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

I was working in investment banking as a Mergers and Acquisitions Analyst. I had been working on a number of consumer goods deals, and became increasingly interested in the role such objects played within culture. Being interested in fashion all my life, I was naturally drawn to explore fashion more thoroughly in this context. To get to the answer (or closer to it) - why do people buy the clothing they do? How do we use it to communicate elements of ourselves and to order ourselves within society?

Why did you choose this particular postgraduate course?

This course was the only one that I found globally that focused on social and cultural aspects of fashion history, rather than archival or museum curation.

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

I worked on one project where we needed to talk about an object or invention that changed fashion history. I wanted to find something outside of traditional beauty/fashion (e.g. the mini skirt), and chose instead to examine the automobile. I wanted to find a way to make a connection out of two elements that at first felt quite unconnected. I learned so much and found that this connection had so many layers - from a pure clothing aspect (one needed special clothing to travel in cars) to its cultural and gender meanings alongside changes in women's clothing and role in society, that I ended up focusing on this topic for my Master's Thesis.

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

I felt that the structure of the course, a taught portion the first half and the dissertation the second was a good balance, however I would have preferred a course less interdisciplinary (with other Fashion Studies groups).

What have you been doing since completing the course?

I ended up moving to New York to take a position in marketing and product development for Kiehl's, the skin and hair care company. Today, I am a Director of Global Marketing Development for the brand, focusing on the body and fragrance categories. I also recently graduated from a second Masters programme (a Masters of Professional Studies from Fashion Institute of Technology - Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management). I believe that having a Masters Degree in Fashion History and Theory helped me to succeed in this course, because I was able to incorporate my previous studies into marketing projects, often ending up with a fresh element of creativity.

How do you think the MA helped you with this?

It helped to give me a new way of approaching consumer goods marketing - to combine both finance and cultural studies. This complementary education has helped me to always look for and appreciate the nuances in beauty trends and new product development.

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

One of the original founders of Kiehl's, Mr. Aaron Morse, once talked about his secret for happiness, and I feel that this sums up what my leap from finance to Fashion History meant in terms of the path my life and career has taken: "Love what you do, put your heart into it, and you will be rewarded."