North Hertfordshire College’s Fashion students were joined by former NHC student turned freelance celebrity fashion stylist and creative director, Tori Oby, for a sustainable fashion and styling work experience project.
Tori launched her session with a talk about her journey from NHC to now. She discussed how she set up her business as a freelance stylist and creative director, including how she started off by working for free after graduation until her name was established. She also explained what styling involves and the different elements a stylist needs to consider when creating a look.
With this greater understanding of styling in mind, our students were then set a creative brief: design and style outfits for artists like Shallipopi, Stefflon Don, Chris Brown, and Tyla, using only unwanted garments, scrap fabrics, household materials, and items found in the studio at college. Our students worked on this project in their classes, refining their ideas and giving feedback on each other’s creations to help them design the best possible outfit for their clients.
Tori then returned to NHC to take part in 1:1 coaching sessions with each student to give personalised feedback on their designs. She also led a Q&A activity where our students gained even more valuable insight into the fashion industry.
Tori Oby told us: “I’m truly inspired by the talent I saw, and I can’t wait to see how far they’ll go.”
Kirsty Kahl-Macleod, one of NHC’s Fashion tutors, commented: “As Tori’s former tutor at North Hertfordshire College, it was great to welcome her back, hear about her journey, and celebrate her amazing successes as a fashion stylist and creative director.”
This work experience project was open to both first- and second-year students and provided extra benefits beyond their portfolios and creative skills. Second-year students felt more confident about their decisions over whether to specialise in styling and creative direction as a result of Tori’s inspirational talk, helping them plan for their next steps after college.
For the first-year students, this project was a chance to develop their skills in upcycling, deconstruction, and reconstruction for custom-made styling looks for real clients. There was an added challenge to their project, however – it launched only 7 weeks into their course! The students needed to learn quickly how to work with a mannequin, how to deconstruct a garment, and how to regenerate them into wearable creations for their chosen client. We’re proud to say that these students rose to the challenge and created some truly brilliant looks.
Reflecting on the first-year students’ work, Kirsty said: “It’s so important for the first-year students to develop these skills early on in the course, and working with someone from the fashion industry, whether that be a designer or stylist, helps them to engage and see the importance of these skills in their own learning and practice as a creative in fashion or costume design.”
Thank you to Tori for coming back to campus and sharing your story!
Could you follow in Tori’s footsteps and become the next big fashion designer? With NHC, you can stay close to home and take on challenges that help you go far and become the best you. Ever. Explore NHC’s Fashion pathway to get started on your journey.