Meet Chloe, a Fashion Design alum who has had the awesome opportunity to work as a Womenswear Design Assistant at Country Road! With a passion for sewing since her youth, Chloe’s drive for success has led her into a job many would only dream of, and in just months after she completed her studies! We chatted to Chloe about her experience studying with us, the importance of internships, and the best piece of advice she’s received so far in her career. 

Tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is Chloe and I graduated from Holmes Institute Fashion last year in December with a MST50119 Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Merchandising. Since graduating, I have been able to learn and work successfully in industry. I started sewing from a young age, and from then on I knew fashion was definitely my career path I was searching for.

What did you love most about studying with us?

The Masters provides so many opportunities for its students. They have so many external parties approach them for student work, internships and collaborations which really helps you connect with people in industry. Especially the opportunity to showcase your designs at Melbourne Fashion Week. Also being able to collaborate with the other departments such as hair and makeup which leads to long life industry contacts.

Tell us about your role as a Womenswear Design Assistant at Country Road.

Every day is definitely different as opportunities and hurdles arise. A typical day would be managing/collecting samples, participating in design sessions as a team, creating range boards, approving fabrics, completing technical drawings. Also communicating with suppliers on the progress of production and making sure things are running smoothly and on time! Lastly, always looking for new inspiration/design ideas.

I see you completed an internship at Visonise Australia and Misha. How were they? How important is it to complete internships during your studies?

Doing an internship definitely helped me not only while I was studying but definitely after as well. There are so many things you learn when on the job compared to while you're studying. It helps you apply the skills you have learned while studying but also vice versa. It also gives you great contacts and references for when it's time to dive into industry.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue a career in fashion design?

If you love it, you have to love it immensely. Fashion is something you have to really give your all into. Try some short courses and really find your niche and what really stands out to you, that way you can zone in on that particular course.

What's the best piece of advice you've been given during your career?

Not to be too hard on yourself. My first job in industry I had such high expectations for myself to know and learn all aspects instantly until I was reminded that being in industry for the first time takes 3-4 months to really settle in and get the hang of things. Knowledge will come with time so you just need to not be too hard on yourself.

Want to find out more about our fashion design courses? Click here!