FA SHION FORWARD sponsored by
Celebrating Britain • Nurturing talent • Protecting individuals
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WELCOME To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of luxury design house Victoria Beckham, launches Fashion Forward, a graduate scheme designed to nurture British talent. 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. In addition to a rigorous training programme with opportunities to progress through the company if desired, 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 fair salary that allows them to live comfortably in Britain’s capital. At Victoria Beckham we are redefining womenswear with modern designs rooted in real women’s lives, but with Fashion Forward we want to go beyond clothing working women. We are offering a supportive work environment that protects employees against danger and discrimination. With a renewed social conscience, fashion has a responsibility to look after the people who make it great.
VICTORIA BECKHAM CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Image: theguardian.com
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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
Image: britishfashioncouncil.co.uk
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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 really 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. Across 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 Role responsibilities will be tailored to fit each candidate, with a view of offering you the opportunity to develop professionally within your area of specialism. Discussion of areas of specialism will take place during final stage 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. In addition to a CV, inspiring cover letter and stylish portfolio, each applicant will be required to complete an application brief to demonstrate your skills as a fashion designer, creative or communicator.
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 hear from you.
Image: Pinterest: @victoriabeckham
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.
COMMUNICATIONS ENGAGING | RESONATING | TRANSPARENT
Image: stocksy.com
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 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 visual and verbal 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.
CREATIVE VISION | CONTEMPORARY STYLE | CREATIVITY Open to graduates of all Fashion courses, the Creative Graduate role will support the inhouse 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 hear from you.
Image: stocksy.com
Application brief: With complete creative freedom, please produce 4 editorial stories that you feel visually embody the Victoria Beckham woman. In a digital portfolio please present a 6 page editorial spread for each of the following publications: Vogue, Porter, Gentlewoman and ES Magazine. You should also include inspiration mood boards for each story and explain in annotations how you have constructed a brand narrative through fashion imagery. Please consider the tone and audience of each publication. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to talk through their work at interview.
APPLY MOVE FASHION FORWARD TODAY
Image: Pinterest: @victoriabeckham
To begin your application visit: victoriabeckham.com
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FA SHION FORWARD