Fashion Design student sees her work featured in Flanelle Magazine

Before creating her collection, Ottilie was a prospective student deciding which university to study at, and what she might want to specialise in. When reflecting on what made Falmouth stand out for her, Ottilie shared how spending her childhood in Cornwall helped her to already see a future as a student here. “When I saw on UCAS there was a Fashion Design degree at Falmouth, it was immediately the only university I wanted to attend.”

Once here, Ottilie loved not only Falmouth itself, but the course she was studying. “What I love about Falmouth is that sustainability isn't just mentioned — it's drilled into you from day one, and it makes you constantly think about the impact we leave on this earth,” Ottilie explained. “That really stood out compared to other universities I looked at, which didn't seem to share that same commitment. Sustainability was a vital factor for me with regards to which university I was going to go to.”

Though Ottilie had known she wanted to study fashion design, it wasn’t until the summer between her first and second year that she knew she wanted to specialise in bespoke tailoring. “That was when I interned with two tailors on Savile Row,” Ottilie told us. “I loved how the teams were small and close-knit, and through further research I discovered just how sustainable the craft of tailoring really is. They are garments made specifically for you, in a cloth you choose, created on one road in London and built to last a lifetime. Even before coming to Falmouth, I knew I didn't want to be part of the fast fashion world, and tailoring is the complete opposite.”

When Ottilie went into her second year, she studied a tailoring module called Innovation, where she had the chance to explore this interest further. “That was when it really clicked for me that this what I wanted to specialise in. I started to create work I was truly proud of, and doing what I wanted to do, within reason. Since discovering that tailoring is the industry I want to enter, my confidence and passion for the craft has really grown. In third year, I had more creative freedom to develop my own collections without a fixed brief. I focused on bespoke military-inspired wear for my pre-collection and went on to create three made-to-measure overcoats for my first collection.”

After graduation, Ottilie plans to start a coat making apprenticeship, to further the work she did at Falmouth. “That’s why I only made three coats,” she told us. “It allowed me to focus on how a made-to-measure suit is supposed to be constructed. I considered linings, finishings and how to correctly interface the inside of my coats with canvas.”

Studying at Falmouth didn’t just support Ottilie’s discovery of what she wanted to specialise in but helped her to grow in both confidence and as a person. “Since studying here, I’ve grown enormously,” she shared with us. “It’s taught me to live more independently and pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way.  

“I have loved every minute of my time here. I've met truly inspiring people — not just friends, but tutors, lecturers and the people who are around me every day. I can’t believe I’m graduating in July, but Falmouth has prepared me well for entering the real world and just getting on with it. The technicians I've worked alongside for three years deserve enormous credit — I owe so much to them and the safe, supportive space they created within my course.”

See Ottilie’s work in Flanelle Magazine

Find out what Ottilie is up to on Instagram

Explore BA(Hons) Fashion Design

Photo credit: Nyamekye Cann.