Maiya Westhall

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I’ve always had an interest in fashion, so I wanted to get a job in retail while I studied to help support it. Since December, I’ve worked at Fenwick’s in Newcastle, which has really helped me see a bit more of the industry, and I’m keen to move up the floors so I can see how marketing works in as many different departments as possible. My college work is also helping me in my jobs since it’s encouraging me to think in a much more visual way. 

How did you hear about Newcastle College? Did you attend an Open Day prior to starting at the College? If so, did you find it useful?

I heard about Newcastle College from my mam. When I was finishing at secondary school, since it’s such a big step from school to college, she wanted to help me find somewhere where we’d both know I’d be comfortable. We found the College online, liked the look of it, and saw some really good reviews from students and parents about their time here. After that, I applied and came to one of their Summer School events in July, which was really good! I got to meet my tutor and other students, so I wasn’t coming in completely blind on my first day, and it was a good taster experience of what an Art and Design course would be like for me. We did a few mini-workshops and activities to help break the ice, and after I did the marketing workshop I understood that I’d made the right choice for me by enrolling on the Fashion Marketing and Communication course.  

What made you decide to come to the College and enrol on your chosen course?

I’ve always wanted to build a career in fashion, but it was always more of a dream or personal choice than a solid plan. When I decided to really go for it though, I realised that Newcastle College was the best college in the area for me, both in terms of facilities and teaching and the location – it’s obviously really easy to get from campus to work, but I’ve also always wanted to be based in Newcastle, since it’s got a great energy as a city.  

How would you describe the advice and support you've received from the College staff and your tutors? Have you had any support from our Central Support Service?

I feel so comfortable when it comes to my tutors, they really go the extra mile to build a strong bond with each of their students. I know that if I ever have a problem, I can go to any of them and find some quick support and get the feedback I need.  

Do you have any tutors with industry experience? If so, how has this helped you?

Yeah, a few of them do! One of my tutors actually used to work as a make-up artist at Fenwick’s in Newcastle, so it’s been helpful for me right now to see what her experience there was like and get her professional advice. I get very different advice from my second tutor, who comes from a Fine Art background, so I’ve tried to adapt feedback from both of them into my own work, which benefits me because their experience and approach makes me think outside of the box in my projects. Even if I’m just scribbling in my notebook, my tutors help to encourage me so I understand that even my worst work can be the foundation for a bigger design.  

What do you enjoy the most about your course?

I enjoy how fast-paced my course is! I like to keep busy, so if I’m studying a course that’s too slow-paced, I generally lose focus; but my course is always really engaging, so it’s rewarding whenever I finish a project that I’ve worked really hard on. In Art and Design, each project works by us being given a brief from an industry employer, and each client provides a theme for the work we do for them. We have to follow the theme broadly, but there is scope for us to go off in our own direction, so it’s really interesting to see how differently each of the people on my course interpret the brief and the directions we all go in. I feel it’s really important as an artist to take inspiration from everyone and anyone else where we can. For my final project, I’d like to drill down into fashion design because that’s always been my strongest module, so I’m looking forward to getting started! 

How do you feel that the course is benefitting you?

I feel a lot more confident since I started my course. With my work, even in secondary school, I didn’t always have a lot of self-belief because I wasn’t typically academic – I was always more creative and into crafts. The feedback I’ve got from my tutors though, when we reflect on my work, has really helped me to delve deeper into my art and the way I think about the creative process, because I need to be confident in my work to develop and understand how to go down a new path artistically and figure out what works for me and what doesn’t. Thanks to this support, I’ve been able to try different media types, like photography and textiles, as well as different creative design software and do in-depth research into the fashion marketing industry, so studying this programme has really opened my eyes a lot to the opportunities available in the industry. 

Have you done any work experience or a work placement as part of your course?

Unfortunately no, as I work part-time so I haven’t really had the chance. However, working in Fenwick’s has given me some useful skills and experience in sales and how to make a product visually appealing. I’ve also had industry engagement on my course, like the Fashion Show of the Future exhibition we did at the Metro Centre earlier this year, alongside the Fashion and Textiles students here at the College. That event was a great opportunity to network with other departments and see in real time what the general public likes the most, or reacts the most strongly to, when we promote a particular fashion style or design, which was really useful to see for my course. 

What would you like to do when you finish your course? Would you consider studying a degree at Newcastle College University Centre?

I’m considering Steppin’ Up to the Foundation Degree in Fashion Textiles and Design Practice at Newcastle College University Centre after I finish my current course. I’m still in two minds about my options though, since I would like to do an industry internship, but, on the one hand, all my contacts are in Newcastle, but Newcastle as a city rarely provides internship opportunities in the fashion sector; whereas on the other hand, Manchester offers lots of opportunities in the fashion sector, but I’d need to work for a year in industry to raise enough money to be able to afford to move down there. My tutors have shown me that there are so many different ways to reach your outcome, and there’s no one ‘perfect’ route to reach my goal – in the end, it’s all good experience! 

What are your ambitions for the future?

I’m hoping to complete a fashion marketing qualification at university, and then use that to set myself up in the fashion industry. The good thing about doing a fashion or marketing qualification is that you can go down any route in quite a broad sector, rather than being restricted to any singular career pathway. Fashion on the whole isn’t an isolated industry: you can’t be selfish working in fashion, because you take inspiration from everywhere, and you’ll always work as part of a team, so I’d be really happy to contribute to a fashion marketing team in whatever way I can!  

What would you say to anyone thinking of studying a course with Newcastle College?

I’d say you definitely need to come to Newcastle College! Coming onto campus is really important, because you’ll be exposed to all sorts of new ideas and creative styles, which you won’t be able to do as well if you focus on studying from home. At the College, you’ll get loads of support, both for your work and for yourself, in a really safe environment. I’ve made such great friendships and have built strong relationships here with my tutors, so I’m so glad I came to Newcastle College! 

What are your top tips for being a student at Newcastle College?

Always try to come on campus – if you’re not on site, you might learn a lot for your course, but there’s so many smaller titbits of advice or experience that you’ll miss out on.  

Be open to speaking to everyone – no two people are the same, especially on an Art and Design course, so really push yourself to be open to every new opportunity! 

Go out of your comfort zone – don’t be reluctant, you need to think outside the box! 

Be confident with your work – back yourself, and you’ll go as far as you want in this industry.