A fashion buyer from Australia who graduated with a Fashion and Textiles MA has told how De Montfort University Leicester’s reputation is truly global – and the course she studied is helping kick start an international career.
Meghan Hutchens studied the Contour Fashion pathway for her MA. This specialises in lingerie, swimwear, sports clothing and other “intimate apparel”, and graduated in Autumn this year.
Meghan and her fellow MA students put together a final collection and her creations were captured on camera by MA Photography student Sean Goldthorpe – some of which you can see here.
Meghan has now returned to Australia where she works for MYER – Australia’s largest department store retailer – and is part of the buying team for national and international brands.
Meghan said: “The reputation of the undergraduate Contour course is so highly recognised in the lingerie industry and that was the major pull. Then I discovered that there was an opportunity for a one year MA that was also achievable financially, which for someone who is international and already working in industry was the biggest potential barrier.
Meghan Hutchens
“I have gained a new set of skills that I couldn't have gained in my own country and a new perspective on my own career. I built up a huge base of knowledge through research without even realising, and was able to take the time to gain technical and presentation skills that have ultimately opened up many new job opportunities
“The brains of the technical team were always there to help you over a bump in the road, to show you a better way of doing things – they were nothing short of incredible and relieved the pressure enormously.”
“Many of the brands I work with have designers that come from DMU – and my suppliers were very excited for me to be completing the course and my company was very supportive.
“I am still in the same role as before I started the course, as I wanted to see what opportunities exist with my current company and the team and my suppliers are fabulous to work with!
“The international career opportunities are exciting. The industry is very interested when they find out what you have been learning and how passionate you are about the product. The lingerie industry is small, and DMU has a great reputation so its easy to start the conversation about what and where you want to take the next steps.”
Meghan said she would recommend the course to people in the industry – but they must be prepared to work hard and cope with the stress!
She added: “I would recommend the course to someone who has worked in industry, or has had a few years out of university and wants to bring their own ideas and the knowledge gained after undergrad back to focus on something specific. It is not an extension of undergrad and you have to be extremely comfortable to work independently whilst utilising the knowledge and experience of the tutors and the DMU facilities as much as you can.”
Posted on Friday 13 November 2015