The QHQ Bursary

Earlier this year, QHQ, the leading technical resource to the fashion industry awarded a £1,500 bursary to fashion student, Natasha Osaro-Osaghae to enable her continue her technical training at the Fashion Technology Academy in London.

Natasha had already successfully completed the six week Level 1 patterns course, to gain knowledge and expertise in the production process. With the support of the QHQ bursary, she was able to take her training to the next level and progress onto the Level 2 Perfect Pattern Cutting Course.

We caught up with Natasha to find out about how she has found the course and her plans for the future.

Natasha: 'I am so grateful for all that I got to learn at Fashion Enter. I really have gained some wonderful skills. Thank you to QHQ for making this possible for me. I enjoyed learning how to manipulate the basic pattern cutting techniques to create new styles such as slashing and spreading for flares.

I would definitely recommend the course to anyone wanting to learn more about pattern cutting because the tutors really work with the criteria to support each individual with their personal interest. I do think it helps if they have some sort of garment making experience.

I am still interested in finding part-time work to support my creative business ideas. I will continue to look in the creative sector for opportunities and I would really like to try working as a pattern cutter to continue developing my skills. I would like to learn the Vetigraph software for digital pattern cutting and probably learn a little bit about Fashion Marketing at some point.

I now feel more confident taking on one on one clients and creating bespoke garments for them, as I have learnt how to design for a range of body types. I know that with my attention to detail, better time management skills and trend awareness, I can be a valuable part of a team.

Sally Blaxall, Director QHQ commented:

‘As technical experts in our field, we are passionate about the industry and we were absolutely thrilled to be in a position to provide this opportunity for Natasha. We are delighted that by supporting Natasha through this process, she has been able to acquire the technical skills to drive her career forward. We look forward to hearing about future achievements and wish her every success. Natasha is part of the next generation of British talent that our industry must nurture to ensure that UK garment manufacturing thrives in the future.”