"Surreal” is the one word used by 20 year old Rosie Gee to describe the incredible opportunity she recently embarked on during her third year of study, assisting with the creation of the stage wear for Beyonce at the Mandela 100 - Global Citizen Festival in South Africa.
Rosie was able to make some great connections and gain some real life experience in the luxury world of Textiles.
How did it feel to see a garment you assisted with worn by Beyoncé ?
It was such an amazing feeling. I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to have that opportunity. I feel very proud to see the final garment - it’s a beautiful design and looks even better in person.
How did you come across the opportunity to work with Mary Katranzou?
I came across the opportunity through a post on Instagram. Liss Cooke a BCU alumni of textiles and embroidery designer at Mary Katranzou put a post up on Instagram stating they needed embroidery students to help with a special project. I responded to the post and was lucky enough to gain a place helping with the garment.
It was an amazing opportunity that couldn’t be passed up and now after working with Liss and her team they have said they would have me back for other opportunities and projects in the future.
What involvement did you have with the embellished ensemble for Beyoncé?
I assisted with the hand embroidery on the main leotard/bodysuit for the Beyoncé ensemble.
This entailed stitching down hand embroidered patches and beading Swarovski crystals and beads to the less detailed areas to grow the embroidery. This involved very intricate and detailed hand embroidery work to achieve the right aesthetic.
Were you able to use any skills picked up on the course during your work experience?
Yes definitely. The skills I have learnt on my course were vital to this project. The beading techniques I have been taught by our technicians were very important when adding the beads and crystals.
My future aspirations are to be working in a design studio as a hand embroider in the luxury market as I like to focus on technique and intricate design.
Do you have any tips for students enrolling on to the textiles course?
Rosie Gee’s top three tips
- Work hard from the minute you are given a brief. It’s easy to tell when you have a passion for the subject from the time and effort that has been put into each module. It also gives you the opportunity to really test your ideas and push your designs to produce really resolved outcomes.
- Say ‘yes’ to every opportunity you are given. Enter competitions, apply for internships and placements as it’s the best way to gain confidence and get your name out there in the industry.
- Finally, I would say just to be confident with your work and celebrate your ideas!
