on location with a Fashion Management & Marketing student
Second year Fashion Management & Marketing student Eve Jappy is settling into her new life in Amsterdam whilst on her work placement...
7.30am: My alarm goes off and I jump in the shower, getting myself ready for a full day in the office at Calvin Klein.
The first thing I had to get used to in Amsterdam was that everyone cycles around the city. So, of course I got myself a bike and now I feel like I fit in with the locals!
9.00am: I head up to the sixth floor to the Calvin Klein Creative Hub, where I work with the visual merchandising, creative services, store design and architecture teams.
10.30am: We have a team meeting between the visual merchandisers and store design. I’m learning so much from sitting in on meetings and listening to everyone’s creative processes.
3.00pm: This afternoon I’ve been assisting on a photoshoot for some of the new women’s lingerie range.
This has been a great experience for me, working alongside photographers, stylists and the shoot manager. It’s a lot of work and running around, which can be tiring, but I’m having a great time and learning so much from everyone.
8.00pm: I head out for dinner a beautiful restaurant called MaMa Kelly with some girls from work.
In my spare time, I’ve been trying to explore as much of the city as possible. So far, De Pijp has been my favourite neighbourhood. It’s got a very cool, young and trendy vibe.
I have learnt so much from the Calvin Klein team so far on my placement. I would really encourage anyone to do a placement abroad while studying if you get the chance. It may seem scary but it is so worth it as you get to experience different cultures and nationalities.
I am so thankful that my course leader really encouraged us to put a lot of effort into our LinkedIn and digital portfolios, because it helped to get me noticed in the industry and opened up this fantastic opportunity.
Kreszend, who complete her Fashion Design degree in 2019, took up hair styling for part-time work to boost her income during her studies.
Her ability to work with Afro hair specifically saw her quickly gain a host of clients across London
My biggest achievement so far since graduating from UCA would be being the head hairstylist on a Channel 4 show and assisting on a shoot in Vogue Italia
One of the magazine covers Kreszend has styled for
If I had any advice for current students, it would be to use as many resources, and as much work space and library time they can while at university... There is no right or wrong way to start your career - the essential thing is that you start!