Louise Perkins-Chapman
Fashion Design Graduate
Phone:
07460893628
Email:
Location:
About Me
I’m a BA (Hons) Fashion Design Graduate from Nottingham Trent University. During my studies, I specialised in inclusive womenswear and print. I have a passion for womenswear developed through in-depth exploration into this field of fashion, I am inspired by fashion history and the centuries of techniques that are still practised today, as well as the development of social justice and feminism throughout decades of womenswear styles and trends. I enjoy developing innovative ideas for inclusive women’s fashion, I love to learn and ameliorate my own practice by exploring and researching methods, mediums, and materials to support this ambition. I appreciate the personal touches and identities behind fashion, which is why I add my own narratives to my design practice, finding inspiration from my personal background and identity. My favourite designers include iconic British female designers such as Mary Quant, Viviane Westwood, Stella McCartney and Zandra Rhodes for their rebellious women’s fashion, innovation, shape, fabric, print and sustainability. I love print and colour, bold botanicals, textures and fabrics, all key features of my aesthetic. I am an enthusiastic person, highly motivated and determined to use my passion for future thinking development in womenswear design.
Work Experience
NK Group UK
Flight Athleisure
Worle High St
Weston - super -Mare
July 2022 - Present
B&Q
Serval UK Stores
Weston-super-mare
Nottingham Riverside
Bristol Cribbs Causeway
February 2020 - June 2022
Joules
Headoffice
Market Harborough
March 2020
Make Do And Mend
Worle High St
Weston-super-Mare
March 2018 - August 2018
Design & Marketing Assistant
I currently work for one of the biggest suppliers, wholesalers and manufacturers in the South West of England, The NK group. A school uniform, workwear and sportswear supplier. During the summer I worked as an industrial embroidery technician, which then evolved to hybrid working alongside my final year studies. I worked remotely as a designer and social media marketer, promoting their start-up sportswear brand FLIGHT Athleisure. The business is a locally commended supplier of Teamwear, now expanding into athleisure sportswear design. I designed the A/W range for 22/23 and the S/S 23 Collection. I currently work 36 hours a week for the group assisting with design, embroidery, marketing, social media, retail and sales. I worked on Shopify, Mailchimp, Facebook and Instagram, creating marketing using my CAD skills and market/customer understanding.
Paint Mixer & Decorative Advisor
I have five years of experience in customer-facing roles and recognise the importance of communication skills with a wide range of people. At B&Q I worked as an advisor for the decorative department, the role had a range of requirements including paint mixing to customer briefs, servicing paint machines and assisting customers with their interior design projects. Designing displays created accordingly to painting and decorating techniques, interior design trends, lighting, and soft furnishings. This was a role I thoroughly enjoyed, I received several commendations and awards for colleague of the month, customer service and creativity. I worked at three of the best and biggest UK stores over the course of my time.
Student Intern - A Weeks Work Experience
A week in the womenswear design and buying department. This really gave me a new insight into the industry. I learned the importance of communication, ensuring factories understand designs through adequate technical specifications. The processes behind this, the teams and the importance of their roles. This was shortly before the UK entered national lockdown for the pandemic, therefore the team began implementing precautions to ensure the brand was prepared for this. I learnt a lot from this week due to the complications of the coronavirus pandemic, such as contacting overseas factories, and shipping carriers and planning company targets to reflect the crisis, prioritising and problem-solving.
Seamstress at Local Alterations shop
I gained practical work experience in pattern cutting, manufacture and alterations when I had the opportunity to work in a sewing and alterations shop, allowing me to work on customer design briefs and specifications. I acquired first-hand experience measuring customers, altering garments to a professional standard assisting customers with their design requirements as well as bridal and formal wear. I quickly learnt how to work under pressure whilst keeping to tight deadlines ensuring the customer is satisfied with the finished product.
Education
BA (Hons) Fashion Design
High 2:1 Graduate
Nottingham Trent University
2020-2023
Nottingham, NG1 4GG
During my studies, I have learnt the importance of excellent organisational and time management skills as these are fundamental to meeting project deadlines. I recognise the need to be flexible in my approach to projects in order to adapt to changing environments and different consumer demands. Developing my research, presentation and writing skills to effectively build concepts, designs and projects. My 3D pattern-cutting and manufacturing skills have become more refined and resilient working with new techniques, machinery and materials, developing adaptive design solutions and inclusive sizes. Whilst researching a wide range of markets and trend forecasting. With the opportunity to ameliorate my digital design and CAD skills through technical specification drawings and manufacture technical packs, exploring Illustrator, Photoshop, and Indesign.
A Level
2018-2020
Weston College Sixth form
Weston-super-Mare, BS23 4QU
Art, Craft & Design: A
Fashion and Textiles: A*
Media Studies: A
Three creative A levels gave me the freedom to explore the possibilities and roles in design and fashion. Within Art, craft, and design I had the chance to experiment with new, playful mediums and materials. Giving me a chance to refine my materials and mediums, drawing, painting and print. Within Media Studies I investigated the media industry, its structure, history, and links to the fashion industry. Expanding my theoretical knowledge and vocabulary, CAD and digital design skills such as layout, typography, production and photography. Fashion and textile design opened my ideas to a huge range of processes, techniques, practices, and history that make up the fashion industry today. Including pattern cutting, textile surface design, print and fabric manipulation. This mixture of subjects allowed me to expand and evolve as a creative, informing my current practice and my chosen degree.
GCSE
2013-2018
Worle Community School Academy
Weston-super-Mare, BS22 8XX
Maths: 5
English Language: 5
English Literature: 6
Science: 4 - 5
Fine Art: 7
Design & Technology Textiles: A
French: 5
At Secondary education, my optional subjects were Fine Art, Design and Technology Textiles, and French, I knew I wanted to do something design and fashion based but at this time I was unsure which aspect, I loved being playful with art and design through painting, woodwork, metalwork, sculpture, and sewing. Over the two years of completing these subject areas, I discovered my passion for fashion, textiles, and design, realising this was the best route for me.