Personal Statement

Firstly, I would like to start with my academic background and professional experience.

My pursuit of MA Fashion Management in Winchester School of Art three years ago was my very first attempt to gain academic knowledge and background of fashion business, which gave me concepts on and structures of the industry and its customers. One-year study was, undoubtedly, intense, yet comprehensive. Visually and informationally, conceptually and practically, this course gave me guide to the complexity of fashion, laying groundwork for my later career.

After graduation, I succeeded being offered a job in the fast-fashion giant Bestseller group as a fashion buyer in Beijing China. Throughout my working period, as a fashion buyer, I have experienced how those principles I learned on campus apply within the ever-evolving context of the global fashion and retail industry. Analysis on customer segmentation, along with focus on fashion market sectors and levels, was vital during my work. I began to understand that customer is central to all aspects of effective marketing, which plays a crucial role in contemporary fashion. Ever since, I gradually managed to take on a professional perspective and to separate my personal views on fashion from work, and I have been making all efforts to build a commercial mind.

Besides, I have been writing for several fashion and style websites as a freelance contributor. Articles I wrote have a wide spectrum, ranging from catwalk show reports, styling tips, fashion photographies to healthy lifestyles, traveling, and relationships between fashion and film. Different writing styles and pictures layouts tried, I view it as a precious opportunity for me to test how to build my personal perspectives on fashion and style. During my time as a contributor to fashion media, I understood that customer segmentation and analysis are equally important as those in fashion retail. A fashion media outlet, whether in the format of websites, blogs, iPad/iPhone applications, or traditional prints, must exert different marketing and PR strategies in terms of contents, images, and even advertising tactics after profound research on their own targeted readers.

Throughout my work experience, I have managed to build some connections with fashion website founders, fashion buyers, fashion editors, and fashion designers. Cooperations are of grave importance in fashion business, and I hold the belief that those connections help me shape my future career.

After two years’ work, I believe that I have reached a turning point where I need to recharge myself to be better prepared for my future career. Building

my own fashion media outlet, where images and photography are crucial, along with the right marketing plans is my determined career path. I would not say that transferring from fashion buyer to fashion imaging making is a big turn, as I addressed the issue above, both fashion retail and image-making require marketing tactics and PR strategies, and my working experience as a buyer laid the foundation of the career move.

Secondly, I will address the issue that how and why I am determined to apply for MA Fashion Promotion & Imaging in UCA.

When I was conducting research about this programme, I cannot help but notice that "fashion styling", “photography", "fashion marketing” and “PR” appear as key words, which triggered my interests. I hold the belief that image is playing a crucial part in fashion industry. Flaccavento(2015) wrote on BOF website “on the Paris (Autumn/Winter 2015) runways, creation is giving way to the power of image”. "Contemporary fashion is less about clothes making and more about image-making” resonates with me. My personal passion and career planning are in accordance with this programme’s principle that it encourages students to utilize forms of imaging and photography to interpret fashion in their own direction. That is the very first reason for me to apply for the programme.

Also, I’m aware that, once recruited in, I gain access to collections of incredible fashion archives and many other resources in terms of art, design, and business, not to mention that UCA possesses close connections and links with creative industry and its organizations , which gets me access to industry contacts throughout my study and after my graduation. Other than that, Alumni of UCA are across the globe, which will enable me to stay in touch with my peer all over the world. I understand that connections are crucial to my growth, since collaborations are of significance in fashion business. Knowing that all facilities and support from both the staff and alumni are at my disposal, is one of the reasons for me to choose UCA.

London, as a matter of fact, is a laboratory for me to discover new things to love and to engage with. Back in the year 2011 and 2012, when I was majoring in MA Fashion Management in Winchester, I visited London constantly to attend numerous art exhibitions, museums, events and galleries. There is no question that London is a dynamic capital, where I can keep in touch with state-of-the-art exhibitions, shows, and events during my study . UCA, located in London, thus, is endowed geographically. I have always been eager to return to this country to learn new things and to make growth.

To summarise, I am applying to MA Fashion Promotion & Imaging because it conforms to my desires and career plans.

Thirdly, I will demonstrate how my passions, hobbies and personalities would aid me to achieve success in MA Fashion Promotion & Imaging and my future career.

Fashion magazines can be a valuable source of information and inspiration to me. I always find that there are many things to learn from, besides what dresses to buy for the new season. To name a few, design details, fashion trends, lifestyles, traveling, health tips, food, celebrity interviews, industry news, magazine layouts, colour match, models’ poses, photography composition, home deco, even advertising gives me insights into brands’ marketing strategies.

As we live in a digital era, printed magazines and books are not the only kind that I read. Fashion-related websites, blogs, and other forms of digital media outlets, undoubtedly, remain my source of inspiration as well. Women's Wear Daily (WWD), referred to as “the fashion bible”, provides me with authentic industry reports and fashion trends. I have been reading articles from WWD since 2011, when I was in pursuit of my first MA degree in Winchester School of Art. The Business of Fashion is another source of industry information to me, which presents informed, analytical and opinionated point of views on the fashion business. Besides mentioned above, I enjoy visiting editd.com, which allows me to compare trend forecasting from an industry’s perspective with trends given by fashion magazines like Vogue.

When it comes to visuals and imagery, style.com is one of my most-visited sites. There are many catwalk photos and show reports, street style shots and trends analysis out there, which inspire me both visually and verbally. Anothermag.com, WGSN Tumblr, wmagazine.com, dazeddigitqal.com and love magazine.co.uk offer me inspirations in terms of art, vintage fashion, culture, relations between fashion and film, technology’s influence on fashion business, behind-the-scene shots, design and lifestyles.

To summarize, reading fashion magazines and websites is not only a way to relax, but an opportunity for me to ponder and to wonder. I make every effort to foster my point of view from a insider’s angle, and it benefits me. I believe that fashion is a fast-moving business, and I need a broad mind to keep pace with it. When I read them, I always try to put myself in the media’s shoes. What if I was the chief editor of Style.com or BOF? What to present to my readers? How to select the appropriate images? How to tailor my contents to satisfy my readers? Every time I read, those questions pop into my head, making me to think over.

Curiosity is engraved in my personalities, which would have beneficial impact on my future study in MA Fashion Promotion & Imaging and my upcoming career in fashion business. As I mentioned above, I have urges to absorb fresh things and to search for answers. Fashion industry, unarguably, is highly competitive and fast-paced, where curiosity, an open mind, and competence to learn are in demand. Besides, I am detail-oriented, ambitious, with strong initiative and possessing an hobby for collecting interesting information in case I need them.

Other than fashion, I do have hobbies like photography, cooking, traveling, reading lifestyle magazines and illustrating on my iPad.

To summarise, briefly, studying in a creative community, learning from the best, building connections with fashion industry and opportunities to explore an exciting city are my primary concerns when choosing a MA programme. MA Fashion Promotion & Imaging in UCA is in accordance with my quests.

Lastly, I never mentioned that how much I love fashion, as it explains itself when I’m determined to work in fashion industry. After two-year work in fashion business, experiencing stress, pain, fatigue, tears and excitement, I have always been determined to dedicated my life to fashion.

Bibliography

Flaccavento, A. (2015). In Era of Image, Stylists Rule Paris.Available: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/era-image-stylists-reign. Last accessed 28th May 2015.