LCF MBA student, Anna Evans is one of the five mentees chosen for the 2020 British Fashion Council Mentoring Scheme. The programme involves five key industry mentors working with their mentee to inspire their future career plans. The programme aims to highlight opportunities in fashion and is open to all young people 18+ starting their careers in the fashion industry or aspiring to do so.
Anna Evans will be working for the next four months with MatchesFashion.com Buying Director, Natalie Kingham. We asked Anna about the application process and her future plans.
Why did you apply to the BFC Mentoring Scheme?
I was initially interested in the BFC Mentoring Scheme because it focuses on careers that sit outside the realm of what people consider to fall within the traditional fashion industry. On top of that, Natalie Kingham, Buying Director for MatchesFashion.com, seemed like a perfect mentor/mentee fit for me, as my talents lie in planning and retail operations - areas essential to someone working in fashion buying.
Tell us more about the process?
The application was fairly straightforward, requiring a personal portfolio of past work/experiences, and a 250-word statement about both my interest in the scheme and why I believed I would be a good fit with Natalie.
I received some feedback about my application. I think the best note I received was that Natalie appreciated the consistent branding I applied to my portfolio, as it added interest and credibility to the experiences I described.
What are the next steps?
In terms of next steps, Natalie and I will be meeting four times through January and February, for two hours at a time. We will discuss my future plans, and set tasks to help me progress professionally. I can't wait to get started!
You are studying on the MBA at LCF, could you tell us about your time on the course?
The LCF MBA is everything I was hoping it would be and more. Even by week two I was saying to my family and friends back home in Canada that I feel I'm learning everything I need to be successful in a career in fashion business. On top of all that, the assessments challenge me to extend my knowledge beyond what we learn in class, which only adds to my educational experience.
Although challenging, I feel the MBA has pushed me to grow quickly into someone who could enter the job market fully ready to take on anything.
What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I'd really like to start my career at a high street retailer, in the buying office. I have experience in both off-price and luxury retailing, so I'd like to fill my gap in knowledge straight away.
Then at some point later in my career I'd like to return to TJX (TK Maxx's Canadian cousin) - or another TJX global branch - as I find the off-price model of retailing very interesting - and more sustainable, as it provides an opportunity to sell unsold merchandise.
- Connect with Anna on LinkedIn
- Read more about the British Fashion Council Mentoring Scheme.
- Find out more about MBA Fashion
- Explore LCF postgraduate courses
- What’s on at LCF: open days and events
