We spoke to MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation student Sixtine Pusterle De Cidrac, who first came to LCF for a study abroad semester in her final year of her BA in Paris. Below she tells us about why she chose her course and LCF, her advice for new students and what she hopes to achieve in the future.
Photography by: Jacques Beneich
My final project… focused on wearable technology within social and health frameworks, and looked at interdisciplinary collaborations between fashion and technology in creative processes. In February 2016 during the Collaborative Unit, my team and I ran the project Smart Sight during which we researched and developed a first hard prototype of a smart accessory that would assist visually impaired people in their mobility.
This amazing experience led me to narrow down my final research project, where I explored the capacity for wearable technology to improve social well-being for the blind community. I got very interesting and positive feedback on that matter from experts and from the blind community itself, allowing me to create a UCD toolkit giving recommendations for the ideation, design, marketing and retail of such products.
Before LCF… I did a Luxury Marketing BA at EIML (International School of Luxury Marketing) in Paris. It was a great course that specialised in brand identity for luxury industries, international and digital marketing, business strategy and creative direction.
Top tips for new students…
- Be yourself and be creative: your unique background and personality will be your strength during this course, which will push you to explore your thinking in greater depth and develop new, innovative ideas. Don’t be afraid to develop your creative thinking and follow your gut, because this course will most likely lead you to build yourself a whole new path in the fashion industry.
- Go out there and network: during 13 months at LCF, you’ll have the opportunity to meet experts from the industry who will bring you great insights and mentorship. Get the best out of it, and take time to research and contact people whose work and mission inspire you. They will be of great help before, during and after your final project.
- Enjoy your final year: because you will be studying in one of the best fashion institutions in the world, in one of the greatest cities for student life: give your best and don’t miss out on anything!
I chose LCF because… during the final year of my BA, I got the opportunity to do a study abroad semester at LCF, during which I discovered this great University. I had absolutely no doubt about the fact that I wanted to come back for my MA. My short time at LCF was a testimony of my desire to choose fashion as the field in which I would be happy and successful. I knew that the educational system suited my personality and would bring me the knowledge and skills necessary for me to build a career in the fashion industry.
Choosing the MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation came from my great interest in new creative processe, and my desire to run projects or develop brands’ strategies that are focused on innovation. I did and still do believe in the ability for the fashion industry to build a better future for brands and people, by incorporating new systems in product’s design, marketing and retail.
The thing I enjoyed the most about the MA… were the collaborative projects that ran throughout the year. Having the opportunity to develop ideas and strategies, with students and experts from very diverse backgrounds and disciplines was immensely enriching. All the projects offered the opportunity to work in very different fields and to explore what most interests us. It was a great exercise in terms of developing professionalism, team management, creative thinking and networking.
The most challenging part… was to process all the information given during the course, which was very intense, in order to develop a research plan from scratch for the final project. To come up with a study with an outcome would represent a step forward in the fashion industry was stressful. The challenge was beneficial at the end as it pushed us to look deeper into a topic of our personal interest, and to learn from previous research, experts and people from a chosen community. I had an amazing time working on my final dissertation.
Being a student in London is an amazing experience… The city is so vibrant and alive! My favourite thing about London is its multicultural landscape and its open-minded inhabitants: you are free to express yourself in many ways. I think it’s a city that has the power to reveal to a person who they are and who they can become. It also offers a great access to arts, culture and I believe a very bright future for the fashion industry.
During my time at LCF… I worked as a stylist and sales assistant for the French premium luxury brand IRO. Retail was a very interesting experience and I had a great time with an amazing team. I am still working there today until I find a job that better suits my career aspirations.
My work in a few words… Innovative, Creative, User-centred, Cross-disciplinary, Social.
I am greatly inspired in many ways by influencers of our time… Lee Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, for their freedom of creation and speech; David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, for their eccentricity, talent and for their fight for freedom throughout their arts; Ajaz Ahmed, Steve Jobs and the other entrepreneurs that built leadership and shaped a new future for creative and tech industries from scratch.
My plans for the future… For now, I am staying in London and looking for a junior position in a creative innovation company. LCF first made me realise what inspires and motivates me the most and led me to define my career aspirations. The university also brought me to network and build a portfolio of contacts in London, which will be of great help for the beginning of my career. It also equipped me with skills and knowledge to build a stronger CV for my job search.
LCF is moving… east London has history, a great multi-cultural landscape and is famous for hosting amazing arts venues and studios. Moving away from high-streets to a more independent artistic environment can be beneficial and become a great environment for LCF future students.