During the first week of the Easter break, Neve O’Brien (Year 10) had the opportunity to work alongside renowned British fashion designer, Dame Zandra Rhodes in her studios in London.

Zandra Rhodes helped put London at the cutting edge of international fashion. She has designed for such high-profile figures as Diana, Princess of Wales, Freddie Mercury, and Brian May of Queen. She is the founder of the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, and her dramatic, glamorous use of colour, pattern and shape remain a rich source of inspiration for designers worldwide.

Neve said: “It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it a lot, learning lots of new techniques and what life in the textiles industry is like. It helped me discover my passion for textiles and gave me more of an idea to what I would like to do in the future. I was very grateful to be given this opportunity and I’m sure it will be something I remember forever.”

Mrs Nelson (Art and Textiles teacher) said: “This was a valuable opportunity to work in a creative and enterprising environment that will, I am sure, encourage Neve to continue to be open-minded and take a more flexible approach to her own Textile studies. Being able to experience the world in which Dame Zandra Rhodes works: the fabric and colour choices she makes, and how she manages to be original with every design, has clearly left its mark on Neve and I look forward to seeing her apply this new knowledge to her own textile work.”