Ashwinnie Thushyanthan BA Fashion Marketing with Management 2019

After attending several Open Days and Welcome Events across the UK, I chose Winchester School of Art because the lecturers seemed really supportive and past graduates had gone on to do exciting things within their chosen fields.

I love that there is an international cohort of students on this course, as this means I’m always learning about different lifestyles and perspectives which pushes me to explore new ideas and broaden my understanding. Within our timetables there are lots of opportunities to take up one-to-one tutorials, which I have found very helpful to get feedback on your work and discuss any queries.

As part of the course, we visited Berlin during Fashion Week on a study trip, which was a really fantastic opportunity to explore a new city whilst engaging in various learning opportunities. We attended a number of fashion trade shows and this gave a greater understanding of the European and global fashion scene.

Whilst studying, I have carried out a number of internships and part-time work with luxury brands, such as Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld and Roberto Cavalli, as well as holding a Marketing Manager position at Kapdaa - The Offcut Company, a small sustainable start-up company.

One of my highlights has been coordinating a new fashion brand for ASOS whilst working at IndigoCult - a fashion agency - over a 3-month period, which involved sourcing, design, branding and production. I really enjoyed working on this project, as I gained first-hand experience of trend-forecasting, range-planning and brand management within a fast-paced working environment.

I’ve also got involved with the National Saturday Club hosted at WSA, which offers local 13-16 year olds an insight into a range of art and design topics. I hosted some fashion-related workshops, which was a great chance for me to share what I had learnt throughout my first two years of my course, and to encourage new ways of thinking about fashion.

My advice to new students would be to make the most out of all the opportunities available to you at university. The facilities, advice, mentoring, extracurricular activities etc. are all part of your learning. Make the most of your time to join societies, take on internships where possible, start your independent projects, as this is the best time to experiment and find out exactly what you enjoy and what drive you. There are lots of opportunities available only for university students, so take advantage of these as much as possible!