A year on: BA (Hons) 2020 graduates showcase their final projects
Having graduated in the middle of pandemic, the usual ‘in person’ celebrations had to be put on hold, however a year later than expected, the 2020 cohort joined forces with the fresh 2021 BA (Hons) graduates to present a joint exhibition under the theme of ‘Every Cloud has a Silver Lining’. This created an unexpected evolving narrative of the unprecedented year we have all experienced.
Upstairs on the first floor the 2020 students presented ideas that emerged from the initial navigation of the sociological effects of the pandemic, which in turn prompted the highlighting of social and racial issues that have become embedded into our society today and how the pandemic has provided a necessary pause and held a magnifying glass up to systems and services. This flowed into the downstairs group of student work which provided a snapshot of the innovative thinking of re-defining the fashion industry in a post-covid era utilising a pioneering approach to navigating and pivoting an industry that respects traditions, but is adaptable to new demands.
Julia Jasper: Camillu
Julia Jasper is a CNC graduate with a specialism in communication and a flare for business strategy. For her Independent Fashion Communication Project, she created a digital promotion and communication strategy for the launch of the sustainable activewear brand, Camillu. A brand which since her graduation, Julia has launched. The IFCP project allowed Julia to flesh out the idea, whilst still being a student “my main focus was digital marketing the module [IFCP] gave me confidence in how to plan and launch a digital marketing campaign and how to design and setup a website”.
Her final proposition at the exhibition included a Strategic Digital Marketing Campaign, Brand Identity Book and an E-Commerce Website Mock-up; documentation which provided the foundation for her brand to be built upon.
Founded during the pandemic, Camillu aims to “provide the most comfortable athleisure wear on the market, and to inspire women to an active lifestyle”, whether this be for comfort in the new hybrid model of WFH or enjoying the freedom of movement as we move back into society as restrictions begin to ease.
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After one year apart Julia describes how, “it was really nice to see everyone again after such a long time and that it was a great experience to have an opportunity to network with the industry even though our projects were from 2020”.
Nicole Brixi: BRIXI
Nicole Brixi was the skin guru of the 2020 cohort and created a brand and marketing plan for BRIXI “a skincare brand striving to become a benevolent voice in the beauty and personal care industries’. In response to the drive for a cleaner beauty industry, that is conscious of not only the product on offer, but also the way the product is packaged, Nicole created an offering to reduce redundant consumption and promote a more responsible and meaningful shopping experience for consumers.
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“My interest for the skincare and the personal care product industries was always present in my life ever since I got my first pimple. During my time doing the BA, I began exploring working on projects directed towards beauty brands such as MAC and Clinique. That also happened simultaneously with me starting my own Instagram page dedicated to reviewing and shooting still life images of beauty products”. When the IFCP module came along the “open brief” gave Nicole the opportunity to “run with it and make the one thing I knew exactly how to do”.
“Having the opportunity to revisit and showcase my work one year later gave me an unexpected sense of ease. Having had time to mature, I was able to look back at what I had created with more kindness than I would’ve had straight after finishing it. The burnout feel commonly experienced shortly after living and breathing that all consuming thing often overshadows the more positive emotions, leaving you feeling like you can never look back and enjoy what we had accomplished.”
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“Before starting the showcase, when everything was ready and in place, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly exposed. Seeing your work hanging on the walls and your ideas screening on display for anyone to navigate is definitely nerve wrecking. With that being said, that initial reaction quickly faded away as the response from the public in the exhibition was overwhelmingly positive. Sooner than I realised I was having one of the best nights of life.”
“Looking back, I can say that this experience left me feeling like I was on the right path. To have the opportunity to speak with dozens of industry professionals and having my brain picked by them was truly invaluable. Moving forward, I will take my newly found confidence to put myself out there more, network and hopefully, get my dream job doing something in the beauty industry”.
Aine Sweeney-Byrne: The Age of the Multi-Hyphenate
Aine Sweeney-Byrne is a creative who has an eye for story-telling through the photographic lens and presented a short film, photographic book and virtual exhibition space. The film followed the paths of 4 young creatives living in London, showcasing how the women are pioneering the world through their pursuit of creativity. Georgia is an actress / poet / artist. Maddi is a music artist / model and photographer. Savannah is the founder of a collective called Vexed / saxophonist and law student. Maya is an entrepreneur.
Aine explained how “the exhibition felt like a celebration not only of all the work which we produced for our final projects, but also a celebration of finally being able to share our work in real life with the industry. My final project has had a significant relevance post COVID, because adaptation and resilience has proved that multitasking has become significantly important since what we know as normality has changed so much.
The Age of the Multi-Hyphenate highlights freedom of creative expression and why limiting oneself to one role within the industry is outdated and no longer an option for the future generation.
Read more about our BA (Hons) graduate exhibition here.
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