Profile Piece

"I like the concept of fashion, how every trend comes around, only with some added new details," said Eve, a red-haired beauty who studies Digital Design for Fashion at UCLAN and is graduating this summer.

Eve is a fashion student by day and a bartender by night, and she doesn't hide the fact the workload from the course and a part-time job sometimes can take its toll on her.

But even with a jam-packed schedule nearing her finals, Eve still gladly found the time for this interview. As we comfortably sat on her bed in a bedroom with walls adorned with design sketches, her artistic flair and creativity were palpable. She excitedly recounted her coursework and the three years she spent in Preston.

Eve, who moved from Lithuania to England in 2012, was determined to succeed in fashion. "When I was 14, I started thinking about the future, what I would like to do, and it was my dream from a long time ago; I didn't know what else I could do," said Eve. When asked what the most challenging part of the course was, Eve recounted the struggles she faced at the very beginning of the university programme: "In the beginning, lecturers didn't really specify how everything was going to work, but little by little, we did one piece and then another one. In the second year, I finally understood why we did everything during the first year and how it was related to the projects of the second year".

After Eve understood the coursework flow and the final details clicked, she spent many hours, even days, just researching, conjuring up new ideas and sketching for projects. When I asked her how she didn't lose motivation, she said that the best way to not lose motivation is to take a few days off from the projects and just relax and clear your mind. Even though her mind strays to the thought of quitting sometimes, she constantly reminds herself why she initially enrolled in this course and why she loves what she's doing. "Sometimes, in the moment of weakness, I just want to quit, but it is easier to get back the motivation when you remember why you started and why you enjoyed it in the first place."

It was rather shocking to hear just how much work and devotion her projects require when she explained thoroughly what the projects involve exactly: "First, we need to develop a collection, so I research, decide on what theme, what concept and then I collect all the information and put everything in a big folder and start drawing my own designs. Also, the huge folder must have silhouette fabric directions. Because it's an enormous project, you are required to have a booklet and a presentation. Then, you need a technical pack to draw all the flats of the clothing and illustrations. The technical book has to list all the measurements, the cost of fabrics, and total price estimations creating those garments required. It's an enormous project, and at the same time, you are required to do some additional work, like photoshoots, graphic shirt designs and, at the end of the year, to create a portfolio."

When asked how she manages her coursework and a part-time job, Eve said: "It just requires time management; you have to learn to do that, life is never going to be easy. It's hard to have a part-time job whilst studying, but it's manageable."

While witnessing this kind of determination and passion, it was clear that Eve had vast ambitions and goals. When asked about it, she exclaimed, "I want to have my own store! To design my own clothing; I don't want to work for someone else."

When asked if she enjoyed her three years at university and if there was anything she would change if she could, she said: "I enjoyed it, I liked it very much. It was hard, but it wasn't supposed to be easy. I feel like I should have worked even more. Though if I could change something, I would like to have more free time, because I was studying practically all the time and I missed out on some fun."