Placement at Selfridges

In June this year I was very lucky to have the opportunity to undergo a work placement at Selfridges.I was placed in Visual Merchandising and worked within womenswear, window displays and home department. I managed to secure the placement through a graduating student from FDA Fashion. Although the placement wasn't menswear design I decided to still go for it and to learn more about VM as a career.

I was lucky to be able to stay with a friend in Balham, so I didn't face a hideous commute every day. It took about 50 minutes commute from Balham, so not too bad, I started work at 8am everyday so the team could get started before the store opened to the public at 9:30am. The most critical time of day was during that hour and a half when the team can really make drastic display changes. Majority of the rest of the day was spent preparing for the next morning, or upcoming events such as sales and new promotions.

I found working in VM very different to what I had imagined, sometimes there was alot of waiting around, waiting for things to be approved. Then as soon as we got the OK it was all hands on deck and get the task done as soon as possible. I think before doing this placement I was quite naive in the way I thought that part of the industry worked, by this I mean its very hands on if you want table painted yellow, you paint it yourself, if you want lighting moved, you get up a ladder and do it yourself!! God only knows why these little things didn't occur to me before but I'm glad that the experience from the placement taught me a thing or two!

On the flip side it wasn't all just waiting around, I got to use my creative skills, which I was very happy about because I think as first I couldn't really grasp how VM was that creative. I got to work along side the head of window and womenswear VM. I helped with the new set of window design ideas, I did some detailed research into the ideas and created prototypes and mini displays to show the concepts. I did really enjoy doing this it also made me feel I could show them what I could do whereas when I was putting up 'sale' signs I couldn't really prove anything other than just getting on with it and making sure everything was done.

On the last two days I was there I got quite involved in the latest promotion for the home section, I was asked to cover lots of props in designer guilds wallpaper and fabrics. I was pleased I was asked to use my creative skills and produce something that would be viewed in the home section by thousands of people. I also worked in personal shopping producing elaborate and luxury food hampers, displaying them for the prestigious customers of personal shopping to purchase.

Overall I feel I really learnt so much about working in fashion through my time at Selfridges I learnt that its not easy, its extremely hard work and you have to be so dedicated, but its not all negative, its also very rewarding seeing your ideas and work in practice, and getting noticed. I had a tiny little corner in one of the windows of the work I had produced when I was there and it felt great to think I did that, and thousands of people will view it.

Like I said before, although this placement wasn't ideal for me and I will pursue some more placements in menswear in the near future, I learnt so much, about VM and retail. Two things that are imperative to the design cycle, they are things that should be considered before and after a collection is produced.