Chloe's story video transcript

Chloe Twigg, Fashion and Textiles graduate

[Chloe is in our textiles studio, with a large industrial loom in the background]

"Coming to university was a big step for me. Up until I was 18 years old, I lived in a small farmhouse in the middle of the Oxfordshire countryside so going to a university that was spread around the whole city seemed daunting."

[Aerial view of the main University of Derby campus showing multi-story glass-fronted buildings, roads, car parks, trees and housing in the background]

"I wanted to widen my education and get a degree. I attended an Open Day with my mum and that's when I saw the dedicated fashion and textiles building and I knew I wanted to go to Derby."

[The Fashion and Textiles building in Chandos Pole Street, a modern two-storey building in metal, glass and brick. An external stairway leads to a door on the first floor. Inside, there are rows of textile machines in a large, well-lit room. On the wall at the end of the room, there is a large, flat-screen TV. In another room, there are wooden looms and shelves full of brightly coloured thread]

"Going to university gave me the skills, resources, and the time that I needed to build my portfolio."

[Chloe is wearing a face mask and has her hair up in bunches as she uses a sewing machine in the textiles studio. A model wearing a denim jacket and graffiti-inspired shirt designed by Chloe stands in front of a graffiti-covered wall]

Derby has so many connections to these huge companies as well as much smaller ones so it really does give you a lot of options to go for industry experience.

[Close-up of Chloe's hands as she uses a sewing machine to create the denim jacket (she is wearing orange nail polish). Chloe discusses textile options with her lecturer. Chloe uses scissors to cut out a pattern on paper]

With the encouragement of my placement tutor, I completed a year in industry. I worked in product development and then moved to the design team. I gained so much valuable experience, it opened so many doors for me and it really showed me what I'm capable of.

[Chloe places her paper pattern over a piece of blue denim. She uses a ruler and a pen to draw a straight line]

Moving forward, I'd like to progress my career working in industries that incorporate function with fashion.

[Chloe hand sews sections onto a denim jacket. The model puts on the jacket watched by Chloe.]

I want to make products that I'm proud of, that are aesthetic but also practical. That's my future.

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