ENROLLING AT NFC
WORDS BY NFC STUDENT AMBER COCHRANE
I’m going into my fourth week at National Fashion College ,and have already been exposed to so many amazing opportunities and events!
Not only have I made so many friends and been surrounded by like-minded people, I have also been lucky enough to be taught by an industry professional each week.
Matt Jordan is my teacher, Founder & Director of MFPR. He is highly qualified and knowledgeable given his immense experience and time dedicated to working across a variety of fields in the fashion industry! Whatever the topic or the question, Matt has the answers and expertise to teach, assist and guide you.
CLASS
Class consists of one key focus each week, so far we have covered two sessions on PR, (my personal favourite, especially since I’m interning at a PR agency right now) and one on marketing!
What differentiates NFC from other institutions and definitely a typical “school-like” atmosphere is the fact that it is so hands-on and catered to every individual! For instance, class is predominantly filled with in-depth discussions and brainstorming, mirroring a more inclusive approach to learning. I love this as sometimes I can struggle to grasp information quickly, but once it is explained or physically demonstrated to me, I am set.
Matt, my trainer, is great in the way that he walks around the room as he teaches and also ensures that students understand the topic of choice before moving on. The class environment at NFC is the perfect place to exhibit your ideas whilst learning about the unique aspects of the fashion world!
We are always given group tasks with a time limit; tasks which align with the topic we are currently studying. Proposing and planning a hypothetical campaign and detailed marketing plan for Jacquemus has been my favourite so far, (this fell under marketing last week)!
Working in a group and under a time limit was the most perfect and genius activity for this topic, for us as students are able to gain a taste of the pressures and requirements that accompany themselves to those who work in fashion. NFC is amazing and renowned for this, the college truly does strive to prepare each and every student for work after the course.
MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR
I am currently interning at the Arc Factory in Darlinghurst, a Public Relations Agency that represents and looks after brands such as Bonds, North Face, Ella Bache, Teva, Brooks Brothers and more! I am loving every minute.
Each day is different, that is the beauty of PR work! It can consist of journalism based work, such as sending emails and pitching ideas, as well as styling based work, like steaming garments and helping setting up showings! Recently I helped the team set up for their showing, where important Media, Journalists, and Influencers come visit to learn more about some of the brands that Arc Factory look after!
It’s a huge deal and responsibility, especially given showings only take place twice a year! I was also fortunate enough to see the showing in action earlier! I oversaw appointments where the staff at Arc Factory guided guests through new season products that are yet to be dropped!
Over the course of this year I will be able to intern at many different places. What was so impressive was the personalised approach Founder & Director, Bryce Alexander McIntosh, took in order to guide each student through their year at NFC. We were all granted a one-on-one career session with him where we could discuss our interests and strengths and possible careers paths in fashion. From here, Bryce and the team were able to hand pick a suitable internship for each and every one of us.
The special guest varies from week to week, and we have had some pretty sought after people so far! Week one we had Natalia Sakowicz, the Marketing Director at Christopher Esber, a leading Australian designer fashion label, followed by the founder of Hive HQ, a successful beauty public relations agency, managed by Jessy Marshall, for week two!
Additionally, we were lucky enough to have two guests in one week, Emma Read, the National Stylist at Tiffany & Co, followed by Samuel Willett, the Marketing Manager for Song For The Mute, an upcoming and lucrative fashion brand. These events are great as they are open to everyone and enables us as students to listen to the experiences and advice of those who work in the industry, as well as being able to talk and ask questions one-on-one afterwards! This week we have Katerina Grant, current director of THE WORLD OF, leading MAJOR event productions including Gucci, Hermes and Tiffany & Co.
Everyone at National Fashion College so welcoming and lovely! It is a real uplifting environment in which everyone works hard and supports one another along the way. This admirable work ethic demonstrated by both past and present NFC students and workers only inspires me to work harder and involve myself in as much as I can!