Laura Gillings, Women’s wear design assistant for TU at Sainsbury’s, joins Martyn Roberts to discuss life after she graduated, how GFW helped her career and the recent TU collections in this GFW Live! Talk.
Whilst graduating from university, Laura Gillings was the proud winner of the GFW TU Womenswear Scholarship setting her up for her current career. Alongside her success at TU, she was offered a place in the Graduate Fashion Week Mentoring Scheme, which gave her the opportunity to have regular meetings with the fashion designer, Henry Holland who she received vital advice from.
During the GFW Live! Talk Laura Gillings shares her fondness of receiving compliments from individuals outside of the fashion industry regarding her collection. The collection that has a sentimental value. The patterns and colours used within the collection have an obvious seaside influence, which Laura explained as being influenced by “growing up by the sea”, having lived in Southampton.
Majority of the collection features bold and bright stripes, which can instantly be recognised as being similar to those seen on deck shares and beach huts. As a result, the collection is given a strong British vibe, which is perfect for the brand that they are being created for.
Laura Gillings and Martyn Roberts tied up the GFW Live! Talk by discussing the best advice that could be given and taken by graduates. Laura shared her belief that graduates shouldn’t over look flat drawing and the technical aspect of their course. They should also build their digital skills as being able to use software like Photoshop and Illustrator is just as vital as drawing in her case.
Words by Rosie Smith
Photography by Zoe Griffin