Interview: Tom, Senior footwear designer

Link to Toms portfolio

What is your role within the fashion industry?

- I'm a senior ftw designer at Nike inc.

What formal education do you have in your subject area?

- I have a MDes in Transportation Design from Cov uni so nothing to do with ftw.

What do you feel was the catalyst in taking this career path?

- I was a runner up in a RSA sponsored design competition for Reebok whilst I was at Uni, this ignited the fire...I then went on to freelance for Speedo whilst I was still at uni doing a range of pool shoes...All of this kind of pushed me in the right direction.

Where do you find your inspiration?

- Everywhere, kinda corney I know but truthfully, I spend an hour each morning perusing the web, interior design sites, car design sites, fashion blogs etc etc, for me anything can be a source of inspiration. Nature is a big influence to me right now and the study of Biometrics.

What do you think are the key attributes to a strong portfolio?

- The story and sketching. A folio must show the 'story' from ideation to conception, idea progression and selection, creating the argument as to why you chose a certain direction over another. Sketching is still uber important, the ability to get your ideas onto paper as clearly and concisely as possible, you dont have to be an amazing "drawer" as long as the idea is represented clearly enough.

Is there any advice you would give to someone wanting to get into the design industry?

- PATIENCE. Good things come to those who wait. And be humble and prepared to work for things. You are not automatically entitled to anything.



Thanks so much Tom for your input.

Interview: Vicky- Menswear Designer

What is your role within the fashion industry?

Menswear designer for a fashion supplier

What formal education do you have in your subject area?

BA Hons degree in Fashion design and technology

How did you decide on this career path?

I was really interested in fashion from an early age and have always preferred to be arty and creative than more academically minded. I found that i just fell into the role of a menswear designer and after doing this for over 2 years now, I could never see myself doing women's.

What or who inspires you?

I find a lot of inspiration from general day to day life, whether it be something I see unrelated to fashion eg: a tree or a building, I love architecture and this transfers well into fashion ... I'm also inspired by the catwalk and some of my favourite labels include Kris van Assche and Dsquared.

When you have trouble finding inspiration how do you break out of it?

I have this problem sometimes when I'm starting a range. I find that in some cases I have all the research (maybe too much) and nothing is jumping out at me and setting me off. I don't really have a method for breaking out of it but In general I just keep on looking for more images and exploring more and then sometimes it just takes one little thing to trigger off an idea, and then all the research you've done fits into place. It also helps to get out and about and just take photos of everything interesting you see, however insignificant it may seem.

What is the best thing about your job?

The best things about my job are I get to travel, whether it be shopping trips abroad or trips to the far east to see the factories, and also the feeling I get when I see my designs in the stores and they are best sellers!


Thanks very much for you time and input Vicky.

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