On Friday 25 March, our Fashion and Textiles students, teachers and technicians were all excited for the welcome return of our annual research trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Due to the pandemic this trip had been rescheduled twice, and although the V&A had reopened to the public during the Autumn of 2021, it was still restricting admission to school groups until February 2022.
We began by visiting the permanent Fashion Gallery at the museum. This gallery houses an unrivalled collection of fashion and costume pieces dating from the 17th century to the present day. Our students set about making primary recordings through sketching and photographs which will form project research in the months to come. Students then explored galleries of their choice ranging from the Japan and Asia galleries to Sculpture, Ceramics, and Jewellery.
In contrast to our contextual studies, we then visited the iconic London store ‘Liberty’ for some more contemporary research. Here, students were able to get up close and personal with elaborate couture pieces and luxury branded clothing, accessories, fabrics and furnishings.
For students who are considering careers in the creative industries, fashion, business or retail management, I would like to recommend some essential television viewing: ‘Christmas at Liberty’ available on Channel 4 catch up. This is a fascinating documentary which explores behind the scenes at this luxury retailer. It focusses on a range of high-profile positions within Liberty, which are all currently held by dynamic and inspiring women. Roles featured in the documentary include Buying Manager for Interior, Lead Creative, Visual Creative Concept Manager, Chief Marketing Officer, and Global Head of Content.
