Nettie Scott graduated from London College of Fashion (LCF) in 1997, having studied on both the National Diploma (1995) and the Higher National Diploma in Fashion: Design and Technology. After graduating Nettie went on to work for big names including Levi’s before deciding to set up her own brand, N-Rapture, followed by Nettie Scott Boys and Nettie Scot Girls.
We caught up with Nettie to find out how her time at LCF has impacted on her work.
Image: nettie.scott.boys @ Instagram
Why did you choose LCF?
I chose to learn and progress at London College of Fashion (LCF) because I knew it would allow me more of an insight into what the Fashion Industry was all about in terms of its diverseness as opposed to just wanting to simply get into Fashion.
I loved textiles, art and colour mixing and blending at school, however, was also quite technical and really into metalwork and woodwork.
What did you do after graduating from UAL?
After graduating from the University of the Arts London (UAL) in 1997 I got a position with the US denim brand LEVI’S where I had the opportunity to travel with the brand to oversee their customisation section in San Francisco and their plant in Brantford, Canada.
It’s ever interesting to see/ learn of the brand’s new PR releases and marketing advertorial campaigns such as Live in Levi’s.
How did your degree influence your decision to specialise in outerwear?
It’s interesting because my background stemmed from and out of the main principles of Fashion when l embarked upon my first foundation course at LCF coinciding with City & Guilds in 1992 at the Golden Lane site, however as my Father was an Engineer I always knew I had a penchant for physically attempting to create structural and almost industrial silhouettes inspired by engineering and the engineering industries.
So it was almost like I’d inherited that engineering /technical gene from a long time ago and the ND Fashion Design and Technology together with the HND Fashion Design and Technology at LCF helped me to awaken to this and explore this even further. The course was undertaken at UAL, 20 John Princes Street.
I’d immediately undertook the HND FDT majoring in Men’s Sports and Outerwear run by Design Lecturer Tutor Glen McEvoy whom I am grateful for aiding me to further have an understanding of how it was possible to link industrial design to the technicalities of Men’s Sports Outerwear through looking at industrial design and I remember at the time being inspired by things like the industrial revolution, and the work of certain Architects such as PCKO Architects, Hopkins Architects, SKANSKA Stockholm and Chapman Taylor in London.
Have the relationships you formed at UAL helped you since leaving?
Yes. No doubt. Some of the relationships I formed at UAL proved out to be some of the most useful upon leaving in terms of progress.
What made you decide to go it alone and set up N-rapture? What are the benefits and what have been the challenges?
In 2005 /6 I had the feeling that there were distinct differences between Performance Sportswear and Fashion /Fashion Sportswear and as PSD is a niche product category I felt that at that time in London, the market wasn’t directly being represented enough then.
I always had the plan to run my own sports outerwear business since ’97 as a British born sportswear designer making, sourcing and producing in the UK. So had attempted to set up my own sportswear brand in 2005/6 after leaving Live in Levi’s in approaching the Princes Trust where I was then able to secure a New Entrepreneurs Scholarship following undertaking their NVQ business startup course.
The N-rapture Brand actually began founded by me in 1995 and began as N-rapture.co.uk the name given to a new concept in e-tailing. A purely functional blend of sports, street and outerwear composed of innovative fabrics, initially for the Extreme, Winter and Freesports and Aeronautical Markets.
I enjoy business however as all startups, I cannot say that there haven’t been challenges.
The biggest being in that it has not had the chance to grow since at the time of me securing the New Entrepreneur Scholarship with the Princes Trust. However, couldn’t utilise the funding. (Hospitalised during the time).
Later localities took me to the sports arena of Manchester in 2006 and the Performance Sports area of Cornwall, Austria, Germany and Norway in 2007 – 2011 which both gave us further insight into the various variety of the sports industry.
Therefore one result that had come out of that previous lack of funding experience was to try to re-structure things with the brand and therefore now going forwards, today in utilising my old knowledge of denim I/ we created a few new modest denim lines and in later years #NettieScottGirls was born in 2015.
Then #NettieScottBoys which refocused on Activewear following the move onto the Queen Elizabeth ll Olympic Park’s ex-Athletes Village in 2014.
What has been your greatest achievement?
I would say the ability to travel and explore. Namely San Francisco, Canada for the Denim sourcing in gratitude to Levi’s UK and Levi’s US, tradeshows across Northern Europe enabling wider industry scope and snowboarding and free-ski experiences.
In terms of London; met Matthew Williamson a fellow Alumni of UAL once after being interviewed by his parents so guess that was pretty cool.
What is next for you?
More tradeshows, more mentoring and any opportunities to further exhibit.
To learn more about NSB By Nettie Scott (Boys) or NSG By Nettie Scott (Girls) visit NSG By NETTIE SCOTT GIRLS | NSB By NETTIE SCOTT BOYS To learn more about our Parent co. To the above visit N-rapture.co.uk
Happy creating!
Net Scott
@net_scott
@nettie.scott.boys | @nettie.scott.girls
@n_rapture | @nets.aeronautical.space.agenda