THIS week is exam results time for youngsters across Scotland.
And to mark the important moment in thousands of kids’ lives, Glasgow Kelvin College has registered an official awareness day.
The first-ever National Opportunity Day took place on Friday, with the idea of celebrating the opportunities available to people throughout the country and show what’s possible with a college education.
The campaign has been backed by award-winning fashion designer Siobhan Mackenzie, a former student who has gone on to design kilts for the likes of Justin Bieber and Team Scotland for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Today she writes about her amazing journey and encourages Scots to grab every opportunity that is available to them.
I WAS ten years old when I decided I wanted to be a fashion designer.
I used to watch my great-grandmother sewing and I was fascinated by it. From a young age, I loved nothing more than learning about design, sketching, and creating outfits.
Born and raised on The Black Isle in the Highlands, I always knew my heritage would play a big part in my designs and future brand. I knew I wanted to promote a slow fashion concept in comparison to the unsustainable fast-fashion industry, and I always had big ambitions for my brand.
The key was seizing an opportunity that would expand my horizons and for me that started at college.
It was a major decision for me to move four hours to pursue my studies – but one I knew I needed to take. I was nervous, especially about moving so far from everything I knew, but I soon realised there was no reason for me to feel like that.
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The team at Glasgow Kelvin College were so welcoming that it quickly felt like a second home and the fashion department like a family.
I was incredibly lucky to have such amazing lecturers who went above and beyond for mine, and my fellow students’, education.
I have such fond memories studying in the fashion department with endless resources and guidance available as well as a nurturing atmosphere, college crucially prepared me for the industry.
It’s here that I gained the invaluable knowledge needed to forge a career in my field.
It also gave me the confidence to pursue internship opportunities, one being with Scottish kiltmakers Glenisla where I learned the art of kiltmaking and began to experiment with new techniques. I’ve since honed this craft, which can be found in many of my collections today.
In the final year of my studies, I won a student competition run through the college with fashion technology software Lectra, where I won CAD licence worth £30k. This was an imperative asset and allowed me to create and communicate bespoke designs to clients throughout the period of launching my business.
College opened up a world of opportunity for me. I had the chance to develop my skills in a supportive environment, and commit time to the thing that I loved the most: fashion.
Throughout my career, my ethos has never wavered.
Sustainability has been – and always will be – at the core of what I do. I was raised to have a sustainable mindset; my dad worked as an Environment Officer for a government body for over 30 years, and it was always something I wanted to ensure was at the core of my brand.
My kilts are all made to order and made in Scotland, making the most of Scottish textiles and Scottish manufacturing. That means I can ensure sustainable materials are used throughout the entire product’s life, and everything is manufactured locally.
I believe that being tied to values you care about improves your work ethic and can in turn bolster your business. For me, success comes from caring about what I do, and being passionate about the work I’m putting out into the world.
I’ve gone on to create designs for Justin Beiber, Team Scotland’s 2022 Commonwealth Games kit, Caorunn Gin and the LVMH Group, and commissions for high-profile individuals including Nadia El-Nakla’s outfit for the King’s Coronation.
There are a whole host of ‘pinch me’ moments. From watching one of the world’s biggest pop stars debut a kilt I designed at his concert back in 2016, to being a part of the Commonwealth Games and seeing something I worked on for two years be presented at such an important event, I’m so proud of what I achieved.
And I’m very proud that my journey started at Glasgow Kelvin College studying fashion.
I hope my experience opens people’s eyes to the possibilities available. If I could do it all over again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
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Being exam results week in Scotland, there will be a lot of young people wondering what step to take next. My advice to anyone in that position would be no matter what, pursue something that’s going to make you happy and feel fulfilled.
I was lucky that from a young age, I knew what direction my career would go, but it’s never too late to follow your passion. There’s a world of opportunity out there, you just have to take it.
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