My Ideal Job

The job I want to proceed in is Visual Merchandising.
Visual merchandising is the use of products in a fixed space or environment to produce an engaging display of merchandise to be sold in retailers. Iv been looking at companies online to see what is available to me, i'v come across a company called Elemental Design (www.elemental.eu.com). Elemental Design is a full-service visual communications agency. They work all over the world and there offices and designs studios are located in central London.


Louis vuitton window display


mothers day display at swarovski


Diesel flagship store on bond street London

Working for a company like elemental design would be ideal, I am passionate on connecting with customers through the visual communication. This company's philosophy is the same as mine, I like creating a concept with a brand or retailer to promote the product they are selling to the their target market.

My CV

Charlotte Forbes

Date of birth- 1989


Address- 30 Sedgley Road Winton Bournemouth (University address)
Home Address- 76 Mallards rd, Burseldon Southampton SO31 8LQ (Home address).
Telephone number- 07590546487
Email- forbes51@hotmail.com

Qualifications
8 GCSE’S- Maths, English, Science, Media, History, Art, Ict, Ict database

Fareham College- Art and Design BTEC National Diploma- Three Merit Grade.

Current education- FDA/BA Fashion Design and Technology

Work Experience
Stuart Sign- 2 weeks
Duties included, working in the print and cutting room, research and experimenting with designs on illustrator.

London fashion week- 1 week
Duties included, back stage dressing. Help Organising shows, meet and greet (front of House).

Mudpie- 2 weeks
Duties included- Image research, collaborated with co-workers to aid the team to produce the latest Mudpie trend books.

Current Employment-

River Island- Sales advisor, part time.
. Duties included- customer service and cash desk (tills), fitting room, customer service, Sunday’s sales and serves (Manger duty), knowledge in product and merchandising, internal displays.

Previous Employment

Hamble Community Sports centre- Working with children to organise events and activities.

USC-
A retail Clothing Company my duties include, cash desk (tills), fitting room, customer service.


Personal profile
My ambition is to work in the fashion industry, ultimately in visual merchandising. I am currently studying a fashion degree at the Arts University college of Bournemouth. My course equips me with skills in fashion design, construction, critical thinking and promotion marketing activities. Being a promoter I have collaborate with the designers to create a range of jackets. I work well with others and in a team, working with a team for a photo shoot. This has enhanced my organisation skills and time management. Also In conjunction with this I have produced a Trend book. I am currently doing a styling project, which involves, photo shoots, styling and making my own accessories. Next year I hope to fruthure my knowledge on styling and product by gaining hands on experience with in the industry I hope to success in. I am bubbly and caring, I consider myself to be a considerate and helpful employee and manger. I will continue this way of working should I be successful within your company.

Contacts Arts university college of Bournemouth - Tutor Sarah Charles

A Political Issue

Fashion goes green!!

Sustainable trading remains a political issue for the fashion industry despite the soaring levels of ethical consumerism in the UK and the rising spend on ethical fashion. Clothes and accessories that meet such criteria are usually made using organic raw materials, such as cotton grown without pesticides, or re-used materials such as recycled plastic from old soda bottles. Eco-fashions don't involve the use of harmful chemicals and bleaches to color fabrics—and are made by people earning fair wages in healthy working conditions.

The top ten brands that are Eco-Friendly.
Amana, Annie Greenabelle, Beyond Skin, Ciel, Edun, Howies, Katharine E Hamnett, Kuyichi, People Tree, Stella McCartney.

Amana was one of the favourite discoveries at last season's London Fashion Week Estethica exhibition, an area dedicated to the best eco-clothing labels out there.
http://www.amanalondon.com/ Hear is there website.

Ethical fashion is growing everyday, the public are noticing they should be more environment friendly. However People Eco clothing is more expensive then fast fashion, my opinion is that more expensive the clothing is the more Sustainable they are. Even cheap shops like primark are doing Eco clothing.

Stella McCartney, 2010 spring eco collection

5 year plan

Next year I hope to enter the FDA fashion 3rd year, to progress on my skills and learn more about visual merchandising. I would like to get more work experience next year by doing a work placement with Biels, working for there head office doing visual merchandising. By doing this I will my Further my knowledge in my future career as a VM. Once I graduate I am going to continue working for River Island for a while and progress on my management skills and hopefully work up to product management, which is visual and internal displays. I would like to go travelling in the future to see and learn more about other cultures, maybe do some work experience aboard as well. In 5 years I would like to see myself working for a Visual Merchandising company or a well known retail company. Also being a free lance VM is also a possibility.

Photo Shoot

On the 23rd of this month i did my final photo shoot for my current project. It went very well, and i am please of the out come. It started at 9 where i done the hair and make up for the model and at 12 we arrived at the location 60 million postcards where the process toke about 3 hrs. The weather was touch and go at 1st because it was raining but luckily it stop whilst we were shooting. My team consisted of a photographer, lighting Technician, model, stylist (me) and assistant. Also I had the digital media student film the photo shoot for the exhibition. my next process is to start on my trend book for my submission.

Berlin postcard

A couple of postcards i pick up in germany

Berlin

On my course I went on a trip to Berlin in Germany, to visit a German university and do some site seeing. I really enjoyed this trip and the things I saw has now inspired me with my own project I'm currently doing.

Day one- I went on a tour of Berlin on foot which toke 4 hours, I got to see so much of the culture and the history. Also visited the Letterman university exhibition, it was very inspiring for are exhibit in June this year.

Day two- visit the university Letterman saw there work and met the teachers and students,everyone was very welcoming and friendly. we had the choice to join a drawing class but ran out of time, there focus is mainly illustration.

Day three- I attend a Turkish market for some fabric shopping very cheap and beautiful fabrics. The market was very cultural such a small community of Berlin but very sociable, busy and loud.

I would like to return to Berlin and go for a little bit longer there so much to see and do.



The Berlin TV tower


The Berlin bear.


The famous traffic light man.


The Reichstag made out of chocolate.


A Jewish moral.


The Brandenburg



The Berlin wall


Interfacing with graphic prints on them, part of the exhibition.


A illustration by one of the student in Letterman

vent making

As a promoter i dont do much sewing but i join in one day on the deisnger makin day a creating a vent. Vents are use for back of dresses, sleeves and most seen on skirts.

magazine layout

For my magazine layout, I had to choose a existing magazine my choice was look magazine not to high profile and its a bit commercial and editorial. I did an editorial shoot, my theme was 18Th contemporary, the outfits where modern day but with a old fashioned look. I choose simple back drops as you can see in the images an old beaten up wall and gold simple pattern wallpaper but i think both backdrops are very effective.This photo shoot was a practice for my final work that i will produce end of this year. I enjoyed doing this photo shoot, it has tort me that its not as easy as it seem to produce an pretty image their is so much work from myself and others to get the perfect shot. I did the hair and make up myself but got a photographer to take the photos. I found directing the shoot was the hardest aspect of the whole event, trying to think of the poses and what will work for that model and for that image.

brighton musem

For my design aesthetes project I have decide to write it about, The difference between Visual Communication Exhibitions and Display Exhibitions with the incorporation of Window Displays. Last week I went to the Brighton and Hove museum to see there display on fashion throw the ages. Last term i went to London to see the Nick Knight exhibition, this exhibition was very interactive compare to the Brighton and hove exhibition.


Many of the clothes where in display cases apart from 3 items of children's wear which u could interact with, this was the only thing that had any communication with the audience if the exhibition.

They where displayed on clothes hangers and they where early 19Th century designs.

menswear project

Rencently in class the other day, I got set a menswear project where I had to take a man's shirt and create something out of it related to my project. i collaperated with a designer and made a dress out of the shirt in the style of chanel. we used inspiration from chanel S/S 10/11 couture collection. we used the idea of bows and shivon fabrics used in the collection.

Fashion Career Agencies

Style Incorporated is a fashion recruitment agency www.styleincorporated.com. Specialising in the luxury market, encompassing fashion/ lifestyle and the event industry. Their aim is to place candidates with perfect credentials and requirements as expected by their clients. Their clients are Fendi, Burberry and Gucci etc. They higher people with retail and management experience, I think an agency like this can help me in the future because it has vacancies in product and visual merchandising, I can apply online or send a CV. Most of there jobs and based in London and the south of the UK. I think this site is good for anyone who is looking for a career in fashion, they do anything from being a supervisor in a small boutique to a garment technician.

Fashion Career Website

I came across this website called www.stylecareers.com it is online fashion job listing site. It is for promoters, if your interested in retail jobs, accessorises, beauty, footwear and textiles. You can work for employers like Chanel, Calvin Klein, Reebok and Macy's these are the few of many. I think this website could help me in the future for finding my career in visual merchandising, it helps me find the job that right for me, by posting my profilo on it. so Employeers that use this site can see my work.