Yesterday, the LCFBA16 catwalk show took place at the Nicholls and Clarke Building in Shoreditch and the live stream is on loop now at the LCFBA16 channel.
Before the show, we spent some time with the students taking part in the celebration of 2016’s graduating cohort. BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear student Jane Allcock who presented her collection last night spoke to us about her time at LCF and her future plans.
Jane Allcock (BA Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear). Photographer: James Rees, Creative Direction: Rob Phillips, Hair: Ezana Ové, Beauty: Kirsty Gaston
Where are you from?
A small village in Oxfordshire.
Give us one interesting fact about yourself…
I am really good at celebrity spotting! My best so far include Florence Welch near LCF’s Curtain Road campus and Louis Theroux in Euston station.
Talk us through your final project
I am really inspired by family and the subtle sequence of events that must unfold for each of us to be where we are now. My grandmother came from a big Irish family and has been incredibly influential throughout my project.
What do you love about what you do?
Creating, making something beautiful and the satisfaction of being able to make something and anything from a few simple materials. Storytelling is also something I really love, it’s wonderful to be able to do this through the medium of clothes.
What is the story behind your final piece of work?
My Grandmother had sixteen siblings, and each one had their own stories so complex and earnest. My grandmother, for instance, saw what the life 1930s Ireland had to offer her and decided it was not enough, she knew she could be anything and so moved, at the age of seventeen, to England alone and made her own way. She is such a huge inspiration to me. Hearing the stories of our family is like reading a book of folk songs, each story so nuanced and complex.
Design by Jane Allcock, BA Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear
What techniques or theories did you use to create your final piece of work?
I started off in UAL’s amazing libraries, there is so much information and stories within the University. Embroidery became a technique that strongly featured in my final work, a subject that LCF has extensive books on!
What’s the best thing about LCF?
The access to so many resources, from diverse and insightful books featured in the libraries, to a wide range of industry standard equipment. LCF also possesses good links to industry and can provide opportunities for internships.
What’s the best thing about BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear?
You are really challenged to push yourself and discover parts of your creativity and creative process you may have otherwise overlooked. I remember being told in secondary school P.E. class that I wasn’t good at tennis because I would watch where I had just hit the ball and not anticipate where the next shot was coming from. At LCF I’m constantly looking for the next thing, the next way to challenge myself. This has really shaped me as a designer.
Have you won any prizes?
I received the Clara and Michael Freeman award which was such an honour and has really supported me though my final collection.
Have you been in the media?
Not yet! But I am planning on making the most of the opportunities available at the BA16 show
Jane Allcock (BA Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear). Photographer: Roger Dean
Have you undertaken any work experience or done a placement whilst at LCF? Where and how did you secure this work experience or placement?
LCF has a very supportive careers team and the website is one of LCF’s best assets, they can be as involved as you need them to be and are really concerned about us getting the most from our placements. Through LCF Careers I got an internship at Peter Jensen in my second year which was a wonderful experience!
What did you learn on your work experience/placement?
At Peter Jensen, the team is small compared to some other companies but I think this enabled me to learn a lot about fashion business as well as design, and everyone who works there is lovely, they make such a great working environment. It was really nurturing in terms of getting to know the industry parts of London better, for instance knowing the best place to go for particular materials, and how to conduct yourself in a professional and open way in the industry.
Describe your work in five words…
Clean, cute, intricate, refreshing and feminine
What inspires you?
Stories. I love entering other peoples worlds and looking over all the details, the quirks and the potential of how the story and it’s characters react to it’s events. I can be enthralled by any kind of story, in books, tv, news, songs and family stories. Recently I have been reading the books of Stefan Zweig, they’re stories within stories, and full of peculiar momentum.
Jane Allcock (BA Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear). Photographer: Roger Dean
Where do you want to be in your career in five years’ time?
Happy, excited and looking forward to what new challenges and opportunities come my way
How do you think womenswear and LCF will help you achieve your plans?
My course has taught me to always seek out new challenges and use these to my advantage, to grow, rather than see things as obstacles. It has also taught me how to find different approaches to problems and not fear anything
What advice would you give to someone wanting to study womenswear ?
Keep going, you’re always doing much better than you think you are. This is a hard course, your creativity and even your identity will be challenged, but you will learn so much about yourself and your creative abilities, that rewards far out weigh the costs.
- Find out more about BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear
- Check out Jane’s Instagram
- Keep up to date with LCFBA16 and our Class of 2016 series
- Find out more about other undergraduate courses at LCF
- Find out more about postgraduate courses at LCF
- Find out more about all courses available at LCF
- LCF Open Days and Events
- More LCF News stories