Kathryn Pow, 24

Nottingham Trent graduate Kathryn Pow took first prize in the 2008 Royal Society of Arts (RSA) National Fashion Design competition and won a six-month design placement at John Lewis as assistant designer for lingerie and womenswear. So impressed was the retailer that the placement was extended to 14 months, and she is now working there on a freelance basis.

Pow says: “I have been working on lingerie, swimwear, sleepwear and on the womenswear collections and the experience has really extended my knowledge of how the industry works. The amount I’ve learned is really amazing and I could now either go into lingerie or womenswear design – I love both.”

Pow goes on: “Winning the RSA competition has provided a brilliant start to my career.”

Fiona Abrahams, director of headhunter Fashion Therapy, says: “Kathryn been able to successfully build on her design degree training to carve a niche with one of the leading high street retailers, impressing them with her commercial eye for design to the extent that they have kept her on beyond her initial internship contract.

“Kathryn has demonstrated her ability to work in a fast paced environment handling multiple priorities and she has the potential to go on to develop a successful career as a commercial, directional fashion designer within women’s retail.”

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