Alumna Lucy Qian discusses Fashion course at Norwich University of the Arts during learning lunch

On Thursday 24 February we were delighted to welcome Lucy Qian back to St Mary's School for a learning lunch, to discuss her fashion studies and career so far. Having studied Art and Textiles at GCSE and then A Level at St Mary's, Lucy is now studying Fashion at Norwich University of the Art. Our Year 12 and 13 students were excited to hear Lucy share some of her experiences of her degree and the application process, and even more so after looking up some of her designs online.

Lucy arrived wearing clothes that she had made herself, forming a fitting introduction to a discussion of her various projects at university. She talked about how she completes her designs using Procreate®, and the importance of recycling and designing sustainable clothing, including a piece of clothing she made using grapefruit skin, and from bedsheets that she no longer needed. 

She shared some successful portfolio tips with the current Sixth Form students and answered many of their questions, including how to choose the right course at university. Lucy said her A levels at St Mary's, Art, Textiles and Business, equipped her well for success at university and gave her practical experience that helped her as a student.

Lucy calls attending St Mary's a 'life changing decision', and describes the individual support that she received during her university applications:

'When I applied for universities, my teachers helped me so much, including professional advice, and interview practice. Alongside the support from my Art and Textiles teachers on professional work and essays, the life drawing sessions organised by the Art Department were very useful in gaining quick sketch techniques which placed me ahead of classmates at uni. The mock interviews with my other textiles teacher Mrs Pink on the professional side and the support from our lovely EAL teachers, Mrs Bevan and Mrs Brooks, on writing and speaking practice prepared me and enabled me to feel confident when I went for interviews.'

As Textiles is a popular option here at St Mary's, with a new studio for A Level students, her practical advice is directly applicable to many of our students, while she also provided more general insights into the application process and life after school that are instructive to all our students.

Find out more about Textiles at St Mary's here.