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Marta Gruszczynska

Profession

MA Innovative Fashion Production Alum

College

London College of Fashion

Person Type

Alumni

Marta Gruszczynska - MA Innovative Fashion Production

Biography

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do?

My name is Marta and I’m Polish but I’m based in North London. At the moment I’m working as Production Coordinator at Anna Mason London which is an English RTW (ready to wear) and made to order brand. During the course I was working part-time in retail and over the summer I was an intern at luxury swimwear brand Heidi Klein and womenswear brand David Koma.

What have you been working on since graduating?

Straight after graduating I started to look for a job but I was aware that it can be a long process and at the same time I was trying to stay creative so I made some DIY projects to sell at my local craft store and to my friends.

Can you tell us about your role at Anna Mason? What does a day in your working life look like?

Due to the relatively small size of the company I am the only person responsible for the production. My day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing RTW production and made-to-order production which happens in Poland. Also, I coordinate the work of seamstresses in our London studio who develop the samples for future collections. On a daily basis I deal with any issues in our factories - shipping, fabric and trims orders for production and made-to-order pieces.

What attracted you to LCF?

I always wanted to study abroad, and London was a city that I was always attracted to. I found out about LCF online and I really liked that it offered a wide range of courses and an international environment. Plus, it was well-known and respected in the fashion industry which was an important factor too.

Did you always know you wanted to pursue a career in fashion?

Yes, I always loved fashion, but I knew that I didn’t want to be a fashion designer. After I learned about different positions within the fashion industry, I realised that production is very interesting and a bit underestimated.

How have you maintained your creative practice during the pandemic?

Well, at the beginning that was hard, but I was finishing my master project so I definitely can’t say that I was bored! I had a lot to do and thanks to lockdown I could fully focus on my deadline but at the same time it was hard to get perspective and relax sometimes. After I graduated, I also decided that it was a great time to learn a new skill, so I started knitting! It was something that I really wanted to learn but I just never had enough time.

What are your plans for the next few years? Where would you like to see yourself professionally?

I would like to pursue my career in fashion production even further and gain new knowledge. At the moment, at work I feel like I’m learning something new every day and as long as it stays that way, I’m happy!

What did you enjoy the most about the course?

I really like the fact that it was both practical and theoretical. It provided me with a good understanding of how everything is made and skills that are really appreciated by employers.

Can you tell us a bit about your favourite project completed on the course?

I think my favourite project was the one that I could choose myself and it was my master project. It focused on the environmental impact of cotton production in various regions. It was challenging to study all the data and get the necessary research but I was really interested in that, so I naturally wanted to find out everything about that!

Best advice you received from a lecturer, tutor or technician during your time at LCF?

I can’t remember the exact words, but our tutors always encouraged us to go further. Get better research, find out even more and that was sometimes hard but at the end it was always worth it.

What advice would you give to potential students who would like to enrol on this course?

Be persistent. Even if something isn’t going right, give yourself some time but come back to it. It always helps to get perspective.