Where are They Now
Mollie Morris / 19 / Level 3 & Level 4
I attended the Fashion Retail Academy for 2 years which earned me a Level 3 Diploma in
Fashion Retail and a Level 4 Diploma in Buying and Merchandising. Being at the FRA has given me such an opportunity - I have attended exciting work placements within the retail industry with some great retailers such as Topshop, Topman, Tesco and John Lewis. These placements along with knowledgeable lectures and master classes from some of the most influential people in the retail industry has prepared me for the job I am about to enter as a Merchandiser Admin Assistant for Topman Online. The FRA first appealed to me as the courses combined fashion and business. At the FRA I took an active role in my own learning and gained valuable experiences which prepared me for the working world. With the dedication and enthusiasm of the tutors I have had a fantastic two years and look forward to my career in the industry.
Stefan Oxley / 19 / Level 4
I have been studying Buying & Merchandising at the Fashion Retail Academy for the last year.
Working with clothes has always been my life objectives; although my initial reason to join the academy was to escape the retail world I had ended up in.
I heard about the FRA through a friend who had recently passed Level 3 and could not stop singing its praises and this is when I found out the academy were taking applications for a new course specialising in buying. I jumped at the chance and since then have not looked back.
I have been awarded with so many opportunities at the FRA that would not have happened had I chosen another route. I took part in the World Retail Congress competition and have experienced numerous head office placements, which I have learnt from immensely. The staff at the FRA has helped me to develop and refine my skills in a number of areas that have already lead onto further opportunities. In fact my final assignment was recognised by one of the leading designer stockists in London and due to that I am now working in Browns head office.
Fiona Drayton / 19 / Level 3
I decided to come to the FRA after taking a gap year because I didn’t know what I wanted to study and after realising that I wanted to become a buyer, I decided to apply to the FRA.
The FRA has prepared me in many ways for my career in fashion retail. The classes such as
Fashion Promotion, Store Operations and Buying and Merchandising have given me so much insight to the behind the scenes operations of the retail business. It has given me an understanding of the pieces of the puzzle that get clothes for a retailers target market into stores.
The best experience of the FRA has been the trips, the college fashion shows and the whole experience has been a pleasure to enjoy.
At the FRA the tutors are more like friends rather than teachers and they are always there to help you and will always guide you in the right direction. The college is a relaxed environment and is a different environment to most sixth form colleges. The Fashion Retail Academy is fun, exciting and empowering. I am hoping to continue studying at the FRA and do a Level 4 Diploma in Buying and Merchandising. Later in life I hope to become a buyer for a high fashion retailer.
Georgia Bell / 21 / Level 4 Buying & Merchandising
I was attending Chelsea School of Art studying fashion design after leaving school when I realised that I wasn’t going to be a good enough designer to make a name for myself, but I still wanted to pursue a career within the fashion industry. I heard about FRA through a close friend, I liked the fact that FRA offered an intense one-year course covering all the areas I was interested in concerning fashion. All of the staff at the FRA have a variety of different work experience within the industry, so we get a more personal overview. In terms of work experience I have been given the opportunity to work for M&S on their accessories team and I’ve also worked for fashion Designer Tanya Sarne.
My best experience at the FRA has been working on the World Fashion Congress, its always a great feeling to talk to those who are not only icons in their own right but have helped to shaped the fashion industry into what it is to day. The Fashion Retail Academy is a real opportunity for those who have the creativity and talent to succeed within in any area of the industry. I am now starting an internship with the designer Betty Jackson, through a connection at FRA. It’s
a great opportunity as I will be attending fashion week come September with some great names coming back to the run way and of course Betty’s own show.
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