Can you tell us something about what you were up to BEFORE you started the MA History & Culture?

Working as the Product Co-ordinator and Trend Analyst for Beyond Retro vintage clothing company (http://www.beyondretro.com/) - essentially as the Buyer.

Why did you choose this particular postgraduate course?

I wanted something academic and this course fit the bill. It looked better than any other MA course on offer - I didn't want to study Journalism, I wanted to learn history and theory - exactly what I got!

Can you give us an example or two of particular projects or pieces of work that you undertook during the course?

My Dissertation: Ship Shape and Coastal Fashion: The Vogue for Nauticalia in Mid-Victorian Britain.

Outline: A multidisciplinary study of the iconography of the sailor and how such representations found themselves on the body and in the home of fashionable Victorian women. The seaside resort as a site of sartorial freedom and display was also discussed. Contemporary printed matter (newspapers, satirical cartoons, fashion plates and periodicals) were studied in conjunction with swimming garments themselves, through the context of current uniform theories and social history to assess the importance of the symbolism of the sea in a period of imperial expansion and increasing consumerism.

An additional essay: A Re-examination of the Biba Myth and the Power of the Personal.

Outline: Object based research surrounding a Biba dress owned by my mother; situated within oral history sources and investigation into the importance of dress and shopping in memory and the mythologizing process involved

And something about the 'structure' of the course and how it was taught?

There were a wide range of speakers across many disciplines - from costume history, to theory, to garment curation practice. The course was well structured and followed a logical path.

What about your fellow students? Can you tell us something about them?

The came from a wide range of backgrounds which brought something extra to the course.

What have you been doing since completing the course?

I still work as Product Co-ordinator and Trend Analyst for Beyond Retro vintage clothing company. I also completed a Research Fellowship earlier this year at the centre for fashion, the body and material cultures.

Published Paper: Flooded with little Joan Crawfords - Hollywood in London: Constructs of Fashionability and Dress Democracy in the Early 1930s.

Outline: Fashion is imbued with discourses of democracy versus elitism. These discussions were intensified during the 1930s as mass production increased and the Depression heightened awareness of financial inequality. The paper considered the effect of Hollywood styles on London fashion within this discourse that specifically created a dichotomy between Parisian and American styles. Contemporary film and fashion media was examined with particular reference to Joan Crawford's organdie Adrian-designed dress for the 1932 film 'Letty Lynton.' The infiltration of this dress through fan media (Film Pictorial) as well as its acceptance in high fashion media (British Vogue) was assessed to illustrate the extent to which Hollywood costume began to influence fashionable modes during this pivotal time in economic and visual history.

I am also currently designing a capsule collection for London boutique Beyond the Valley with my DJ partner (we have a radio show on QRadio) - the inspiration for this is historical costume and 1930s evening wear.

How do you think the MA helped you with this?

It increased my knowledge and understanding of fashion history, which is vital for everything I do. Also it was through Becky that I was recommended for the Research Fellowship.

And finally - any words of advice for students who may want to follow in your footsteps?!

I couldn't recommend the course highly enough. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it brings a wealth of opportunities to the budding costume historian. It has a very diverse offering, and has greatly enhanced my subsequent career path and choices.

Photography: Pavla Kopecna.