Claire Deakin

The Course
After attending an Open Day at the University, I was drawn to the technology aspect of this course, as it teaches valuable skills such as creating technical specification packs, and carrying out laboratory and fabric testing. I found many other universities were purely creative, lacking this technology element. As a graduate with these skills, I am ready to work in the commercial fashion industry.

First year
In my first year at university, I was entered into George Award for Excellence in Garment Technology, winning the opportunity of a two weeks paid work placement in George’s Head Office. This provided further industry experience and really helped to enhance my CV.

Study trips
The opportunity to go to Istanbul on a study trip widened my view of the industry and my understanding of garment production. We visited suppliers and factories, observing production lines and also factories specialising in screen printing and embroidery. This inspired me to see what potential there is in the fashion industry and I now have aspirations to travel with my career.

Placements
I also secured a placement with Matalan, working as a Garment Technologist within the Technical Services department. I worked on women’s dresses, conducting fit sessions and liaising with suppliers from as close as Leicester to as far as China and India. I conducted several research projects that were presented to the board of directors with some of the outcomes implemented into the business. I visited factories and suppliers, and became more aware of the various sectors within the industry, and potential job roles.

Facilities
The facilities available allowed me to access innovative machines and technology. A lot of my final collection has been developed in the Innovation Zone using bonding sew-free technology I enjoy the experimental aspect of constructing a garment and pushing boundaries of joining fabrics without the use of a traditional sewing machine.