BA Students Collaborate With Anya Hindmarch & Molton Brown

As part of the BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice, students take part in live projects within the industry. Here, we take a look at the Collaborative Industry Project that our second year BA students undertook to collaborate with the iconic London-based brand – Anya Hindmarch as well as renowned label, Molton Brown. 

Collaborative Industry Project

From October to December 2023, second-year students from the BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice were presented with a remarkable opportunity: to tackle industry-set briefs from prestigious brands like Molton Brown and Anya Hindmarch. Guided by Georgia Davies from Anya Hindmarch and Katie Ellwood-Smith from Molton Brown, students delved deep into the inner workings of these renowned brands. The students could choose which brand and brief fitted them the most, each serving as a canvas for their talents and inspirations.

“The Collaborative Industry Project is one of my favourite modules to teach here at CNC, ” says CIP Module Leader, Sara Hassan.  “The project is so interactive, with the brand giving the students a ‘taste’ for working in the industry. There are ‘three brand touch-points’:  the first is the Brand Briefing where both brands come to CNC, Bedford Square,  to LIVE brief the students (and to try to win them over) then there is the Brand Experience where the students go to the head-quarters to really get under the skin to start to fully understand the brand DNA, and finally the last touch point is the Brand Presentation, where the students receive real-time feedback.”

Working with Molton Brown

Molton Brown is a British luxury maker of fragrances, which they have created with a close-knit collective of diverse perfumers since the 1970s. Those distinctive fragrances used generously across their Bath and Body, Hand, or Home categories are what they are known for in the UK. Molton Brown’s brief challenged students to craft a disruptive and bold marketing campaign for their Eau de Parfum line.  Student, Ying Xuan Ling, conceptualised a scent-focused pop-up, with 17 different scented rooms each consisting of immersive and Instagrammable experiences. She reflected on the significance of the project, stating, “Being able to work on a live brief set by a brand makes the project ever more relevant and impactful.” This sentiment echoed throughout the cohort, underscoring the tangible connection between classroom learning and real-world application.

Working with Anya Hindmarch

Anya Hindmarch, a luxury British design brand founded in 1987, is known for its modern, playful design and sustainability efforts. But also for their playful experiential retail concepts in Anya Village, located in Chelsea. The students who choose to work with Anya Hindmarch could pick from two different briefs: ‘How can Anya Hindmarch raise awareness by engaging in an exciting way to create a new client base in the Middle East or the USA?’ A student who worked on this brief was Caroline Pace; she came up with a collaboration idea for the brand “I did a Goop by Gwyneth Paltrow and Anya Hindmarch collab called “G. Labelled” featuring the Labelled collection from Anya Hindmarch and a wellness-centred lifestyle. I enjoyed presenting to the brand because I was passionate about the potential of featuring female-founded brands.”

Another brief set by the Anya Hindmarch team was to come up with a new and innovative idea for a concept store at Anya’s Village. Lucy McNamara worked on a chocolate-inspired campaign for Anya Village “I enjoyed it and liked how there was a project you felt close and connected to”

A standout moment in this module was the mid-point brand experience, which offered students invaluable insights into the industry. At Molton Brown, students had the opportunity for a Fragrance Consultation and engaged in a Q&A session with Katie Ellwood-Smith at the Regents Street Store, providing firsthand exposure to the brand’s ethos and products. Meanwhile, students working with Anya Hindmarch were treated to a tour of Anya Village in Chelsea, immersing themselves in the brand’s creative universe and gaining a deeper understanding of its unique approach to design and retail. These experiential learning opportunities not only enriched students’ knowledge but also inspired them to approach their projects with renewed creativity and insight.

Beyond Conventional Learning

At the end of the module, students had to present their projects to brands, transforming them into professional pitches. Vina Suwandi – who worked on the Molton Brown brief –  developed a multi-sensory concept, that included different scented immersive rooms that were paired with a cocktail or drink, talked about presenting to the brand: ”I was pretty nervous about presenting in front of the brand at first, but from that, I was able to learn and experience what it would  be like to pitch an idea to a brand. It teaches you professionalism”  Charlotte Coates, also came up with a campaign for Molton Brown: devised a collaboration between Molton Brown and the National Portrait Gallery, two British institutions. The project included a digital inclusive, immersive museum experience. “I really enjoyed presenting to Molton Brown, it was a fantastic opportunity that i have already felt the benefit of at post-grad job interviews!”

Through immersive experiences, guided mentorship, and real-world application of their talents, students gain invaluable insights from the Collaborative Industry Project that transcends traditional learning and teaches students professionalism and strategic, innovative, and practical skills, preparing them for success in the competitive fashion industry.

 Words by Jamie Fava, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice second year student