zimba Lion Masquerade which originates in Senegal. He wears a lion costume, made of hairy material with a headdress and neck piece made of cowrie shells.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Lion Of Senegal' full

Moira Budge first got involved in the Orkney Festival of the Horse in the late 1970s when her son was about 7. The event is held annually on the island of South Ronaldsay. Traditionally boys would take part in a ploughing match, copying their fathers and grandfathers and using miniature ploughs made from horn or bone. In the mid 1950s, girls started joining in, dressed as plough horses. The costumes were basic at first but have become more and more elaborate. Moira describes an outfit she made for her daughter Amy out of an old school blazer decorated with buttons, ribbons, pom poms and lace. The 'horses' also wear decorated yokes round their necks.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Orkney Festival of the Horse' full

Michael Fowell has been dancing in the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance since he was 7 years old. He’s now 29 and proud to be involved in a tradition which goes back hundreds of years. In fact, the reindeer horns worn by the performers (which hang on the wall of St Nicholas’ church in Abbots Bromley for the rest of the year) are more than 1000 years old. The dancers consist of six deer men, a Fool, hobby horse, bowman and Maid Marian. They perform all around the neighbourhood covering about 10 miles during the day. Michael's family has been involved for generations. He carries the No 4 horn which is the lightest one.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Abbots Bromley Horn Dance' full

Carol Alevroyianni and Richard Broderick are the key people behind the Whitley Bay Carnival which was revived in 2013. It’s thought the carnival first ran a hundred years ago but petered out over the years, was revived in the 1980s but again disappeared. It's now flourishing again, and many local groups and schools get involved, with around a thousand people taking part in the parade, and more than 10,000 watching it. Carol and Richard explain that the carnival is artist-led, and all the costumes are informed by artists. The 10th anniversary parade was led by a giant animated puppet called Billy, which was made by Richard.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Whitley Bay Carnival' full

Making Mischief Oral History Project, W'hitley Bay Carnival - Richard Broderick & Carol Alevroyianni

Kinsi Abdullah is an artist interested in championing and preserving the textiles, fashions, art and crafts of the Somali community in Britain. Three decades ago she set up Numbi Arts in Stratford and works collaboratively with other organisations to 'take over' venues and put on Somali events. She hopes one day to create a Somali museum and has a clear vision of what this would look like. Mellany Robinson is the project manager of the Museum of British Folklore. This also has no physical base, and in this interview, Mellany and Kinsi swap experiences of setting up a museum.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Setting up Museums' full

In this episode, we hear from two LCF alumni as they share their personal journeys and best practices for navigating the ever-changing fashion jobs market. Freelance Fashion Forecaster and Senior Strategist Angela Baidoo (BA Fashion Design and Development 2005), Co-Founder of The Fashion Blueprint, and Sustainable Fashion Business Specialist Giovanna Vieira (BA Fashion Management 2017) will offer insights into job search strategies, application processes, and creating opportunities to suit your skill set. They will also share how they accomplished securing roles at Burberry, Selfridges, Ganni, and WGSN as well as starting their freelance practices.

• Email graduate.futures@fashion.arts.ac.uk for a full audio transcript.

Careers in Fashion: Navigating the fashion jobs market

Mapping More Mischief Guided Walk | 1 Narrow Boat Art White Post Lane Bridge

Mapping More Mischief Guided Walk | 2 Graffiti And Rave Lord Napier Pub

Mapping More Mischief Guided Walk | 3 Beating The Bounds Victoria Park

Mapping More Mischief Guided Walk | 4 Suffragettes Procession And Pageants 555 Roman Road

Mapping More Mischief Guided Walk | 5 Bow Fair  Blue Plaque 3 Fairfield Road

Mapping More Mischief Guided Walk | 6 The Pearlies Bow Bells Pub

Mapping More Mischief Guided Walk | 7 Shell Grottos And A Morrice Bow Church

In this episode, we talk about how to kick-start a business whilst you are a student. Our guests are Chamiah Dewey, Emily Taylor and Hanan Tantush, 3 alumni who are running award winning businesses started during their times at London College of Fashion. They shared insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur, plus advice on how to grow a business and win some competitions along the way! 

• If you're a current student and was inspired by these stories, consider entering the Enterprise Challenge! You can find more details and how to apply here: https://moodle.arts.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=748462  
• Learn more about LCF Graduate Futures: https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-college-of-fashion/graduate-futures
• Email graduate.futures@fashion.arts.ac.uk for a full audio transcript.

Careers in Fashion: Build an award-winning business

Thames Mudlark

Florrie Evans calls herself a committed lifetime mudlark. She grew up in south west London near the River Thames, and at low tide this was her playground. The first thing she remembers collecting as a child were bits of blue and white pottery. Over the last 15 years, she has become a committed mudlark, and since 2014 she’s been taking her young daughter with her. Florrie is a member of the Society of Mudlarks and is licensed by the Port of London Authority to dig to 2 metres in the river bed. In this interview she explains why she goes mudlarking and the pleasure she gets out of it. Over time she’s learnt to read the tides and where to look. She talks about the different styles of mudlarks - some striding out along the foreshore, some spending up to 2 hours in one small patch. She’s made many finds over the years, which she washes and presents as beautifully as possible. Among her collection are many buttons, including pearly buttons and shards of shells they were carved from. She talks about the Pearly button industry, a cottage industry mainly undertaken by women along the Thames who would purchase cheap buckets of shells from incoming ships. The shells were taken to their homes and carved into mother-of-pearl buttons.

Making Mischief Oral History Project, 'Mudlarker'

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