A fashion student from a The Northern School of Art is celebrating receiving a place at the prestigious Amsterdam Fashion Institute after graduating with a fashion and textiles diploma.

Hannah Sutherland, 23 from Middlesbrough, has just completed her BTEC Extended Diploma in Fashion & Textiles course at the college’s Green Lane campus in Middlesbrough.

She is now planning to develop her creative design skills after securing a place at Amsterdam Fashion Institute to study a degree in fashion design. Assisted by funding from family and charitable organisation, EWS Education Trust, Hannah is excited about the future.

She said: “I really wanted to study abroad as I’m quite an adventurous person and love travelling, and I thought studying my design degree abroad would also make me more employable. I researched universities outside the UK and AMFI had a great reputation; the graduate shows looked really amazing and the Netherlands is easier to move to as coming from the UK you don’t need to worry about visas.

“I can’t wait to make friends from all around the world, and start designing at a degree level. AMFI also have their own shop in the centre of Amsterdam where they sell student and graduate designs, to be a part of that would be incredible. I have visited Amsterdam on numerous occasions and absolutely love it, I can’t wait until I know my way around and I think exploring all the new areas I haven’t visited and getting myself a bike will be first on my list!

She continued; “My parents, partner and friends have been most supportive and I’m really lucky. They have always told me to go for things and are just really excited for me, I wouldn’t have been able to even get to the interview if it wasn’t for my mum and dad, they are both amazing!

After graduation from AMFI, Hannah is keen to launch her career in designing. “Ultimately I want to own my own business, I want to create a label that is quirky and colourful and focuses on genderless fashion. That would be the ultimate dream, being your own boss and paying your own wage. But before that I would really love to work with a few different designers around Europe. I think it’s important to work with a range of different labels to see how they run and just how much work is involved.

Hannah has just finished showing her final major project at the College’s Summer Show, which included a collection comprising of an experimental coat made from fully recycled and re-used materials. She also designed and constructed wearable pieces including a cropped jacket, jumpsuit and dress, which features an array of colours and prints.

Describing her inspiration and influences, she said: “My final assignment was provided by the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI), which was to investigate the word ‘hodgepodge’. I used this as my theme in which I explored and researched into allotments, farms, slums, recycled materials and a mixture of fabrics and prints. I found I was really able to explore my personality through this project looking at a wide range of colours, culture and eccentric designers.

“The Summer Show was amazing and it was exciting to display your work and show how much you have developed over the last two years.”

Hannah has thoroughly enjoyed her time at CCAD. She added: “The teaching is absolutely amazing, all the tutors are so experienced and they really get the best they can out of each student. It’s amazing how much you grow in such a short space of time and it just wouldn’t be possible without them. They teach you so many new skills and along that you grow into your own style. It’s so important to know what kind of designer you want to be, and to have that as well as all the pattern cutting, construction, designing and illustrating skills you learn it makes you a very strong student when going to university.”