My placement responsibilities in Victoria Beckham Ltd included assisting with technical packs, supporting communication between factories and ateliers, liaising with suppliers during production and managing colour matching across seasonal collections for fashion shows. This role allowed me to apply my academic knowledge in a professional setting and strengthened my skills in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.  I also gained a clearer understanding of how software is used in professional environments to streamline processes. My second placement at Varley Clothing gave me fantastic insight in new and emerging technologies including incorporating AI in design and development processes, delving deeper into short cuts and mastering Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, as well as using communication platform technologies to send design packs to suppliers. I gained a wider view of designing for specific brand aesthetics whilst keeping function and new aesthetic trends in mind.
 
One of my placement highlights was feeling genuinely valued by my teams, which helped me build confidence in asking questions and forming professional relationships. I was also trusted with contacting external suppliers in Victoria Beckham Ltd to source and develop trims, which strengthened my understanding of supplier management and the balance between budget, timelines and design integrity. At Varley Clothing, I was given a lot of autonomy in design direction and was trusted with developing our print collection and mini activewear collection. This allowed me to develop my creative research as well as understand the design processes of the brand itself. Also, during my placement experiences, I developed my communication, teamwork and time management skills, enabling me to collaborate effectively with different stakeholders, whilst meeting deadlines and maintaining a balanced routine.