Industry experience is a key element of studying at LCF and our collaborators regularly commend our students for their skills and dedication. J.JS Lee founder Jackie Lee recently contacted us to comment on how impressed she was with her recent interns.
Byeonggyu Lee, BA Fashion Design Technology Menswear and Jiyoung Shin, BA Fashion Design Technology Womenswear, completed their industry placements as an accredited course unit, to experience working in the fashion industry first hand.
As an industry collaborator, Jackie Lee often recruits work experience students for their talent and work quality. However, this year the student's work went above and beyond her expectations, stating that "they worked so hard, were never late, had amazing attitudes, and were fast learners".
The J. JS Lee brand was created by the UAL graduate after winning the revered Harrods Award who featured her collection in the window of the Knightsbridge department store. Since then the label has grown globally, leading the launch of Jackie’s first menswear collection in January 2018. Synonymous with J. JS LEE's signature style, all of the collection’s silhouettes embrace masculine and feminine androgynous design.
It was this unique identity which attracted both students to the company. On researching Jackie’s portfolio further, Byeonggyu admired her use of angular structures to emphasise the human form, remarking that,
Men’s bodies can be drawn as a straight line on a canvas, in comparison to women’s which are often drawn with more fluidity. I wanted to find the beauty in the straight line, and I think Jackie succeeds in doing that, her work really resonated with me.
Day to day their duties ranged from tracing fabric patterns and assisting with the production process, to liaising with embroidery companies. However, Jackie also gave both students greater responsibility; entrusting Jiyoung to style shoots for the J. JS Lee Lookbook and assist building their e-commerce platform, and following Byeonggyu’s advice and opinions on colour palettes and fabric selection. Working with the J. JS Lee team didn’t just offer them skills development, but wider mentoring and guidance from Jackie, who has decided that,
When they graduate, I would love to have them work here again. Because of them, I was able to finish AW19 collection. I really wish them success and would help them anytime.
From this work experience both students have realised how different industry life is, seeing how their studies are preparing them for this professional leap.
Reflecting on their experience and the placement process, Byeonggyu stressed that “it’s really important for students to research the brands, or designers, they want to work with, to make sure the company is a good fit for them”.
Byeonggyu places immense value on the new skills he learnt while on placement saying that "this internship has given me strong transferable skills to be able to pursue a career in fashion, but to also set up my own business in another sector" and recommends the programme to students who are looking to develop their professional skill sets.
- Find out more about BA(Hons) Fashion Design Technology Menswear or BA(Hons) Fashion Design Technology Womenswear
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