Better by design! Syd and James outline benefits of studying a Fashion degree at York College

The 2024/25 graduating cohort were no exception with the stunning designs of Syd Newman and James Latham – from our BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Garment Technology course – among the wonderful work that caught the eye during this year’s Spurriergate Centre-hosted show.

Syd first arrived at Sim Balk Lane at the age of 15, having previously been home-educated.

Alongside a Level 2 Art & Design course, she also passed her GCSEs in Maths and English and, having progressed into Higher Education, the Degree Show proved the culmination of Syd’s six-year journey with us. 

She is now leaving as an in-demand young designer who has runway show organisers inviting her to participate in their events, models slipping into her DMs to ask if they can showcase her haute couture range of clothes and fellow designers keen on pursuing collaborations.

Syd’s unique collections all carry a strong mental health back story and she has also overcome some of the challenges presented by a dyslexia diagnosis to excel on the degree course, right from the first year when she won a leather accessory-making competition, organised by The Company of Cordwainers of the City of York, for a typically original and inventive product that was described as the "The Swiss Army Knife of Handbags" because it “does a bit of everything”. 

In contrast, James enrolled on the course later in life, having been put off the idea of studying Fashion more than 20 years ago by a dismissive Schools Career Advisor.

He also gained his English and Maths GCSEs at College and attended a part-time Dressmaking course – all of which equipped him with the much-needed confidence he was seeking to embark on degree-level education.

His background in IT – a career he fell out of love with - actually provided him with skills that he soon found were transferable to the fashion world as he carved out a reputation as the group’s “Gerber Pattern Whizz”. 

James’ final collection had a strong 1940s’ military theme and he has left College with aspirations to launch his own label and maybe pursue a career in teaching.

Despite there being clear differences in Syd’s and James’ journeys, they both agree on a number of benefits that they enjoyed as York School of Art degree-level students in our University Centre and shared their views while sitting down with us for a chat at the Degree Show.

So, along with learning more about all of the above, please read on for Syd and James’ opinions on the advantages of smaller cohorts such as greater access to machinery and quality one-to-one tuition, as well as the multiple skills they feel they are now equipped with and their memories of a brilliant class trip to Paris… 

First of all, Syd, we can only start at one place, tell us the story behind the amazing outfit you are wearing tonight...

I was still working on it last night and it’s made from samples left over from all the projects I did on the course. I had half a blazer left over from a project and I didn’t want to waste anything, so that’s why I’m wearing half a blazer!

How does it feel to see your work displayed at the Degree Show as the culmination of a six-year journey for you?

It’s very exhilarating and exciting to see your own work but also the finished work of everybody else on the course that you’ve been looking at for months.

What inspired your final collection and what story are you telling through your designs?

Through my work, I tried to translate how I cope with and process traumas such as mental health. I’ve also given out questionnaires for people to interpretate their own visions.

It’s about how people visualise their growth, well-being and self-love in garments. They are artistic pieces for people to wear to show they’re brave, they’re strong and they’re surviving and that they’ve gone through something, but they’re still here to produce something.

With all my collections and everything I do, I always try to bring in a message about mental health, because everybody has it and it’s better if you can recognise that. There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s better to say I have mental health struggles but I’m confident, because it shows how much you have grown and learned.

I want my garments to show the strength of the person and how they want to present that through fashion.

What materials, techniques and processes have you focussed on during your final collection?

I’m very much an haute couture designer so, with most of my collections, I focus on the smaller details such as beading and hand embroidery. I often make embroidered pieces to go on to garments and, even when garments are finished, I’ll sew extra bits on by hand just because it gives that extra bit of flair and shows that it’s high end because, if you go to the High Street, you don’t find something that’s been made by hand.

It’s very much a personal thing for me to show that I have hand sewn this for somebody.

Tell us about your journey at York College…

I started with Level 2 in Art & Design for one year and, then, I did a Level 2 Fashion & Design course. From that course, I went on to the BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Garment Technology degree for three years.

I started at 15, because I was home-educated and I brought my work in to show what I can do. Having been home-educated, I didn’t have all my GCSEs, but I went on to do Maths and English at College and slowly built my way up and I now feel so much stronger as a person.

Was it a bit daunting coming to College having been home-educated?

A tiny bit but, as soon as I got in, it felt like a new beginning and something to challenge me.

You have a dyslexia diagnosis - did that present any challenges in full-time education?

I’ve learned my own little ways to make me resilient with it. My tutor Lynn (Wood) also sat down with me when I first started the degree and helped me through my case studies.

She double-checked everything for me. They understood the condition in the University Centre and checked that I understood everything. 

If we had really big briefs, I could get somebody to read for me. If needed, they would read the whole thing out and explain anything I couldn’t follow. 

Sometimes, I need things dumbing down into normal English to understand and people did that for me. Then, I was fine and knew what they wanted me to make them.

Was it always your intention to progress on to the Fashion degree?

I didn’t really think about having an end goal when I came to College. My end goal really was just getting here.

I didn’t know where it was going to take me but I met Becky, the old (Fashion Design and Garment Technology) course tutor and she told me what I could do and I was sold. In the first year, I did a padded jacket and a collaborative project where I worked with the Guild of Media Arts and the York Cordwainers and ended up finishing in first place for a competition. 

I also did an exhibition at Fairfax House and, then, everything has all built to my final big shebang – the final collection. 

Were you always interested in fashion?

I’ve always been a creative person from early childhood. My mum showed me different art styles and, from that, I started making jewellery and house decorations.

When I first came to College, I then did a bit of everything, including pottery and 3D stuff. The one thing I hadn’t done was fashion, but I quickly realised it was the route I wanted to go down. 

It’s sustainable in terms of a job and you can be very creative with it.

Do you have a particular designer or artist who has inspired you?

I’m just inspired by unique people in general. If you research fashion, you’ll obviously have your normal High Street brands, but I’m drawn to the more peculiar stuff.

I like garments with their own personality that help you stand out as a person. It’s important for people to have the strength, voice and confidence to be who they are.

What has been your proudest moment at College?

There are too many really, but my proudest moments would probably be doing my Level 2 course and getting a top grade for my collection in that Creative Show with accessories that were based around mental health. That’s where everything really started for me and, then, there was obviously the Cordwainers’ leather accessory competition that I won.

That was a very fun project. I was more excited about making something new than winning a prize, but it was still a big confidence boost.

Another highlight was the blazer project. A blazer is already pretty high-end but, to make it your own style with all my own detailing, proved to me that I could push myself to do these things, which was a wow moment.

Then, to show it and have different runway shows contacting me and saying they wanted to show it was brilliant. I showed it at the Paws on the Catwalk Show in June in Sheffield for a cat charity, which was great because we have three cats at home.

I’m also looking to be involved in York Fashion Week. Other runway shows have been messaging me as well and I’ve got models from around Yorkshire asking me if they can wear my clothes.

The course has given me networking opportunities through working with other designers and other people have approached me who are interested in doing collaborations. I have found that, if you push hard and make sure your work is a high level and put your heart and soul into it, you will get noticed.

What would you say are the key skills you have acquired during the degree course?

CAD (Computer-Aided Design) is a big one in terms of being able, in a broader sense, to understand digitising your patterns and, then, physically making them to measurements and spec sheets. I can now walk into a shop, look at a shirt and think, ‘I know how to make that myself’.

I’ve got that knowledge to draw up a shirt and know how to make it into a physical garment, which is a very good skill to have. A lot of people can visualise and most people can draw, but fewer can execute the final part with structure.

Before, I had no clue how to make a corset or blazer, which was terrifying at first, but it became my best project.

There were six of you on the course – what are the benefits of a small cohort?

There are so many! You get a lot of one-on-one time with your tutors.

If you have a question, you can go to them and they will answer it. If you need something pinning in, they’ll make you understand how to do that, whereas I understand you have to book that kind of time in at bigger universities and, when you might have 50 questions, the tutors might only have time to answer five.

That doesn’t work if you need to finish something in a week! You develop strong relationships with your tutors as well – a lot of them have seen my face in the same corridors for many years, so they’ve been joking, ‘What are we going to do when Syd’s not here anymore?!’ and I don’t really want to go either!

Lynn has asked if I’d like to come back and do a little talk with the next cohort of first years and I’d be totally down for that. For a smaller course, it has so much software, programming, one-to-one opportunities and machine access that you don’t have to book, which isn’t the case again at the bigger unis.

A smaller cohort also makes you closer as students. Everyone takes it in turns jumping on and off machines and, if one of us goes on a fabric trip, we’ll be looking for materials that everyone else wants, too.

Did any course trips stand out?

Probably the Paris one. Before that, we had only been on fabric trips around Yorkshire, apart from London, which was still very good because we got to see the V&A Museum and some beautiful fashion exhibitions but, going to Paris, made us a lot closer as a group and we learned so much more about everybody because we got to see each other outside of the classroom, but still in a fashion environment.

We went to the Premiere Vision (fashion and textile show) and the fabric district. We got to see the predicted Pantone colours for 2025 and all the fashions, fabrics and textiles that were going to be in trend. 

It was a high-end event and very eye-opening to see because there were all your manufacturers of trims, zips, buttons, labels and anything else you can think of there. It was great wandering around in small groups and introducing ourselves as students who wanted to learn more. 

We also went for four days, so there was time for sightseeing, which was great and really lovely.

What’s impressed you most about the quality of tuition that you have received?

You get to know the tutors as people whereas, at bigger universities, I get the impression it’s more a case of just being given the work to get on and do. Here, if you have a personal problem, the tutors understand and help you build through it.

We’re all treated as grown-ups and as equals who are here to learn and be creative and flourish in the fashion industry. We all push each other to get to the level we want to be at.

When I started, my work wasn’t haute couture at all. I was just making something and learning, whereas now I have gone through the levels and have an understanding of so many things that you need to be successful in the industry. 

What are your next steps?

I’m looking to do the runway shows and to get my portfolio out there to show what I can do. I also want to build my social media presence so people can find me and ask if I can make things for them.

At the same time, I’m looking at job hunting, either in the costume industry or high-end garment tech, because I have all the knowledge now. I’d like to do a couple of years in industry and, while doing that, keep designing myself and showcasing on my socials, so I’m building up to the point where I might think of going independent.

What would be your dream in the fashion industry?

To sketch something for a famous person and ask them if they wanted to wear it and have them reply ‘Yes’ and then see it on a runway or a red carpet. That would be a dream.

If you were to recommend the course to anybody considering starting it in 2025/26, what would you say?

The course might seem a bit out of the way from the big universities, but it has the software, programmes, techniques and one-to-ones that you might not get access to there. 

If you want a small class with tutors who can really understand you and help push you towards what you want to be fashion-wise, it’s the course for you. It’s generally better funding wise, too.

How does it feel, James, to see your work displayed tonight?

It’s made me feel really happy and excited. I’ve not done anything like this before and I never thought I’d get to this point, because I’ve tended not to see things through to the end previously.

What inspired your final collection and what story are you telling through your designs?

I was originally looking at the Rorschach Inkblot Test for the mental side of things and looking at empowerment, but that kind of fizzled out, so then I started looking at trends with a focus on 1940s luxury, incorporating strong materials, strong stitching and stuff that lasts, because we were asked to look at the environmental impact of our garments. My work was a throwback to the war-time military period and women entering the workplace. 

With the trousers, I was looking to create a straight, strong leg and I also used part of the blazer as a vent-opening fastening for the trousers.

What materials, techniques and processes have you focussed on during your final collection?

I used a lot of wool but also had a couple of tweed pieces and used cotton and a bit of satin and polyester as well. They were all materials I found locally.

I found a supplier called Fabworks in Dewsbury that I loved and ordered so many metres. In terms of processes, putting the vent-opening on the trousers was a form of tailoring really.

In the second year, we produced a tailored jacket and I was in my element. I loved every part of it – the jetted pockets, the vents and the collars.

I found out that I loved collars on jackets and other garments, which you see represented in my work. I also like going back and forth to find solutions to problems and taking old techniques and reusing them.

You were put off studying Fashion 20 years ago – why was that?

I remember telling my secondary school careers advisor that I’d like to do fashion and she said to me, ‘It’s not just putting on clothes’. I was very shy back then and it really threw me and upset me.

That one remark was really damaging and I used to see adverts for going back to college, but I dismissed them really and thought it was probably a waste of time for somebody who is older.  I started thinking about what I could do and I went to meet Becky (the former course tutor), who was so positive about what I could do. It was almost off-putting, because I wasn’t used to that level of positivity. 

By that point, I was sick of working in jobs that I didn’t like. I’d been in IT for 12 years but handed my notice in from out of nowhere and, then, ended up working at River Island.

That was a first step towards fashion really. Things changed, though, when I moved in with my girlfriend Heather five years ago.

She’s really supportive and encouraged me to go back into education to study fashion. I did a Dressmaking Workshop at College first and it was really good.

I made a coat which I’d always wanted to do. I always knew I could make clothes, but that gave me the confidence to know I could make a complete garment and more.

I also resat both my English and Maths GCSEs. College was really supportive getting me through that. I’d never really enjoyed English, but I managed to get a 4 in that and a 5 in Maths – the equivalent of Cs. 

That also showed me that I could see things through and gave me the confidence to think I could go on and do a degree.

You have been described by tutors as a Gerber Pattern Whizz – is that a fair reputation?

Yes – if we are referring to my final year’s work. By then, everything I had learned in the previous two-and-a-half years had built up my confidence and I just ran with it.

I had worked in IT, so I already had a love for computers and a technical background. At first, the system seemed a bit counter-intuitive but, once I got my head around it, I loved it and could have sat on it all day.

I’d like to think I gained a really good grasp of it, and I would help people in class with it and they would help me with things in return.

What age did you develop a love for fashion?

I’m not sure really. I think I even surprised myself when I said I’d like to get into fashion during that school careers meeting but, subconsciously, there was obviously something there. I’d always loved art and making stuff.

I also loved woodwork and do a lot of that at home, but it takes me too long. I love baking, too, but find that a bit easy, so I was looking for something in the middle and that helped my decision.

Although I don’t particularly like fancy clothes myself and mainly get what I wear from charity shops, I do like making stuff and, to maybe one day be admired for making something, even if it’s hung up in a charity shop, I’d be really chuffed.

Any particular designer or artist that inspires you?

I like synched waists and floaty dresses, so I love Alexander McQueen’s work.  

What are the skills you’ve acquired during the degree course?

Away from fashion, time management has been a big thing for me. The tutors are on you all the time about that and, rightly so, because you have to meet deadlines in the fashion industry.

I’ve worked to short deadlines in previous jobs, but we were working on projects when 100 things needed doing with other people also involved. That can be daunting, but we were pushed all the way and, for my final project, I organised a photo shoot.

I never thought I’d do that. I’ve produced three garments and designed four.

I’ve also done portfolios and that’s really shown that I can time manage a project, because I was a bit scared of that at first. Although I thought I knew how do a lot of the technical side of things, I also didn’t know as much as I thought and found Georgia and Kate from the Sewing Room to be founts of knowledge.

They really helped me if I was struggling with certain ideas for a couple of days and it was stuff that they could fix straight away. It was really good to have them to call on. 

I didn’t like doing the boards either to get inspiration. I was a bit sceptical, but I did find that it really does help to develop an idea.

My final collection’s designs came from that and other people being able to see my boards and feedback what they liked or didn’t like.

How do the small groups help in terms of your degree experience?

You could maybe get little cliques in a bigger university cohort which I wouldn’t like, but you’re already your own little clique here. It was great to have a mix of older and younger students, too.

I did assume that I’d be the oldest student by far, but there were other people the same age as me.

Any class trips that stood out?

I had a great time in Paris and everybody who was there would tell you that! I didn’t shop for any fabrics, but the event we went to was in a massive place, with loads of people showing off their wears and handing out business cards.

I found it so helpful. I also love trains and we went on the Eurostar, which was fantastic. 

I couldn’t have got more out of the experience.

What are your next steps?

In the next couple of years, I’d love to make a small collection and label of made-to-order clothing. I’m also considering teaching, because I do love helping people.

If you were to recommend the course to anybody considering starting it in 2025/26, what would you say?

I’ve not really got anything to compare it against, but I got everything I wanted out of it. I’ve made friends and gained experience and knowledge.

I found some of it tough but that should be expected, because it’s a degree. If you think it’s going to be hard work, then you’re right, but it’s worth it. I really recommend the college – all the people you encounter here are the friendliest you’ll ever meet and will help you get where you need to be.

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