Susie Forbes gives inspirational keynote speech at Conde Nast School of Fashion

Susie Forbes, Principal at The Conde Nast School of Fashion gave an inspirational talk to A Level students and Alumni, last December. An industry famously difficult to break into, Susie talked about arming a whole new generation of students with the skill and capability to pursue a successful career in the fashion industry.Girls were surprised to hear how many different career paths could potentially be open to them, beyond designing: Editing, curating, styling, journalism, marketing and PR are other exciting options which the girls were keen to learn more about. Since opening in April 2013, Conde Nast graduates are already employed  in fantastic jobs around the world.

Headington girls also had the excellent opportunity to talk to Alumni. Sophie Lomax, designer at Graff, described the intricacies of working with diamonds, while Hannah Brown, who heads up Development and Fundraising at The Royal College of Art enthused about her particular career path. Annie Turner-Ward was able to give sound advice about working as an intern at Vogue and how to pursue a career in marketing and events.

This was a highly successful event, which left our students eager to keep in touch with alumni and consider the wide range of careers open to them in fashion.

L4 Trip to The Oxford University Museum of Natural History

The L4 spent the day exploring the zoological and earth collections at The Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Girls used a range of mixed-media to make observational drawings from thousands of geological and zoological specimens. Work produced will be developed into final designs for the forthcoming exhibition at The Ashmolean, as part of the art school Centenary celebrations.

6th Form Trip to The Royal Academy to see Anselm Kiefer

The Sixth form art students visited an exhibition of work by Anselm Kiefer, the internationally renowned contemporary artist. They marvelled at the scale, unusual use of materials and the epic narratives Kieffer employed in his work. From canvases, photographs, large sculptures, his use of wood, straw, earth, tar, molten metal, ashes and constructed mixed-media inspired the girls to re-consider their own practice.

Anselm Kieffer at The RA

U3 Visit to The Ashmolean

As part of the Centenary celebrations, the U3 studied Egyptian art in The Ashmolean. The focus of the visit was to look at the figure, animals and symbolism. The girls worked hard drawing in a variety of media, including pencil, pens and iPads. This work will form the basis of the girls submission for the Centenary Exhibition in The Ashmolean in March in 2015.

L6 Art in Nature at the Botanical Gardens

As part of activities week L6 A Level and IB students spent the day exploring the theme of art in nature. Using experimental drawing processes the girls designed and made their own artist's tools and inks from found natural resources. The afternoon was spent using their unconventional tools to draw from the large collection of botany just down the road in the Botanical Gardens, Oxford.

L5 experimental sensory drawing workshop.

Private View

You are all invited to The Art School Private View this Friday from 4-7.30pm, for music, canape and a broad range of work from GCSE and A Level students.