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An insight into Lv6 helping at the end of the semester!

An annual tradition common across many fashion and art courses in the UK is the Lv 6 final year helping at the end of the semester!

Here in Kingston University BA Fashion, a first and second year student are usually attached to a Lv 6 final year student to help with their graduate collection! Kind of like a short, part-time internship before the easter holidays and after the spring break! This can be a great opportunity to learn the ropes and get some useful advice from a final year student!

The selection process usually begins with a mixer event where you get to speak and see the different portfolios and designs of the final year students. After writing down your top three choices and dropping them into a box like a lottery, the year leaders will sort through the lists and decide how to best allocate you to a final year student!
Although you may not always get someone of your choosing due to the unequal number of students between each year, here are a few tips on how to make the best out of the Lv 6 helping opportunity! :u:

Pick a pathway you are interested in!
Lv 6 students specialise in a few pathways: womenswear, menswear, knit, print, gender fluid and lingerie! Picking a final year student in a relevant pathway of your interest can help you get a better insight on what it is like in that particular pathway while also learning some skills from a final year student eg. pattern cutting and tailoring, using the industrial knit machine…
For example, the Lv 6 designer I am attached to is designing lots of metal pieces and accessories, so I get to assist and experiment with metal working in the 3D workshop! :h:

Ask questions!
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! No question is a stupid question and this is the perfect opportunity to get some advice on the course while making meaningful connections with your final and second year students! Questions like: Where is the cheapest and best places to buy yarns, fabrics and trims? What kind of projects do we do in the second and third year? Where can I get a second hand industrial machine?...
Your final year designer should be more than willing to share their advice and expertise with you! Also, don’t worry if you don’t know how to do certain tasks they ask of you, just be honest of your strengths and weaknesses and remember to communicate effectively!

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to make the most out of the experience no matter which designer you are attached to! A good work ethic might leave a good impression and eventually a possible recommendation or meaningful connection!

I can’t wait to see my lv 6 designer’s graduate collection come together and help out with the fashion shoot and show! Feel free to drop down any questions you might have below regarding the Lv 6 helping. :colondollar:

Zhi En (BA Fashion) :smile:

Reply 1

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

Kingston BA Fashion Helping Season (RECAP)

It's that time of year again here in Kingston University where the final stitches and finishing touches are being completed for Kingston’s BA Fashion upcoming graduate show! As mentioned before, each final year designer gets a first and 2nd year student to help in preparation for their final deadline. In addition to the mixer event, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn the ropes and gain insight into the final collection making process.

Here’s a little recap on my experience helping my final year as a 2nd year student. This year I was assigned a womenswear and knitwear final year student! :smile:

In addition to helping cut and sew some components of the collection, as a knitwear student in my 2nd year, I had the opportunity to take charge of knitting the knitted components within the collection on our industrial machines. Aside from the making of garments, a big aspect of graduating is creating a 2D portfolio and promotion package for your collection which includes photographing the collection and creating a look book. In addition to doing a studio shoot within Kingtson’s Photography Studios, we decided to do an outdoor shoot in Hampstead Heath’s Hill Garden on a sunny day! Although slightly stressful, shoot day is a great opportunity to meet other creatives (photographers, stylists and models.. etc) and get to collaborate with them to create some stunning imagery to present the collection. This time of year is truly eye opening, where you get to not only see but experience the amount of work and labour of love to create a successful graduate collection! I can’t wait to see what the works of the upcoming KSA Show this June!

What else would you like to find out more about life in Kingston?
Know of any other great outdoor photoshoot locations?
I hope this helps give a little more insight about life in Kingston, if you have any questions feel free to drop them down in the comments below!

Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)

(edited 11 months ago)