BA (Hons) Fashion
Barbara Hamilton

“I originally studied science, becoming a medical Laboratory assistant at King’s College hospital, and you can still see that influence in my fashion collections. I was always interested in fashion – I spent far too long in front of the mirror! I had a quirky style and I was always customising things, taking bits off and adding them to other clothes.

“My parents always wanted me to do something secure – they’re graphic designers and they met at art school, and their careers hadn’t always been easy. When I became pregnant at 20, I shifted my focus and started an accounting degree, but I didn’t enjoy it and dropped out. I did two years of law school, but when I became pregnant again, I became very ill. Once I’d recovered, I would have needed to repeat the second year of my course, as the law changes so quickly. I decided instead to do something I loved – design. My husband is fantastic and has supported me in my choices.

“I studied a foundation course at Croydon College, and started my degree at Ravensbourne in 2009. I’m now in my second year and I absolutely love it. I also have a placement job at a sample company in north west London, making samples for brands like Christopher Kane. I could have worked as designer, but here I see a range of different designers’ work. It’s a huge inspiration, and the company also let me use their equipment to make my garments.

“After being at Ravensbourne, I also found out I was dyslexic – my tutors were the ones who picked up on it, and I get regular help from student support with proofreading and organising myself. I’m relieved I now know what it is, and released I’d always tried to hide or ignore it when I was younger.

“The moral of my story is to do what you want to do. I was told by my parents to follow a ‘sensible’ career path, and as a result I wasted time and money pursuing things I didn’t enjoy. If anyone’s in the same situation as me, I’d encourage them to follow their instincts and do what they love – it’s definitely possible.”