My CV

Abbie Williams

	Flat 6, Templars House, 1 University Way, LONDON E16 2GA | 07523257156 | abbie.williams95@gmail.com

Summary

I believe I am a strong minded, determined and passionate person. I believe in being open to every opportunity. I am currently a fashion student at the University of East London, I have a wide knowledge of fashion and the industry, particularly in marketing and design. I also have previous retail and customer service experience. Living in London was always something I had my mind set on, and it’s everything I had expected, I’ve travelled more, been places and done so many new things. In my spare time I try and work as much as possible, I take a keen interest in photography, illustration and digital media. I and some friends at University are currently working on a zine project, about art and culture, where I write articles on fashion as an art form, I have very high hopes for it. Although in the future I hope to go into designing or marketing/sales, I enjoy working on this zine as a side project as it is something that keeps me motivating and teaches me new things about what I love. I pride myself in being free about who I am, in the way that I dress in the clothes I like, and I do the things that make me happy and seek out exciting opportunities for myself. I believe it is important to keep motivated and try new things every day. My friends describe me as a funny, outgoing, happy person, and I hope that has an effect on the people around me too.

Skills

I can work confidently with new people and customers, and create a happy environment. I love meeting new people and learning new things. Skills in Photography Skilled in technology, I am a quick learner, and keep my mind set on tasks at hand. Software ·  Adobe Programs including illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. Microsoft Office – extended knowledge of all programs. Able to work on multiple desktops including Mac and Windows. Photo editing skills and writing skills at a high level.

Experience

September 2011-July 2012	Voluntary Sales Assistant,  YMCA As part of a school project, I began volunteering in a charity shop that specialized in vintage clothing, and antique items. I worked shifts on and off in my spare time. Working voluntarily helped me to gain a lot of valuable experience that helped me in my every day life. I gained a lot of confidence in talking to people, and the sales side of a business, which is particularly interesting in a charity. I was also able to learn a lot about high end brands, old and current through the items we sold.
July 2013- August 2014	FOH Member,  The Crooked Chimney, Mitchells and Butlers PLC For over a year I worked as part of an amazing team in an amazing local country pub. I met a lot of new people here and gained more confidence than ever before with new people, by being faced with customer related challenges. I worked on the bar and on the floor, working with money, sales, numbers and having to handle multiple activities at one time, for very long periods of time with a constant smile on my face. Of course at times the job was stressful, but I’ve spoken to so many interesting people, met celebrities, even designers by working on that bar, plus I came out of the job a confident, stronger willed person.
August 2015- Current Date	Sales Assistant,  Isabel Hospice I was recently offered a role by a colleague I worked with at the YMCA, who thought I would be interested because of my aspirations in fashion. I am based in an office, in a small team of about 7 people. We are part of the Isabel Hospice charity, we work with the team that handle the donations for the countries charity shops, and we select the items that are more higher end, and sell them in other ways to more suit their value, therefore enabling us to raise more money for charity. It is non profit and 100% of our proceeds go to charity. This job has been incredibly rewarding for me, it was a new environment as I’d never worked in an office before, but I have learnt new computer and editing skills, photography skills, and I’ve worked closely with a lot of high end designer brands and have been able to see items up close. Brands such as Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, Austin Reed, Chanel, Dr Martens and Nike. This has helped my knowledge in Fashion, which has contributed a lot towards my work at University as well. I currently hold a casual contract here so I can fit my work schedule around my education.  Education September 2012-June2014 North Hertfordshire College,  Level 3 BTEC EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN ART& DESIGN FASHION. 2 year course, graduated with grades MMP September 2014-Current Date The University of East London,  BA HONOURS: FASHION DESIGN Also: Stanborough School, 2006-2011, Graduated with grades A-C in all subjects taken, included A in English Language and C in Mathematics. Other subjects also included, Art&Design, Graphics, ICT and French 6 months at Oaklands College from September 2011, studing English Literature, Photography and Fine Art at A LEVEL, left to study a different course.

magazine archiving: THE FACE

I'd heard of the face before today but I'd never had a chance to read it, the first issue I picked up was the MARCH 1990 issue, featuring an interview with Morrissey. 

The magazine is honest, niche, a magazine based around music, and fashion but not self obsessive. It provides an insight into things people actually want to know about, but probably wouldn't think about. 

The articles are honestly written and the images are captivatingly raw. 

The magazine has a very London feel, grungey, cultural with a city feel. The kind of magazine you read and see places you recognize and have probably already been. 

Every page is different, addressing different issues and ignoring the ones everyone would have been talking about already, being effortlessly individual.

ACID // copyright

HST CREATIVE // TALK

Burberry // Digital Marketing

rant

I've always believed that art is something that cannot be taught, that it is something every person can individually interpret in their own way, that's why it is the most fascinating thing in the world. So to see people forcing the opinion that you have to have a degree in order to be a proclaimed artist, it's started to get aggravating. No person can be taught to be creative or be taught how to see things in a particular way, your sight is a sense that is completely personal to you, nobody else can see what you see. Of course you can be influenced and taught technique, but saying you have to have a degree in order to be an artist, or have a job in any type of artistic industry is a joke. Everyone is artistic, some more so than others, but it is a natural ability that some people choose to enjoy and make a living from, not a job, not a piece of paper.

happy place // photos unedited

Subcultures, past and how they're not so present anymore.

Subcultures. Every decade before 2000 consisted of multiple cultures, categorising people and depicting personality. Was this as right as everybody makes it out to be? I guess it couldn't be helped. In a world before technology, before you could pick up your phone and text your friend when you're feeling lonely or bored, there needed to be a sense of belonging amongst people. Subcultures were like a really strong bonded friendship group, everyone has the same kind of views and dress sense, and you stick together.
You had punks, skinheads, rockers, bikers, teenagers, teddy boys, all evolving from one to another throughout the years. Still today we see remnants of different subcultures through the clothes we wear and the views we have, but Subcultures just aren't as dominant now, and the reason for that must be because we as humans have evolved and adapted, we no longer need a group of people 'on our side' to get by. We are more independent and individual, if we want to make friends we can go on facebook, if we have an opinion we can tweet about it.
I'm not going to say we have changed for the better, in a way it's pretty sad that we no longer rely as strongly on the people around us to get by, instead we rely on the model of phone/laptop/whatever we have in front of us, or how many followers we have on social networking.

Disobedient Objects Zine

a page from the zine created to review the Disobedient Objects exhibition

Disobedient Objects at the V&A

so a few weeks ago, I visited the Disobedient Objects exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, at first glance, the exhibition is overwhelming, laid out in a long square room with a multitude of objects creating a divide between different points of interest, but an open space above you, crowding with banners, one of the banners being one of my favourite pieces, the 'Capitalism is Crisis' banner, spreading across the majority of the air space in the room, and catching your eye when you first step in.

Although there were so many different things to look at, my favourite part of the exhibition was the wall in the corner, surrounded by people and filled with so much that it was almost overwhelming to look at. it was a space in the exhibition that enabled visitors to have their say and share their views to everybody in there. ( the exhibition was free, so that's a lot of people) Across the span of the wall I could see discussions going on through post it nights, different people retaliating with their opinions to different matters, posters, drawings, badges and cards, poems and songs, titles of current issues and affairs, even underwear. views on issues such as feminism, racism, sexism and war were being displayed across the wall, it was amazing to see.

Overall the exhibition was brilliant, extremely eyeopening and welcoming. It's so good to see people come together to share views on such important issues, and to have a perspective on how many in the world actually care about their rights and stand up for what they believe in, or at least have a part in doing so.