Claire Ledder Fashion Stylist – How I got in to Set / Fashion Styling

 

Where to start? Ummmmmm Beginning I think!?

After going a foundation Art and Design course at Dewsbury College I went on to study ceramics at Loughborough University. Despite the fact i enjoyed playing with clay, being in a workshop, wearing a boiler suit and being around hot ovens, after four months i awoke one morning thinking “I don’t want to go in today” so i didn’t and instead used the time to think about why i didn’t want to……….after an hour or two thinking i called my Dad to inform him, I didn’t want to do Ceramics anymore, I was moving home and packing in my degree. He was a very proud Father that day!

So, two days later I was at home making a dress and decided perhaps I should do a Fashion degree.

I knew the chance of another University letting me on to a Fashion Course was pretty slim. I also knew if I got a job I probably wouldn’t return to Uni. So I tried to convince Universities to at least give me an interview. My persuasion techniques let me down and the only University that would see me was Leeds.

The interview went horrible, not only did I not have a portfolio of anything other than ceramic work to show them I also messed up with the questioning.

“What Fashion Magazines do you read”?

My response;

“I don’t, there a waste of money”!

The second question;

“Who is your favourite designer?”

My response;

“I don’t really have one”

Luckily Leeds unwillingly excepted me.The first year was difficult and I struggled to find my place…….. The latest look / trend, the must have of the month, what everyone should be wearing, the latest designer etc wasn’t something I was particularly interested in nor was it something i wanted to be interested in……..the fact I looked like a skateboarder, always wore a beanie hat and carried a rucksack didn’t really do much for what street cred I could have earned

My tutors were helpful, I think they felt sorry for me, after a year it became obvious that my designs were me and all I could do was work with them rather than trying to do things the way they should be done. I couldn’t put a zip in (how it was supposed to be done) couldn’t sew in a straight line, couldn’t cut a pattern…..the list went on, but I got round these issues by using them to my advantage,  doing things the only way I knew how. Wrong! Surprisingly it actually worked and I in fact perfected the art of doing things the way there not meant to be done. It was this exact concept I based my final collection around. The degree taught me a great deal and the hard work, dedication, and determination paid off. I graduated from Leeds in the summer of 2006 with a 2-1 in Fashion Design.

Fashion Photography Gallery.

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After this I travelled, came home and got a job for a marketing company to pay off my debts. I was making and selling clothes in the corn exchange Leeds, but only making 50% of the price the clothes were selling for so after a while decided to put it on a back burner.

After two years I was begging to lose my creativity, I felt as though I wasn’t a creative anymore, or that part of me was asleep and showed no signs of awaking. Keith came to the marketing company I worked for regarding a project he had in mind. At this time I was looking for something new.

Keith and I got talking, he mentioned he was looking for a Fashion stylist part time. I was a little unsure but decided to accept. My first assignment was with Kate Fearnley. We were shooting in a bar in Middlesbrough. I will always remember that day as being one of the best days in my life because half way through the day I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  Keith and Pat decided to take me on full time, combining being a Fashion / Set stylist with my marketing / customer service experience.  A full time position was created and I joined the Keith Moss Team in September 2009.

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If you would like to chat to a member of the team about any Fashion photography projects, large or small, call The Keith Moss Studios on 01287 679655, or contact our team. We look forward to speaking to you!