A Levels: Mathematics, Religious Education and Philiosophy, Business.
At Friesland I enjoyed learning about a variety of subjects so choosing what to do once I finished at Sixth Form wasn’t easy. I can remember feeling so torn because I didn’t dive into any particular area like maths and sciences or creative arts etc. so there wasn’t a defined path in front of me. When I was applying for university I decided to go for Fashion Management and Business courses, which offered quite varied curriculums that I could tailor to what I wanted to do (when I knew what I wanted to do).
I was accepted into my first choice university, University of the Arts London to study Fashion Management but after a few months of being there I knew that it wasn’t the place for me so I transferred to Nottingham Trent.
Throughout university I continually did work experience at Next in various womenswear buying teams. I was fortunate enough to be offered a position as soon as I completed my degree and worked my way up to a senior assistant buyer. My time in buying was really exciting, I learnt so much and was able to travel to amazing places around the world. However, after 3 years I decided that I wanted to work on something more meaningful and focus on my passion for sustainability. That’s when I took the ‘leap of faith’ to leave my full-time job to start my own business, which is a sustainable swim and beachwear brand called In Capri. I have built it all from the ground-up so I have had to learn everything from website building to marketing and accounting. Having my own business was never something that was on my radar but I absolutely love the variety and the freedom that it gives me.
From my experience I have learned the importance of being true to yourself and following what you are passionate about. Take as many opportunities as you can to learn about your chosen career and have the confidence to follow your intuition. I love the quote ‘stay in your own lane’… focus on yourself, be who you are meant to be and just go for it!
