Natalie Lauren Fay

The Course

During my time on Fashion Art Direction, an integral focus throughout my work was on the exploration of ethnography, identity and cultural belonging. My dual heritage and upbringing have allowed me to define something unique through innovative fashion concepts and visual communication. Furthermore, this allowed me to align my interest in the broader outlook of visual communication through the development and adaption of a professional portfolio which has provided external opportunities during my university experience. Fashion Art Direction enabled me to explore a vast array of industry jobs such as Model Booking, Creative Direction and Social Media Marketing.

A project which has been the most memorable was my final major project “The Home Diaries”, influenced by the COVID pandemic project was been informed by using a PESTLE analysis of the macro-environment influencing fashion. Resultingly, visionary thinking became a prominent part of my research, allowing me to explore how creative and contemporary visual practices relevant to the current state of the market, could be used to understand future trends through collaboration, community and sustainability.

Industry Placement/Internship

During my time on the course, I actively undertook various internships and jobs in the fashion Industry. During my second year, as part of Unit X I completed an internship as an agency assistant at Brother Models. My main focus in collaborative projects was casting and scouting which was supported by the internship. That summer I undertook work in London at Select Models where I moved into Social Media and Marketing.

Student Support

The support from the Fashion Art Direction team was fantastic. Anze Has been with us from day one and his continuous support both regarding the course as well as external factors has been second to none – We all owe him a lot.

After Graduation

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, sourcing work became a mission. I had jobs lined up due to previous internships during university however due the volatility of the market these were retracted. The increased competition within the UK made me consider different markets – and as such I have now been working in the Middle East for the past 5 months. My current position is not related to Fashion Art Direction however it has proven a great opportunity to expand my skill set in a digital setting. Our company is the leading shoe wear and accessories company in the middle east.

Advice for Future Fashion Graduates

Network, Network, Network.

Natalie Lauren Fay is now working as a Digital Merchandiser for Level Shoes in Dubai. 

You can see her graduate portfolio here