33 days till a temporary goodbye to Glasgow, and the beginning of a new adventure in Berlin. It’s been over two years since I have left London; and just 4 months short of 3 years since my first internship at House of Gharats which convinced me to move from fashion to graphic design. Looking back, the decision to work at House of Gharats can be described as one of those unexpected, positive surprises that life throws at you.
I remember being a fresh graduate who had just moved to London picturing a booming social life, along with all the opportunities of being able to work in a well-known studio. As I’m sure you have heard, “London’s a fashion capital, opportunities are great”. And like many other young designers, I was quickly captivated by the facades of working in the glamorous fashion industry. It did not take long for reality to sink in – unpaid internships, long hours with harsh pay and an endless list of skills and experience that you should have.
Till today, having the opportunity to work at the House of Gharats was one of the most rewarding internships I had taken on. Unlike the norms of the fashion industry in London, it felt warm and encouraging – which I believe is what aspiring designers or even fresh graduates need. It is often that creative individuals struggle to find their own future direction but after spending 3 months in a positive, calm studio away from the hustle and bustle of London, it gave me an answer to “what should I do next?”
Initial Departure Point to Now
That ultimately led me to apply for a master’s course in Communication Design at the Glasgow School of Art, specialising in typography and publication design for my graduating project. Being so used to our technology and digital media, I felt the need to remind people of the authentic qualities of holding a physical copy of a book. Print is not dead. The tradition of holding paper books should not be abandoned.
Titled Wunderkammer, it was a series of books featuring design responses towards the subject of “home”. The second issue of the publication focused solely on other designers in the design field. Looking to investigate the inner machinations behind a designer’s creative process, it only felt right to include the initial departure point of my journey which got me to the end of my master’s degree – Neishaa and our growing friendship (I say friendship because that’s how it felt like as opposed to an intern and designer relationships) at the House of Gharats.
Often in an aggressive, ambitious field like design, it is easy to be lost and forgotten amongst the others. The House of Gharats was featured in the publication not only because it had its own unique voice of the synthesis of traditional roots with modern design; but also because the brand stood for powerful messages that should be heard. Issues of “designing with a purpose” and maintaining tradition in a multicultural, global society as highlighted by Neishaa during the interview, are all relevant to today’s growing and changing world.
To all the fresh graduates or aspiring young creatives out there, as much as we are used to giving in to the harsh demands of the industry, it is important to remember that we don’t need to be slaves. Do not give in to ridiculous demands. Do not think that you need to know and do everything in order to secure a particular job. Do not romanticise the location – it means nothing if you’re working in a dingy studio in East London but running about getting coffee all the time. What matters is looking for real value; developing your skills and being responsible for genuine, creative work.
Internship to Future Collaborations
People constantly say that internships and experiences are meant to help with networking and connections. However, from my various experiences in the last few years, it’s not often the case that it’s that easy. We are in a world where we have the opportunities to travel, to move, to experience the new. Even though I’ve moved away from London, and soon, the country, the only thing that has changed is more exciting opportunities.
By working with small start-ups, you are given the opportunity to grow and progress with the brand. Like any other placement, there will be challenges but working in an encouraging environment not only helps in terms of moral support, but you also build on your own soft and hard skills. In the end, you move on with confidence and a set of newly developed skills that can be added to your portfolio. It never felt like an end of a short internship at the House of Gharats, but rather a development into an ongoing collaborative spirit.
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The next adventure awaits in Berlin – to bring together a collision of cultures; graphic design and fashion reflected through a set of collection of scarves and one-off book.