Thousands of DMU students graduated in July after years of hard work. We reported some of their stories in our Class of 2015 series...
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) student Luke Naunton is heading off to London after securing his dream job as a buyer for retail giant Marks and Spencer.
Luke, who will be graduating with a first in Fashion Buying with Marketing BA (Hons), said: “It’s a fantastic feeling. There were 630 applicants for the role and the application process was tough. The day in the assessment centre was especially gruelling – it was a bit like The Apprentice!”
He said he was thrilled by the opportunity and hoped to progress as quickly as possible: “I aim to be an assistant buyer within 18 months, which would result in worldwide travel and other opportunities.”
After his second year at DMU, Luke had the chance to undertake an industrial placement year at Matalan, near Liverpool, as a trainee buyer. He said it had proved massively important to his career hopes and provided him with valuable contacts. He started working on men’s casuals but after a couple of months moved onto designer Jeff Banks’ 24/7 menswear range, even spending a day shopping in London with the former BBC Clothes Show presenter, looking for inspiration in shops including Oxford Street’s Hugo Boss.
He said: “My course prepared me by teaching me all the elements needed to be a successful buyer, such as technical knowledge, trend awareness, fit knowledge, buying theory, marketing techniques, sourcing, supply theory and much more. My time at Matalan built upon this and prepared me for the reality of working within a buying office.”
Luke, from Norfolk, added he was impressed by the breadth and depth of the course and teaching methods at DMU: “Before beginning university I believed fashion buying was a narrow subject and the teaching would be predominantly lecture based. However, a lot of time has been spent in CAD (computer-aided design) labs, testing labs and sewing rooms, learning about fashion marketing and communication, textile materials and fashion technology. This is core knowledge which is essential when working in industry and makes us well-rounded candidates for future roles.”
In February this year he also gained valuable insights when he went on a trip to Antwerp, Belgium, through #DMUglobal, the ground-breaking DMU programme which aims to offer the majority of students an international experience. He went to the head office of Terre Bleue fashion retailers, listened to a talk from a designer at Rituals cosmetics and visited the MoMu Fashion Museum.
One of the other highlights of Luke’s time at DMU was being a member of the hockey team. He went on sports tours to Salou in Spain and Rimini in Italy, adding: “Joining a society really helped me settle into university and has provided me with lifelong friends. It also kept me fit and active and took my mind off studying during stressful times of the year!”
Posted on Monday 13 July 2015