The Student Room Group

Day in the Life of a Fashion Placement Student

Are you considering doing a placement year in an art and design course?
What are some of your considerations before applying for placements?

Hi there, having completed 2 years at Kingston Fashion BA I have now started my work placement year! Here is a glimpse of what it may look like as a fashion design intern :smile:

Morning:
My work day beings at 10am and I would usually start the day by making myself a cup of coffee with our coffee machine 😛 (freee coffeee)
I would then check in with my head designer to discuss my tasks for the day. My daily tasks could involve studying a vintage garment or pattern cutting / draping out a prototype and testing out ideas for them to play with. The process begins with searching for a suitable fabric to cut in to achieve the right shape they want for the given design. Once the fabric is pressed and steamed, I would begin draping / cutting process.

Lunch:
My favourite time of the day :wink: I would usually go into the pantry to heat up my food and meet up with other fellow interns and chat about our day over lunch :biggrin: We usually catch our lunch break from 1 to 2pm!

Afternoon - Evening:
The rest of the day would be sewing and making my toile to show the designers. This would follow with some feedback before I make some amendments to the pattern and continue refining my toile. My day would usually end by 6/7pm!

All in all, I have really enjoyed my experiences in my placement year. It has really widened my perspective of the different roles within the industry, allowed to make new friends and gain a better idea of what I would like to aim for in the future.

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below or ask me any questions about life in Kingston, Fashion or placement :h:


Useful Links:
Kingston Fashion Student
Sandwich Year at Kingston

Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)
(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 1

Hi there 🙂 Zhi En here again!
Given that I am half way through my work placement year, here are a few things that I have learnt and valued so far 🤗

Perspective
Being in industry has really shaped my perspective of what it's really like to work within the fashion industry. It has broaden my understanding on the various roles and functions that craft, design, develop and sell clothes! Behind a single garment are many eyes, decisions, hands and people that shape and bring to life the things we wear daily 🥰 This also has taught me many things about what my strengths, weaknesses, what I like and dislike! 😉

Communication & Time Management
Unlike in university where I am given the freedom and time to work on my own projects and assignments, working within a company can be quite fast paced and demanding. Learning how to navigate a new role and environment can be tricky at times but offers many opportunities for personal growth. I find myself having to manage my own time, work flow, juggle expectations and communicate with different people across various departments.

Practical Skills
In addition to the soft skills mentioned above, my favourite takeaway from my placement are the technical skills and experience I gained throughout my placement year. Things like knowing how to select the right fabrics, being exposed to different ways of cutting & draping, attending fittings, and sewing many many prototypes have been some of my favourite experiences 🤩

People
Last but not least, the connections and new friends I have made during my placement are one of the best things about doing placement year! I have had the opportunity to meet other interns from different teams and unis, while learning and working alongside skilled professionals ☺️


My work placement year taught me the importance of resilience. The working world is fast-paced and often challenging, but learning to adapt, accept feedback, and stay focused on my goals has given me the confidence to navigate the ups and downs of this dynamic industry.

Are you considering taking a placement year? What would you like to know more about placements? Feel free to share down in the comments below or asking anything about life in Kingston uni 🙂 I hope this helps!

Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)
(edited 6 months ago)

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