About me
Motivated and highly creative employee with excellent communication and team working skills. A self starter and creative thinker, responding to design challenges effectively and thoughtfully. I thrive best in highly pressurised work environments with high productivity output and an meticulous eye for creative detail. The benefits of my degree in Fashion Design and Marketing has equipped me with the skills to tackle business initiatives and creative tasks in parallel whilst utilising research and analysis to interpret and deliver against key business tasks. Throughout my degree course, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of considering all aspects of marketing and fashion design when approaching projects to ensure the desired objectives and deliverables are achieved in accordance with the brief. Design and marketing are intrinsically linked and my degree course has afforded me the unique opportunity to engage market research ahead of creative design to undertake the necessary investigations to validate the opportunity, as well to ensure new products deliver the necessary benefits to the business.
When responding to specific challenges in design, my approach is focused and targeted, establishing feasibility; implementing considerate risks, producing innovative approaches to potential challenges or barriers to market; analysing all factors that influence consumer purchasing behaviour and assessing overall market demand to then help inform a successful range. My overall work experience which spans secondments with fashion designers and retail, combined with my academic achievements has broadened my skill set and ability to adapt to various disciplines within the fashion industry. Utilising my industry and academic experience with respect to my positions within retail has enabled me to creatively foresee and interpret weaknesses and opportunity within purchase lifecycle stage products, which could potentially evolve strategically and creatively to encourage brand profitability and turnover. My approach in design is to keep pace with trends on a level in which is appropriate to the brands established set of principles which thus corresponds to a potential opportunity to gradually up/sell, cross-sell to the targeted consumer for successful brand development and diversification. These are all aspects of what i am passionate about in creative design.
Having recently graduated , i am now looking for a creative position, preferably in a design/ product development based role which would offer me the unique opportunity to contribute my strengths whilst too enabling me to learn and develop within a reputable market leading brand.
Projects
- Shrimps-Brand Analysis/New product proposal CollaborationThe brief of this project was a specialism Unit completed in the final year of university to help inform potential themes we may of wished to take further into our dissertations. The basis of this project was to establish a brand that was no older 5 years old or a new entrant onto the fashion market, to then analyse the brand from a marketing and product perspective. I was to develop a range of products/ product that responded to challenges established in the research to help further brand stren
- Own Label Store ConcessionThis project was about marketing and pitching an own label design range to a UK leading retailer that was suited to the created brand. We were to produce a hero item from the range, that would push the brand forwards in terms of sales and brand identity. We were to produce marketing plans, retail reports and research, as well as producing and designing a range that translated to store. I produced a range under my own name "Megan Walker" and it played on muted colour pallets with elements of print medias and beautiful natural materials. I was keen to explore functional pieces that could be used as multi seasonable wardrobe must haves, and muti-function able garments that could be adapted to different occasions. Based on trend reports i was keen to explore faux fur. Making faux fur a function to winter wear and smart wear, and most importantly finding a fur that had fantastic realistic qualities. Due to print medias and a no real fur policy i decided to retail my range to Liberty's London. It was a great store that showcased new, upcoming designers and my range in terms of design appeared to suit quite well. I decided my signature product to be a coat, as this was a great way to display how new brands can source and retail faux fur at great prices with luxury appeal. The coat was to represent multi function in a way in which it had a smart but trend worthy appeal in its shape and style, but had the opportunity to add and remove a full fur collar for seasonal and occasion wear too. I implemented a digital lining produced by my own art work which was symbolic of the brands theme and identity.
- Cabin-Brand DevelopmentThe current luxury market is rather limited in its demand of specialist outwear brands. Most Luxury brands supplying coats and jackets incorporate brand extensions and stretches that distribute other product lines such as tops, bottoms and accessories. Cabin aims to target this lack of infrastructure in the market, by presenting a brand which has specialist outwear product offering, that is both desirable and suitable enough for an affluent costumer profile. Although there are many luxury brands that do specialise in outwear apparel, this report explores what gives Cabin competitive advantage over others and reasons to why there may be a high demand for specific products proposed within the launch of Cabins range. A realistic outlook is consistently portrayed throughout this report. As a new brand emerging into the market, Cabin looks specifically at targeting trade shows nationally and internationally that would be appropriate for potential expansion opportunities, gaining suitable suppliers and distributors that directly penetrates the luxury retail sector. Cabin is targeting trade shows such as “Pure London” and “Tranoi Paris’ in the hope of gaining international prominence. Key targeted retail distributors include Harrods and Browns. These stores offer similar products to that of Cabin, and would provide a secure platform for the brand to gain adverse recognition. Consideration of costs involved in the launch of the range is of paramount importance. In relation to this, the targeted accounts have been chosen because of their extensive list of free marketing channels which will be used to much advantage when promoting the launch of the AW 15/16 collection. Cabins objectives are to offer high quality luxury womenswear coats and jackets to buyers at two international trade shows, Tranoi Pairs and Pure London. We are also targeting two large UK-based luxury retailers in which we feel would highly benefit from our brand in their stores, Harrods and Browns. Our theme is primarily focused on sourcing the finest natural fibres and furs, in the hope of creating the ultimate tactile and warm piece of clothing. “Touch” is the core principle behind the A/W Winter 15/16 range. We want consumers to engage with the products material properties to highlight their specialist qualities and design features. The range will be limited and exclusive, only having 12 pieces within the collection. For those consumers who are against the usage of fur despite its origin, there coats with the range that are of exception to this.
Projects credited in
- Meet the GFF 2020 Fashion Innovation Award NomineesThe Innovation Award has been created to more fully embrace the excellent innovative work found on members courses, but who may currently not meet the minimum stated entry criteria of the catwalk awards e.g. may only produce one – three outfits, or products, or produce a documented niche outcome, that reflects their curriculum design. Meet the nominees below!12
Work history
Product Specialist
I have worked within the White Company for over three years now. I first started working part time as a sales assistant in The White Company’s reputable flagship store (Symons Street) and have further progressed on to be promoted to a product specialist now working full time since graduating, now located in the busy Marlow store. This is a fantastic retail position whereby i am appointed to ensure that all customers and my team are knowledgeable about all new products, current products and to educate consumers about what they are purchasing and why it is beneficial to them personally and long term. It is fantastic opportunity to spend more time with customers, make them feel valued and most importantly allowing them to leave with the desire to return and repeat purchase with a positive belief in the brands image, staff and products. Working across two busy stores with very different dynamic teams, has given me the great fortune to appreciate the importance of management, team communication and company progression. Other duties include, shop floor supervision, deployment planning when needed, checking and pushing daily and monthly sale targets, all till operations (refunds, exchanges), evening and morning banking, a key holder closing and opening the shop , assisting anywhere when needed and attending seasonal training programmes.
Product Specialist
I have worked within the White Company for over three years now. I first started working part time as a sales assistant in The White Company’s reputable flagship store (Symons Street) and have further progressed on to be promoted to a product specialist now working full time since graduating, now located in the busy Marlow store. This is a fantastic retail position whereby i am appointed to ensure that all customers and my team are knowledgeable about all new products, current products and to educate consumers about what they are purchasing and why it is beneficial to them personally and long term. It is fantastic opportunity to spend more time with customers, make them feel valued and most importantly allowing them to leave with the desire to return and repeat purchase with a positive belief in the brands image, staff and products. Working across two busy stores with very different dynamic teams, has given me the great fortune to appreciate the importance of management, team communication and company progression. Other duties include, shop floor supervision, deployment planning when needed, checking and pushing daily and monthly sale targets, all till operations (refunds, exchanges), evening and morning banking, a key holder closing and opening the shop , assisting anywhere when needed and attending seasonal training programmes.
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Skills
- Marketing PR
- Brand Development
- Marketing Strategies for the Arts and Design
- Market Reseach
- Brand Creation and Implementation
- Marketing Branding
- Fashion Design/patternmaking/construction/dds/illustration
- Fashion Design Graduate
- Technical Artworking
- Marketing Advertising Campaigns
- Fashion E-commerce
- Fashion Design Development
- Adobe Indesign/illustrator/photoshop
- Fashion Marketing Degree Graduate
- Fashion Trend Forcasting
Education
FdA Degree and BA Top Up in Fashion Design and Marketing
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After Completing a year at Kingston College in a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, i got accepted onto the Foundation Degree course at The London College of Fashion (University of the Arts) for a duration of a two year degree with the opportunity to progress onto the BA Top up programme with consideration to an achieved credit score. I was accepted into the university on an unconditional offer, based on one interview and portfolio review by the university. I have always been highly creative and choose this degree on the basis that it was more vocational and combined creativity and academia. Being vocational was highly appealing to me as it enabled me to take work placements and creative internships throughout my studies, which contributed to innovative projects, build connections and gain industry knowledge and experience which was invaluable. Main project briefs were to create own business plans with fashion products which penetrated specific markets or to work under and collaborate with established brands and find new potential markets/ product opportunity within the brands infrastructure whilst creating garment responses to our market research. My Final major project was to come up with my own brand, business proposal, marketing plan and product range, to then be launched and sold. We were to complete the entire lifecycle stage of our own business from being a new entrant into the fashion market- to 3 year proposals and KPIS.
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
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From receiving my A-level results i went on to study a foundation diploma in art and design at Kingston College of Art and Design for the duration or a year. I went onto to study a foundation instead of going straight to university as i wanted to develop and refine my skills to a more professional level. Here i advanced in all in design programmes such as photoshop and illustrator which benefited me greatly compared to other students at university who had never heard of the softwares. During the foundation i completed various pathway projects including architecture, graphics, illustration, fine art, carpentry and fashion design. On completion of my Foundation Diploma i received a distinction plus.
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Awards
LCF used my work for oversee fashion ambassadors
University of the Arts- London College of Fashion Selecting my work as the official invitation cover to invite international oversee fashion ambassadors to the university for a charity and fundraising event.
3rd Place Design Competition-John Lewis
Came in third place out for 14 groups competing for the John Lewis student design award working to create ideas for their autumn/winter14 fall collection for John Lewis and Co sub brand.
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