The team Edvard Tramsen - editor I’m Edvard. An active student and energetic entrepreneur. I’m enthusiastic in doing projects with spirited likeminded people and together creating new innovative products. Vaida Pakulyte - writer I am Vaida, ICM student full of a passion for life and waiting to see what the next day shall bring to overcome, what adventures are there for me to explore and discover. I may be small in the universe, but here on earth I see myself as a grand person full of energy.
Alina Vlaicu - graphic designer I am Alina, student at TEKO and passionate about business and fashion. I am studying Purchasing Management in Fashion, but I also enjoy working with layouts and design.
Sara Constantinescu - writer and photographer Sara, TEKO student in Branding & Marketing Management and fashion & lifestyle blogger at www.saraconstance.com. I love fashion, visual communication and travelling Valeria Solonari - writer I am Valeria, TEKO. It is in my nature to spread thoughts and ideas, and to see color where it seems to be only black and white... even in written words.
Editorial Greetings fellow student. You’re holding in your hand the very first issue of AU-he and TEKO’s new Student Magazine, Focus. We’re proud to bring you this student initiative inspired and created by a collective of students working together. Our vision is to make you feel more apart of AU-he and TEKO, and our mission is to establish a closer network between the students and to help you discover the projects, events and happenings at our two universities. In this issue of Focus you will find interesting articles made by and for the students of AUhe and TEKO. Students, whom you will get to know more personally in our student magazine. There is more information about our sister organisation STARTit Herning. You will find personal stories of interest about the success and projects of current and previous students documented with fresh photographs. Lastly we offer you a small and simple calendar covering some of the relevant events going on near you.
Edvard L Tramsen, Editor & Founder of Focus edvard@startitherning.dk
Rounding up this editorial, I hope that you, the reader, will take time to appreciate the local companies, who saw potential in sponsoring us, and helped us finance this enterprise. If you are interested in joining, feel free to contact me. Wishing you a great day
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Mind The Gap Mind the Gap – breaking the ice between cultures, backgrounds and systems! No, it is not a catchy phrase from London underground staff warning passengers about an upcoming train. “Mind the Gap” is an international 10-day “workshop”, built around one central project challenge. There is often quite a big gap between creative personalities and technology that stands in the way to finding mind-blowing solutions. Therefore this project intends to mend the barrier by bringing together students from both sides. Can the cliché that designers and developers speak a different language be broken? The idea is to develop a web-app prototyping project. Students work in teams and run through the complete process, starting from the generation of ideas, developing the application and presenting the final product. Sounds like a piece of cake? In 2011, 8 ICM students hit the road to Ghent, a lovely city in Belgium where Spanish, Danish and Belgium students joined their efforts to generate stunning projects. 24 people, 3 countries, one place and many individual expectations and feelings. The challenge was: “how to boost the image of volunteering”. Some might associate brainstorming with a boring technique that takes the users nowhere.
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However. Quite the opposite occurs when teams start discussing volunteering, touching upon different aspects and digging into unbelievable topics such as “How to break the stalker stereotype in 10 days” or “How can we make working at an animal shelter fun and cool for +18?” and much more. It would be impossible to shed light on all the incredible ideas that were presented during the workshop. One of the ideas generated was a database called “Volife” for all the volunteers, organizations and possible opportunities for them came up. “But where is the sexiness of it?” teachers would ask. So a team came up with a sexy virtual garden. This virtual and interactive garden was created to illustrate user’s volunteering activities and networks. 11 days in Belgium went by with a flash: teamwork, socializing, travelling, taking classes brought so many new perspectives in the participants’ minds. But what do participants think about this project now? Check us out on Facebook to hear more!
Facebook.com/FocusHerning
Vaida Pakulyte
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TEKO
sitting front row at this years’ Eurovision!
It’s a particularly cold, perhaps uninspiring Friday afternoon, when a bunch of twenty-somethings are drinking mugs of hot and coloured teas in the centre of Herning, at Murphy’s Pub, talking about life, upcoming projects and fashion in the mere attempt to incite even the slightest of butterflies… 1. Valerie: Holla girls! Let’s start with the question that has been or should have been on the tip of our tongues since the very beginning… how did a couple of students managed to get in touch with a collaboration so
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grandiose like Eurovision? Explain a bit the process of how it got started... Maria & Therese: Well, it all began when we received an e-mail from our teachers, asking if being the designers of one of the contestants participating at Eurovision was something we might be interested in – which, of course, we were! - It was an e-mail sent to us three, Sophie included. Eurovision has been on display for many, many years now, but we would have never imagined we would be a part of it. A small part perhaps, but hey…. How many can here say the same? 2. V: Was it something that your school encouraged you to do? Did this project bring some sort of acknowledgement to the school in any way - or was it completely private and completely your project? M & T: It was the school that was in cooperation with
DR (Danish Radio/Television Channel), so they were the ones entitled to choose the three best designers who were to do this job. We ended up getting the offer, which was already such a great accomplishment! The school took care that we had everything we needed, from work space, materials, machinery, right down to food even. 3. V: Where did your inspiration come from for the outfits you designed? Were there any rules you had to follow, fashion-wise or T: Fashion design is what I live have they given you complete freedom? M & T: There was no such thing as rules, only wishes for, so it was not hard to spend and special demands from both the artist, Jack Rowan all that time on the project. As and DR. DR’s stage show was futuristic, but the artist long as I know that the people was more mysterious and more drawn towards grunge. I care for love me, support my These were the keywords to our inspiration, the styles dreams and goals and have my that we had to harmoniously blend into our design. back no matter what, I can dedFrom then on we got all the freedom we had want- icate every second of my life to ed, with the condition of receiving the final approval just doing this. from TEKO, DR and Jack Rowan himself, of course. M: For me it sure was! I have not Although feeling incredibly blessed to be a part of this lived in the city since December, project, in the end however it was all about the artist so I’m always counting on my and his vocal talents and less about the clothes he wore friends to give me a hand….or a couch. Something I’m still doon stage. 4. V: Did this experience bring you closer to your dreams? Did ing, as we are now working on a it make your career as fashion designers something more easily new project called Herning 100. Want to learn more about ‘Hernto reach? Maria: Perhaps. It has been a really good addition to my ing 100’ and get to know these CV and it’s clearly an advantage when going out look- girls to a greater extent? Then ing for a job. But if it’s easier, I don’t know. You need don’t forget to check our official a strong dose of both talent, commitment and luck to Facebook page for much more get into this business, but I want to think and desper- information! ately hope that this amazing opportunity brought me Valeria Solonari closer to my dream of getting a job in fashion. T: The experience that you get from a project like this is always great to have! And it is actually my dream to design clothes for these kind of shows. So it better be this or evening wear, haha! 5. V: Were there any sacrifices you guys had to do in order to get this opportunity? Or sacrifices you are doing even now in order to pursue your dreams? I know one of you doesn’t even live in the Facebook.com/FocusHerning city, that must be hard…
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A CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT Introducing STARTit Herning, which is exactly what the title of this article implies - a creative environment. Our wish is to set up the stage for innovation and creative thinking and build up an alternative entrepreneurial environment in Herning. A place that will offer students at AU Herning and TEKO an infinity of possibilities: new knowledge, a wide network of likeminded and passionate people - a place where students can shape their ideas and where they can be shaped as creative and innovative minds, be it as entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs. We aim to benefit every student at TEKO and AU Herning by organizing workshops and events, that
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are bringing students and experts within different areas together. Who’s is behind STARTit Herning? We are a team of volunteers, all dedicating our time and passion to entrepreneurship. Though we are different backgrounds in culture, studies and interests – we nevertheless share the entrepreneurial spirit and have the same goal: to create opportunities within entrepreneurship for motivated students. We would like to thank our colleagues in Aarhus, STARTit that allowed us to use their business model and in the same time gave us the freedom to put our personal touch on STARTit Herning. Andra Chiriac, Founder of STARTit Herning Andra@STARTitHerning.dk
Heidi
Camilla
Melanie
Online booking: www.hotcut.dk
v/Heidi Larsen Bredgade 24 F, 7400 Herning Tlf. 97 12 60 60
MEET A GRADUATE
I am 22-years-old Estonian, who took a chance to come to Denmark in 2009 to start my bachelor’s studies in International Communication & Multimedia. My exchange semester was in the Netherlands, in the best student city called Groningen. I took a whole course module, which was called “Creating Communication Campaigns” that gives essential knowledge and tools, which are needed when creating a campaign. I even went to Argentinian tango classes in order to get a better understanding of a target audience. It was one exciting and memorable semester; I experi-
enced canoeing in the channels in between the house boats. I was living in the city center, next door house was a coffee shop and across the street was a red light district. Being an Erasmus, you get your view broadened; I think it added a whole new meaning to it. I decided to write my bachelor project alone. It was hard, but in the end the hard work paid off. I finished with a 10 and was very proud of myself. All you need is self-discipline and commitment. However, an inspiring topic is also very essential. I wrote to non-profit organization called Herning International Society. They were very helpful and I was motivated to write a project for them. In the summer 2012, I graduated Aarhus University Herning and spend half of my summer volunteering in South Korea. I spend all my money to buy the flight tickets to Seoul, it was worth every penny. I was a team leader for teenagers around the world. That was very rewarding trip and I completely agree with a saying “travel is the only thing you buy, that makes you richer”. In the autumn, I moved to Aarhus and I started my master’s studies in Corporate Communication, AU. Simultaneously, I started a study relevant job in Siemens Wind Power. Surprisingly, I got the job through an interview by applying via company’s website and not through just my network. Therefore, I really encourage people to keep applying and of course learn how to do networking. My job is very satisfying, as I finally get some career related responsibilities, and I get to apply my knowledge. Even though it’s not easy to do full-time studies and part time job, keeping myself busy makes feel alive. People ask me, why I stayed in Denmark. I am not sure that I know exactly why. Maybe I felt I am not ready to go back to my home country. Maybe I got attached to this unexplainable land of Vikings. I think I just followed my heart, which sometimes is the best way to make decisions. The future will bring what it brings, I am happy here and ready for it. - Marju Nomme, Aarhus
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Name: Carsten Bybjerg Age: 24 Studying: Bachelor in Fashion Design
Fashionable people 1. Hey, Carsten! First and foremost, let’s talk a bit about your studies! I’ve been studying at TEKO since 2010. First I did the the AP Degree, and currently I’m taking a BA in Fashion Design. Initially I was going to study branding and marketing, but after the first semester I changed lines, to study design instead. 2. What made you change your mind? I didn’t really know where I wanted to go career wise when I first started. Only that I wanted to work with fashion. As I had a background in retail and IT I thought branding would be a good option. However some time into the course I realized that I was way more interested in creating fashion than to market and sell it. From talking to the design students I learned that I could develop the
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skills to become a fashion designer, if I would really work for it. And so I did. 3. A little birdie told us about a fashion entrepreneurial venture that you have embarked on. Could you tell us more about that? I started my own menswear brand, Bïmmel, in 2011. It all started when I, as part of my studies, did an internship in Shanghai. Here I established some good connections, and started developing ideas for a business plan, as well as samples for my collection. When I came back to Denmark I teamed up with a branding student and started the company. Later that year I went back to China to set up production. The collection was launched in September 2011, and shown at a fashion show here in Herning. The collection was sold at various Danish web-shops and got mentioned on several fashion blogs. I found it very exciting to be my own boss, and to run a company but that is also very time consuming. So when I got accepted on the Bachelor course on TEKO I decided to put the project on stand by and focus 100% on my studies. 4. Was it easy for you to take this decision? After all, many
would consider it a risk which might jeopardize your business, making it difficult to regain your customers. I was at a crossroads with the company. When I started, I set it up to run with a low capacity. Small production, few sales channels, and everything I could do by myself, I did. It all worked fine in my situation but to make serious money and gain market shares, I would have to invest a lot in order to take the brand to the next level. The alternative is to work more on my skills and developing my personal design DNA, while getting a BA. Degree. This will be beneficial, not only as an entrepreneur, but also if I should choose to apply for a job somewhere. I’m still young so I think it’s only right to
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study and gain experience this way. As for the costumers, I didn’t have a huge clientele and no long standing contracts with anyone, so it wasn’t that difficult to pull the plug. 5. Was there any sacrifice you had to make in order to pursue your dream? Yes. It’s not cheap to start a fashion brand. I financed everything myself, so at times I had to live by very little means. I literally have to think wisely about every penny I spend. Being an entrepreneur is also time consuming, so things like getting drunk and playing FIFA have turned into luxuries that I can’t allow myself very often. 6. What are your plans after obtaining the BA degree? Will you try to push Bïmmel beyond Denmark’s borders or you only want to develop it strictly as a Danish brand? My plans are to develop an internationally acknowledged menswear brand. Whether it will be Bïmmel
or something else, we will see. Denmark is such a small market, so I will definitely try to push abroad when the time comes. 7. How was your TEKO experience so far? Continuing the BA studies in the same institution was a personal decision based on your preference or one demanded by circumstances? So far I’ve been happy with my studies. I’ve learned a lot, but sometimes it’s really a struggle. When we’re doing design projects, we often have to work late nights and weekends to meet the deadlines. The planning is terrible and so is the communication. I don’t know if they’re doing it on purpose to reflect the “real life” in the fashion industry. TEKO was my first choice when applying for the BA course. It’s regarded as the best fashion school in Scandinavia, so despite its location, it’s a good place to study. Also I’ve seen the development that the former BA students went through, and I would like that to happen to
me too. 8. What’s your best advice for a fashion student? Be a rebel! Don’t try to fit in. Do your own thing and embrace your mistakes as valuable lessons. Creativity comes from within, and cannot be taught. Therefore I wouldn’t recommend putting blind trust in any teacher, guide or whoever tells you what to do. Let your heart make the final decisions. Sara Constantinescu
We carry original Diesel Jeans
Events in Herning
Much more than just a café
Café Fry invites you for delicious food and hot & cold drinks at fair prices. Monday-Thursday 11-21:00 Friday-Saturday 11-01:00 Sunday 10-16:00 Check out our events on Facebook.com/CafeFry Are you looking for a place to host a concert, art/fashion show, workshop or just meet up, then Café Fry offers an innovative place to transform you ideas and projects into reality
The Friday Bar AU-he
Open every Friday 12:00-18:00 (except 29th) Friday 15th Late Night Lounge Event At this special FridayBar from 17:00-23:30 With food available from 18.30 till 19.30 there will be a nice “lounge atmosphere” with cocktails and great prices. When the party ends, there will bus for downtown”
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TEKO Friday Bar is open every other Friday and at
special occasions. The bar offers Herning’s cheapest prices and there’s always table football - and Flip Cup tournaments with prizes. TFB is for everyone, who likes a relaxed vibe, cozy company and great music... Program for March: 8. March we have Easter Bar in celebration of Easter, where we will also be serving the Easter Beer. 22. March we also have Friday Bar with theme Casual Friday Bar and for this there will be Live Music Saturday 16th March We celebrate St. Patricks day - the Irish holiday Everyone wearing green will receive a free shot. Live music with ‘3 Crown Alley’, a local band who also plays Irish music. Live Music every Thursday from 21.30 Friday and Saturday from 22.30 Opening hours Thursday: 15:00 – 01:00 Friday: 12:00 – 03:00 Saturday: 12:00 – 03:00
Events in March:
4th, 15:00-16:00 Company forms in TEKO building E 11th, 15:00-16:00 Elevator pitch in TEKO building E 26th, 15:00-16:00 STARTup Cafe in the TEKO cantina
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