The Castle and The Forest

Returning to my mini life story... and slowly going through the steps of how I began to set up my own business, after my Art Foundation I found myself at Nottingham Trent University. My first choice uni due to it's reputation for it's Fashion courses, I spent the next 3 years getting a degree in Fashion Design.

There is probably room for a debate here about whether I went to Nottingham to study Fashion or whether I went to Nottingham to familiarise myself with the layout of it's hospital... but my bad luck in regards to my health and safety can be left for the time being and maybe saved for another thrilling blog entry in the future. There is no denying though that everything I went through during the three years created a roller-coaster of emotions for me that resulted in University life being some of the best times of my life, but in complete contrast also being some of the most challenging and darkest days I've experienced to date.

To throw in some controversy to the mix - I do not rate the course I did, I do not believe Trent Uni deserves the reputation it has for the Fashion Design course and I received very little, if not no support from my course tutors and lecturers. A memory which will stay with me for the rest of my life is sitting down with the Head of the Course, crying my eyes out, explaining about the brain scans I was having and the cyst on my brain. Due to this I was behind with my work but I was initially told not to worry. About a week later, I saw the Head of the Course again and I apologised that I hadn't been in for a week because I had been so ill with everything. She turned round to me and said 'Sorry, who are you?' ....need I explain how I felt after this? Fashion is known to be full of pretentious and obnoxious people... this is not a rumour, it is true.

Year 1 - Womenswear
Architecture and the Golden Ratio

Year 1 - Womenswear
Inspired by Chemistry and DNA

Year 2 - Menswear
One True Saxon - inspired by Military and Horse Riding
Outfit 1

Year 2 - Menswear
One True Saxon - inspired by Military and Horse Riding
Outfit 2

Year 2 - Menswear
One True Saxon - inspired by Military and Horse Riding
Outfit 3

Year 2 - Menswear
One True Saxon - inspired by Military and Horse Riding
Outfit 4

Year 2 - Menswear
One True Saxon - inspired by Military and Horse Riding
Outfit 5

Year 2 - Menswear
One True Saxon - inspired by Military and Horse Riding
Outfit 6

Year 3 - Take Impact, Make Impact. Final Year Project on Men's Lacrosse
Designed a Magazine containing all my Market Research 

Contents Page

Page 8

Page 11

Page 38

Page 39

Year 3 - Impact Skin
Design

Year 3 - Final Product
Exhibition Space - Designed like a Locker Room

Year 3 - Final Product
Men's All-in-one Active Protection System
Sponsored by Dow Corning

I graduated with a 2:2. I remember opening up the envelop seeing the 2:2 and bursting into tears.... with disappointment you might think... but no, I was happy and relieved. In fact, it was probably the best achievement in my life. I challenge you to go through what I went through, to not drop out of uni, to never give up and to still complete the course even when you missed half of it. I thought I was going to get a 3rd, but in fact I was only a few marks off a 2:1... and I achieved that through sole determination and thanks to no help from my course tutors. Like in sports, I fight for everything, I do not like losing and I will not give up.

BIG LOVE
cycles and spoons

Sticks and Stones

Day 2... and I want to start by explaining how I have got to where I am today.

Born in Frimley, my parents decided not to stick around for long, so most of my first memories are from a foreign country made rich by oil, otherwise known as Saudi Arabia. Contrary to belief, living there for 7 years doesn't make me a Muslim and I can assure you I am 100% British. However it did open my mind to multi-culturalism, I learnt that Saudi isn't just a desert and I had the unfortunate discovery of returning back to England to find that the life I led in Saudi was not normal and I had in fact basically been on holiday at Centre Parcs for all those years.

Growing up I was well and truly a Tom-Boy. Dolls, babies and barbies were a big no-no but cops and robbers, climbing frames, karate and roller blades were everything I lived for. Therefore moving back to Worcester and being shoved into an all girls school was possibly the worst thing that could have happened to me. And sure enough I hated almost every minute of it. However, knowing my parents thought they were doing the best for me in terms of giving me a great education I'm inclined to forgive them for putting me through 8 years of torture. Though in fairness it wasn't all tears and tantrums as it was during my school life that I discovered Lacrosse and Textiles... and with these two passions still having a major part to play in my life today I can't help thinking the bitchiness and bullying I encountered at school has some how all been worth while...

Here I am young and blissfully unaware with my brother, Chris, who is 18 months older than me.

At the age of 3 it was clear that I was going to be an artistic genius....naaaaat!! We had to pick a letter from our name and paint a picture with it. Maybe when I was 3 I dreamed that I had green eyes and blue hands...

This is the first item of clothing I ever made when I was in Year 9 and it is from this that my love for textiles began. It also helped that I had an amazing Textiles teacher called Mrs Fox who inspired and encouraged me.

And finally... lacrosse the sport I love! Here I was about 15 at an England Triple Arrow Lacrosse Camp with a friend Kirsty where we played lacrosse for 8 hours a day for about 5 days... most people's idea of hell... but I loved it! 

BIG LOVE

cycles and spoons