Thinking about summer already?  Thinking about studying a Central Saint Martins Short Course?  Check out some of the students we met in summer in 2015 for some insight and inspiration!

What’s your name and where do you come from?

My name is Celine and I’m French but I live in London, working as a General Practitioner.

You are studying Fashion Drawing for Beginners this week, what made you choose this course?

I recently accepted a place on the BA Theatre & Screen: Costume Interpretation course at Wimbledon College of Arts. Being a medical doctor, I don’t have any art background, nor have I done a Foundation course, so I chose Fashion Drawing for Absolute Beginners to prepare me for starting my BA, as fashion drawing is my weakest skill. The pace of the course was perfect as we started with the basics, helping us to gain the confidence to move on to more difficult drawing gradually. This way of teaching helped me to improve without realising and the on-going feedback helped us to learn from our mistakes effectively. The diversity of the class further enhanced my experience at Central Saint Martins as the different ages, skills, expectations and backgrounds in our cohort created a very open minded learning environment.

What’s your name and where do you come from?

Ng Wan Yuk and I’m from Hong Kong

You are studying Haute Couture Embroidery this week, what made you choose this course?

I chose to study this course as I love fashion and therefore wanted to study something fashion related. Also, in Hong Kong where I’m from, it is difficult to find a real, traditional and talented haute couture embroidery teacher. Luckily I found that teacher at Central Saint Martins Short courses. The learning environment at Central Saint Martins was fantastic and I’ve left the course with many haute couture embroidery techniques.

What’s your name and where do you come from?

Hi, I’m Rita and I’m from Italy.

You are studying Fashion Styling for 16-18 year olds this week, what made you choose this course?

I am studying Fashion already in Italy but I wanted to see the differences in teaching between Italy and London.  London is a very inspiring city to study in as there are such an eclectic mix of styles to see all around you. I’ve learned so much from this course and I want to return next summer to try out a tailoring or design course.

What’s your name and where do you come from?

Nur and I live between Malaysia and England.

You are studying Service Design this week, what made you choose this course?

I was involved in a project that delivers services to both supplier and clients, so this course was perfect for me. Service Design is a very fun and interactive course with a good balance between group activities and personal presentations. We learned numerous service design tools such as persona profiles and user journeys which will support me in my job. I am so happy to have found this type of course at Central Saint Martins, as I thought they only taught art and fashion. Thankfully I was wrong.

What’s your name and where do you come from?

My name is Megg and I’m from Brazil.

You are studying Fashion Design and Marketing this week, what made you choose this course?

As I am a Freelance Fashion Designer and Consultant, I wanted to learn more about the fashion business to help with the launch of my own brand next year, so this course was the perfect choice for me. I’ve learned so much about how a commercial collection works and all the steps we need to develop it. Most importantly I’ve learned the importance of being creative without forgetting about the consumer who ultimately will lead your brand. Previous to this course I studied Fashion Business Practice and Fashion Styling for Beginners and I wouldn’t hesitate to study another short course in future. I couldn’t be happier studying here at Central Saint Martins.

What’s your name and where do you come from?

Julia and I’m from Kiev, Ukraine.

You’ve been studying Fashion Drawing for Beginners and Experimental Fashion Drawing Short Courses, what made you choose these courses?

I heard about these courses on Facebook and as I’ve been thinking about changing my career, I thought that studying some Short Courses at Central Saint Martins would be a good place to start.  Alexis Panayiotou has been an amazing and inspirational tutor and studying in the Granary Square building has been an inspiration in itself.  I feel like my drawing skills have developed quickly over these past few weeks and I’m happy that I can now draw without looking at the paper! I hope to study more Short Courses at Central Saint Martins next summer.

What’s your name and where do you come from?

Caitlin Decker from the USA but I’m currently living in Cambodia.

You are studying Fashion Photography this week, what made you choose this course?

I want to be able to photograph the clothing I make in an interesting and beautiful way.   Taking this course has taught me how to use my camera to its full potential and I’ve particularly enjoyed learning how different types of light work on bone structure and faces.  It has been fantastic learning from my tutor Leigh Keily, a true professional in the field and to also share ideas with fellow students who bring different styles and perspectives to the assignments.  London is an amazing city to study in with its wide variety of cultures, art and food, it is easy to take inspiration from everywhere. It feels like the city was built for creativity.

What’s your name and where do you come from?

Simian, I’m from China but currently living in London.

You have been studying Art Direction for Fashion, how has your experience been?

We have learned about the business side of the fashion industry and how to plan a fashion shoot from scratch.  This means considering everything from catering, to the weather, to basically everything! Our tutor Schelay McCarter is so well prepared, provides great guidance, and her advice on how to survive in the industry has been invaluable.  The Central Saint Martins building is breath taking and taking Short Courses that support my full time BA study at London College of Fashion has been such a wise choice.  I hope to take more and perhaps take an MA at Central Saint Martins in the future.  In London there is always something new to experience, be it a new bar, new exhibition, new restaurant, new event and I love that the city continues to surprise me.