Condé Nast College Masters Class of 2023 Graduate in Style
The Condé Nast College’s Master students of 2023 graduate at the stunning Bloomsbury Hotel, London.
We are delighted to announce that our Masters class of 2023 graduated this October from the Condé Nast College. Commencing the proceedings was James Tooley, Vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University which is the awarding body for Condé Nast College degrees. . Referencing the recent Vogue World tribute to the musical smash, My Fair Lady, Mr Tooley quoted Audrey Hepburn, who starred in the role of Eliza Doolittle in the film version of the Broadway and West End show, who said, “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says so. I’m possible.”
The Vice-Chancellor also used the address to recount the words of Vogue’s own Oscar-winning costume designer for the film, Sir Cecil Beaton, who said, “Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”
“professional, innovative and industry ready.”
The College’s Global Academic Director, Johannes Reponnen, explained to the graduates that their studies had taken them some way to be able to declare themselves experts in their field. He explained how the sociologist, Malcolm Gladwell, had theorised that 10,000 hours of practice in any pursuit “is the magic number of greatness.” He told the graduates, “In the last year you’ve done about 2,000 hours in your studies – you’re one fifth of the ways towards becoming an expert.
You’ve written 30,000 words – about half an academic book.” He told them their “journey for developing your professional skills is far from over… but… You are now ready to make your mark.”
Students pictured with James Tooley, Vice Chancellor of Buckingham University
The Academic Director also described the recent exhibition of their final project work as one of the highlights of the year, when family and friends were joined by a host of high calibre industry professionals, all there to view the work. He said the words he heard from those industry guests to describe what they were seeing were, “professional, innovative and industry ready.”
“Find your passion and purpose”
The Guest of Honour was Simon Leadsford, CBO of Condé Nast Britain, who had some words of advice for the graduates. “Be prepared to embrace change. It will be the constant challenge from which you will learn in work. Find your passion and purpose. It may take some time, and you know what? That’s okay. The world awaits your contributions, your talent and your dreams.”
Student addresses were given by MA Luxury Brand Strategy & Business graduates Lucia Tydén, Valeria Garnica and Chloé Janssen, as well as MA Fashion Journalism & Editorial Direction graduates, Trista Bowser and Ananya Jain, and Creative Direction for Fashion Media graduate, Oghenefejiro Ovah.
Lucia said, “Fashion in general is not the easiest sector to break into… However, like in any other, there are key ingredients to achieving professional success and having an easier way to get it. Today we would like to highlight three that we consider to be the most effective in our journeys. These being, Believing. Persisting and having a self-starting spirit.”
She went on, “Today we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the College for allowing us and giving us the opportunity to be exposed to incredible personalities of the industry and providing us the necessary tools to navigate the fashion world”.
Johannes Reponen told the new graduates that he looked forward to seeing them at the College in the future as guest speakers, imparting the wisdom they had learned as their careers go on from strength to strength.
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