MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation is designed to help develop entrepreneurs who can build and capitalise on existing strengths in UK and international fashion industries.
Here LCF News speaks to Archana Thani, who is in the process of creating, building and eventually launching a spiritual jewellery brand, which can be personalised by the consumer.
MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation student Archana Thani.
Where and what did you study prior to your MA at LCF?
Prior to the MA at LCF, I completed my undergraduate degree at Babson College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in finance.
What made you want to study an MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation?
I was looking for a programme that could harness my entrepreneurial abilities and teach me how to systematically implement new ideas into an existing business sphere.
Why did you choose LCF and MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation?
The programme’s focus on entrepreneurship is what really drew me to the course. The idea that an individual could join the programme and have the flexibility to explore their entrepreneurial ideas, while being provided the support to discover and investigate new trends and markets, all the way through to commercialisation of a fashion concept was exactly the structure I was looking for.
Did you always want to go into the entrepreneurship and innovation side of fashion, or did you consider being a designer etc.?
I always knew that I wanted to go into the entrepreneurship and innovation side of fashion. Before commencing my MA, I started retail clothing boutiques in the Dutch Caribbean. Finding new approaches to business model innovation was at the core of what I wanted to do.
Tell us about your Masters’ project?
My final project focused on building a conceptual brand framework for start-up jewellery brands and applying this (dynamic) framework to build a spiritual jewellery line. The brand focuses on reviving elements of ancient philosophies and reintroducing them with a contemporary aesthetic through customisable jewellery.
What other projects have you worked on during your time at LCF?
Apart from my final year project, I worked on developing social media strategies for my existing business back home. With the new tools gained at LCF in understanding how to identify and capitalise on potential target markets, I was able to build and execute stronger, sustainable strategies while being confident of their effectiveness.
What did you find the most interesting and challenging parts of the course?
The most interesting part of the course is the strategic selection of students chosen to be a part of the class. The added value that each student brought to the classroom via their cultural backgrounds and understanding of different markets, in addition to extremely varied entrepreneurial ideas allowed for a great degree of stimulated interaction. Furthermore, the hands on experience received through collaborative projects with existing designers allowed students to practically apply theoretical knowledge gained directly related to the fashion world – this was probably the most challenging, yet exciting part of the course.
What advice would you give to anyone considering studying an MA at LCF?
Keep an open mind to exploring new ideas and ways of doing things. There’s a vast amount of information and knowledge that filters through LCF so take advantage of as much as possible. You will be constantly asked to push personal boundaries and provide your best work, but there will always be a strong support system to help you through the process.
What are your future plans?
I’m looking at launching the jewellery concept I worked on in my final year project towards the end of the year.