Trisha Sakhlecha

Freelance

Designer (Womenswear)

Tell us about your journey so far

A few weeks before graduation last year, I started working as Junior Trend Researcher at Trendstop. I was there for about 6 months, before moving onto freelance work – doing bits in design (collections for Topshop via a supplier), trend research, freelance writing and art direction. I’m starting a new project with a supplier called Influence as Womenswear Designer next week handling some of the UK high street accounts.

You can find more details on my LinkedIn profile or check out my Blog

What do you most love about living and working in London?

I moved to London 3 years back and instantly fell in love with the buzz of the city – there’s always something interesting to so – whether it’s a pop up event, fashion week, an exhibition or just soaking up the diverse culture of the city. It’s a great place for a creative to be ! Also as a fashion community, London’s extremely open to and supportive of fresh talent, which means in spite of the current climate, there is plenty of room for growth for anyone who is willing to work hard and has a creative spark.

What are your top 5 tips for securing a great job?

Intern, intern, intern. But most importantly be memorable. Interning is how you form the initial relationships and open communication with the industry.
Network with anyone and everyone in the industry, you don’t know who will be of help. Get yourself on twitter and LinkedIn. So many people recruit from social networks these days – I’ve been headhunted twice via LinkedIn.
Send out speculative applications – with a strong cover letter, CV and 2-3 jpegs of work.
Keep updating your portfolio every couple of months. There’s no point going to an interview with a portfolio that’s two seasons old.
Get in touch with recruitment consultants & agencies. Even if they don’t have anything for you, keep touching base with them every couple of weeks.

How was the transition from LCF student to a working fashion graduate?

LCF trains you very well and also, because I had interned at WGSN while I was still studying, I was already aware of the processes and norms of the workplace. I think an internship in a relevant company makes the transition very smooth.

How open are the ’doors’ to the fashion industry?

It’s all about making that one right connection. Whether it’s a friend in the industry, a mentor or someone you interned for, being in touch with the right person is what will really get you through the door for a paid graduate role. It can be a bit difficult for a graduate at the moment because of all the redundancies, there are so many senior people applying for junior roles. You have to be prepared to be patient and very flexible with your career goals.