FA SHION FORWARD Celebrating Britain • Nurturing Talent • Supporting Fashion
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EMMA ROBERTS W15010132 DE0931 Fashion Forward Student Brochure
WELCOME Welcome to Fashion Forward, a graduate scheme designed to nurture British talent within luxury womenswear brand Victoria Beckham. The future of British fashion is in the hands of young forward thinkers, so we are looking for three ambitious graduates to join the creative team at Victoria Beckham. If you have a flair for originality and innovation, and are looking for a graduate role in design, creative or communication, Fashion Forward is for you. You will have the opportunity to learn from the highly skilled team at Victoria Beckham and enjoy a job role that is tailored to your specialisms. With sponsorship and insight from the British Fashion Council, Fashion Forward is a structured and intensive graduate scheme, specially designed to develop talent and further your fashion education within a thriving business. At Victoria Beckham we are redefining womenswear with contemporary designs rooted in real women’s lives and with Fashion Forward we want to go beyond clothing working women. We are offering a supportive work environment that protects employees against discrimination and offers fair reward. With a renewed social conscience, fashion has a responsibility to look after the people who make it great.
Since launching in 2008 the Victoria Beckham fashion brand has developed a distinctive and modern language of clothing. Stocked in over 400 stores in over 50 countries internationally, all four Victoria Beckham lines are developed at Victoria’s studio in London, and showcase only the finest craftsmanship and materials. With offices in London and New York, a flagship store in Mayfair and another store in central Hong Kong, Victoria shows her mainline collection at New York Fashion Week. The brand has won critical acclaim alongside multiple industry awards, including Best Designer Brand and Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. Recent notable business developments include a partnership with EstÊe Lauder to create an innovative make up collection, as well as a limited-edition designer collaboration with US retail giant Target. A pioneer of modern and practical luxury womenswear, Victoria Beckham is committed to supporting creatives through Fashion Forward, a graduate scheme nurturing top British fashion talent in a safe and supportive environment.
VICTORIA BECKHAM CREATIVE DIRECTOR
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After 10 years of designing womenswear, Fashion Forward is an exciting next step for the Victoria Beckham brand. Welcoming the best of young fashion professionals into the team will diversify the brand and make sure we are always thinking from different points of view. But the true strength of Fashion Forward, is about what we’re giving to graduates - the opportunity to learn and thrive within a vibrant team and to feel safe and supported in the workplace. By working with the British Fashion Council and learning from their expertise in fashion education, I am proud of the rigour that Fashion Forward offers as a training scheme. I am confident that our three graduates will emerge in 2019 as highly competent fashion professionals who will go on to have careers that are transformative to the fashion industry. I have been famous for most of my life, however it is only over the past 10 years that I have felt successful. Growing a fashion label from a vision to a reality changed me in ways that music never could, and I want to pass the things I’ve learned on to the next generation of fashion. Fashion Forward is about investing in the industry and celebrating the future of British fashion.
CAROLINE RUSH CHIEF EXECUTIVE of the BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL
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At British Fashion Council we are very proud of the huge number of people who have benefited from our education initiatives. British fashion is one of the most diverse and eccentric industries in the world and with uncertain times ahead, it is vital to invest in the future. Working with Victoria Beckham and her team to develop Fashion Forward was a pleasure and promises to be a comprehensive learning experience. Fashion education does not stop after university, but continues with the same pace that the industry progresses at. The past few years have been seminal in progressing women’s rights and safeguarding within the fashion industry, and Victoria was extremely conscious of making sure that the graduates and the rest of her team would be treated with the respect they deserve. Feeling safe and supported at work is not only a basic human right, but also promotes happiness and productivity. Fashion should be a joy to produce and consume, and Fashion Forward embodies how I hope the future of fashion will be for the next generation.
ROLES With roles across design, communications and creative, Fashion Forward offers opportunities to fashion graduates of all disciplines. For each role we are looking for candidates who can demonstrate:
INDIVIDUALITY | ORIGINALITY DIVERSITY | INNOVATION CONFIDENCE | ORGANISATION COMMITMENT | AMBITION SOCIAL, CULTURAL and TREND AWARENESS | TECHNICAL SKILL
Celebrating Britain • Nurturing Talent • Supporting Fashion Fashion Forward is designed to offer a bespoke training experience that fits your skills and career aims. Role responsibilities will be tailored to fit each candidate, with a view of offering you the opportunity to develop professionally within your area of expertise. Discussions regarding areas of specialism will take place during interviews, so you can be sure that you will be working in a role that is right for you. With this in mind, we have moved away from the traditional job application process. Alongside your CV, inspiring cover letter and stylish portfolio, you will be required to complete an application brief to demonstrate your skills as a fashion designer, creative or communicator. Each role offers unique experiences but as one of three successful graduates you will benefit from a rigorous training programme within one of Britain’s fastest growing luxury design houses. Upon celebrating 10 years of critically acclaimed womenswear collections in New York, the house is returning to its London roots and you will be a part of re-defining Victoria Beckham. Fashion Forward is proud to offer all graduates an annual salary of £22,000 with seasonal bonuses and employee benefits. We believe that our staff deserve a salary that reflects and supports their talent. Furthermore, everyone at Victoria Beckham is dedicated to supporting each other, so you can be sure that your first role in industry will be amongst like minded creatives. Applications for Fashion Forward open 1st October 2018 and close 7th January 2019. Successful applicants will be contacted at the beginning of March. First stage interviews will take place via Skype, followed by second stage interviews at the Victoria Beckham Head Office in London. Finalists will be invited to interviews with Victoria Beckham and Fashion Forward Director Jane Smith, followed by a paid 2-3 day trial within your relevant department. Contracts for 2019 graduates begin on 1st September 2019 and end on 31st August 2020. To update us on your progress through your application, hashtag #VBFashionForward.
DESIGN ORIGINALITY | CRAFTSMANSHIP | DETAIL
Open to Fashion Design graduates specialising in womenswear, the Design Graduate role offers a rare opportunity to be involved in all parts of the design process, from sketching to stitching. If you think that your talent for design fits the Victoria Beckham woman we want to hear from you.
APPLICATION BRIEF: With originality, quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, you will design a capsule collection of 4 outfits for Victoria Beckham Ready to Wear AW19. In a 6 page, A3 digital portfolio you will need to story your inspiration, trend awareness, capsule concept, initial sketches, fabric samples and colour direction and final flats of your capsule collection. Keep in mind the evolution of the Victoria Beckham woman, her real life needs and desires. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to talk through their work at interview. YOUR TRAINING: The Design Graduate will have the opportunity to work alongside Victoria Beckham and her team of design assistants in developing Ready to Wear, Victoria, Victoria Beckham and Accessories. The product offering at Victoria Beckham is vast and diverse, so you will be developing your existing skills whilst also learning new disciplines. You will also be needed at London Fashion Week shows and private presentations, gaining insight into all stages of the design process, without being restricted to the studio. PROGRESSION: Based on your experience at Victoria Beckham and your cohesion with the team, you may be offered a permanent position after your contract ends. Alternatively, you may wish to move to another role within another design house. Whatever your plans, Victoria Beckham will support you in progressing beyond Fashion Forward.
COMMUNICATIONS ENGAGING | RESONATING | TRANSPARENT
Open to graduates of Fashion Communication and Marketing courses, the Communications Graduate role will spend year with the in-house PR and Communications team, promoting Victoria Beckham through written and visual communication. If you think that you can fluently tell the Victoria Beckham story to the world we want to hear from you.
APPLICATION BRIEF: Based on the LFW SS19 collection, please propose a promotional strategy that will resonate with Victoria Beckham consumers in a contemporary and engaging way. Consider the importance of transparent communication in this fragile media climate. In a 6 page, A3 digital portfolio please present: consumer analysis, trend analysis, concept and inspiration,digital promotion, print promotion and a press release and media list. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to talk through their work at interview. YOUR TRAINING: You will experience a wide range of communication experiences, form digital promotion to print advertising, events and show production. You will develop valuable relationships with countless media professionals, allowing you to meet people from different career backgrounds. As a multi-faceted company, Victoria Beckham shares PR and communications activities between the in-house team and our incredible PR agency, Emboss Communications. Unique to the other graduate roles, you will have the chance to spend 3 months of your Fashion Forward experience with Emboss Communications, working externally on Victoria Beckham promotion. PROGRESSION: Based on your experience at Victoria Beckham and your cohesion with the team, you may be offered a permanent position after your contract ends. Alternatively, you may wish to move to another role within another fashion brand or PR agency. Whatever your plans, Victoria Beckham will support you in progressing beyond Fashion Forward.
CREATIVE VISION | CONTEMPORARY STYLE | CREATIVITY
Open to graduates of all fashion courses, the Creative Graduate role will support the in-house creative team in all aspects of their work. If you have a strong vision for contemporary fashion imagery that communicates the Victoria Beckham woman, we want to hear from you.
APPLICATION BRIEF: With complete creative freedom, please produce an editorial story that you feel visually embodies the Victoria Beckham woman. In an A3 digital portfolio, please present a 6 page editorial spread for your choice of the following publications: Vogue, Porter, Gentlewoman or ES Magazine. You should also include mood boards communicating your inspiration and explain in annotations how you have constructed a brand narrative through fashion imagery. Please consider the tone and audience of your chosen publication. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to talk through their work at interview. YOUR TRAINING: From product shoots to seasonal campaigns, you will be tasked with visually communicating the Victoria Beckham woman through all touchpoints. You will assist with in house projects as well as organising samples for shoots at high profile publications. Over the course of your Fashion Forward experience you will develop a deep understanding of the Victoria Beckham visual identity and will be offered the chance to help style looks for runway shows. PROGRESSION: Based on your experience at Victoria Beckham and your cohesion with the team, you may be offered a permanent position after your contract ends. Alternatively, you may wish to move to another role within another fashion brand or publication. Whatever your plans, Victoria Beckham will support you in progressing beyond Fashion Forward.
APPLY MOVE FASHION FORWARD TODAY
To begin your application visit: victoriabeckham.com
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All images: © Lumina. © Victoria Beckham. © British Fashion Council.
FA SHION FORWARD
Celebrating Britain • Nurturing Talent • Supporting Fashion