Falmouth fashion graduate lands role at BBC Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant’s clothing brand
08 August 2025
After nurturing essential skills needed to excel within a fashion role, such as perseverance, curiosity, teamwork and collaboration, Fashion Marketing BA(Hons) graduate Mairead Frizzell has now landed an entry level role as a Marketing Assistant for Patrick Grant’s clothing brand Community Clothing.
The connection began when Mairead interviewed The Great British Sewing Bee judge after she read his book Less, a Sunday Times Bestseller that explores the concept of how having fewer, yet better, items of clothing can increase our sense of wellbeing. Inspired by the book, Mairead interviewed Patrick as primary research in support of her Final Major Project (FMP), which reflected on similar themes.
We chatted with Mairead to learn more about how conducting an interview as part of her coursework resulted in landing a role within her chosen industry, and how studying at Falmouth gave her a solid toolkit of practical marketing skills to ensure she flourishes in her exciting new role.
As part of your FMP you interviewed Patrick Grant, can you tell us more about what happened?
For Christmas I received Less by Patrick Grant and I spent the holiday reading it shortly before starting my FMP. I had started the research for my project at this point and had been advised by my lecturers to undertake primary research such as interviews, questionnaires and studies. Remembering Patrick’s book, I sent him a message on Instagram sharing how much I loved his book and asking to interview him for my FMP. Surprisingly, he responded and was interested in the interview!
I found the conversation with Patrick extremely informative and helpful for my project, which proposed the idea of an app that allows you to lock away a purchase before you receive it to prevent overconsumption. After the interview, he told me to get back in contact once I had finished university, as he wanted to have a look at my FMP once it was a completed piece of work. Once I shared my portfolio, he offered me the job of working as a Marketing Assistant for his clothing brand, Community Clothing!
It’s a cool company; one of their missions is to sell ‘clothing’ rather than ‘fashion’, and they make and produce all their clothing in Britain, too. I readily accepted and moved north shortly after graduation to start the role!
Can you share an insight into what your day-to-day includes?
So far, a lot of my time has been spent finding my feet, getting to know the team and understanding the brand’s tone and values from the inside. No two days are the same which I love! One day I might be supporting with the social content plan or helping with photoshoots, and the next I’m contributing ideas for campaigns or helping to report on how they’re performing. It’s a hands-on role and I’m learning loads already. It's a really great team to be part of and everyone has been so welcoming. The way I've been allowed to settle into the company is amazing and my responsibility and skills will only grow and develop for as long as I'm here.
How did you find your time studying at Falmouth?
The Fashion Marketing BA gave me a strong foundation in both the creative and strategic sides of the industry. I loved the mix of practical projects and industry insights; the collaborative modules and guest lectures were a particular highlight. One thing that really stood out was the constant encouragement from the tutors to reach out to people in the industry; that push to network and start conversations helped build my confidence and gave me a clearer sense of how I could fit into the professional world.
Using my FMP as a portfolio piece was also a turning point. It allowed me to express where I wanted to position myself in the industry and demonstrate the kind of creative and conceptual thinking that I’m passionate about. Having something tangible to show future employers that truly reflected my passion and direction was invaluable.
To be completely honest, I couldn’t have done it without the support of my lecturers Emma Goff, Elizabeth Allen, Adam Allen-Foord and my amazing classmates. Their feedback, encouragement and willingness to share ideas made such a difference; it was a collaborative and inspiring environment to be part of.
What did you learn that you now see yourself taking forward into your job at Community Clothing?
So much of what I learned on my course feeds directly into what I’m doing now. From understanding how to communicate a brand story to planning campaigns, reporting on performance and analysing audience engagement, the course gave me a solid toolkit of practical marketing skills. I also developed a strong awareness of sustainability and ethical branding, which is at the heart of Community Clothing’s mission.
Beyond the technical side, the course helped to shape who I am as a creative professional. It nurtured qualities such as perseverance, curiosity and teamwork, which are just as important in a fast-moving, collaborative industry like fashion.
Whether it was pitching ideas in class, responding to feedback or adapting when things didn’t go to plan, I learned how to keep going and stay open to learning.
Looking back, I truly believe Fashion Marketing BA(Hons) at Falmouth was the right course for me. It challenged me, inspired me and helped me grow into a more confident, curious and hardworking fashion marketer. They must have done something right because I was lucky enough to be hired straight out of university!
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