Helena Smith

The Course:

I love that my course is flexible and the tutors help to bring out the best in you. Modules such as Fashion Practices have given me the opportunity to create content focusing on areas I am passionate about, such as Manchester culture. We also regularly have guest lecturers and industry professionals working on our course, which provides us with interesting, real life insight to prepare us for graduation.

My course has made me much more confident in being creative and stepping out of my comfort zones. The projects we do require us to be very independent and are based on your own ideas so my ability to use my own initiative has definitely increased.

Manchester Fashion Institute has encouraged me to be myself and create pieces of work that I have pride in. There are no strict boundaries in terms of work output, so I am able to do what I want to do, and I appreciate the support of tutors in helping me become the best I possibly can be.

My classmates and tutors inspire me. I have met some fascinating people from a variety of different backgrounds and the knowledge I have gained from them has helped me to shape my creative future more, by giving me insight into what I like and dislike about certain aspects of the fashion industry.

Opportunities:

I recently attended a study trip to Stockholm, where we visited the H&M headquarters and experienced the design department. This opportunity has definitely helped prepare me for what to expect working in a large, global company and I have been able to draw out both pros and cons. Experiences like this have contributed to helping me decide what I want from a career in fashion.

I have also opted for the Internship unit as part of the MA Fashion and Business programme. One of the main reasons I decided to complete this masters, since coming from a non-fashion background, was to gain more experience in the industry. The internship will be arranged in the coming months and I am definitely looking forward to discovering the potential brands I can work with.

Top Tip:

My top tip for potential students would be – don’t be shy to share your ideas with the rest of the class. My class is made up of individuals from all over the world and we have been able to contribute and help each other by discussing diverse experiences. This course is an opportunity to do something creative, which I haven’t had so much chance to do so in the past, so definitely step out of your comfort zone and be creative – it’s a great opportunity to create something worthwhile to show to a potential employer.