About Tara
Tara is a final year Fashion Design student, specialising in Knitwear Design at De Montfort University, Leicester.
Having carried out six month internships at luxury brands Peter Pilotto and Hugo Boss, she now has experience in creating and visualising design ideas by producing hand drawn sketches and CAD spec sheets.
Three years of undergraduate study at De Montfort University and a placement year, have enabled Tara to develop a portfolio of diverse projects, all of which have further propelled her ambition and aspiration.
As a Knitwear Designer, Tara enjoys being able to create new and innovative fabrics by experimenting with different yarn qualities and weights, as well as using both clashing and a complimentary colour palettes. This year Tara was selected by my tutors for the ‘Framework Knitters’ bursary which provides students with funding, allowing designers to create a more successful collection with better quality yarns.
Tara is always researching current trends in contemporary knitwear design which keep her work innovative and exciting. Tara is inspired by designers such as ‘Sacai’ and ‘Acne Studios’ for their use of knitwear within their collections which demonstrate skills in manipulation and original use of knitwear techniques. Tara's expert levels in Adobe Illustrator allow her to communicate design ideas clearly and professionally. Reading fashion books and magazines, means she is always on top of current seasonal trends and openings in the market.
In 2017 Tara embarked on a placement year in order to gain experience in the fashion industry. Tara's placement year began at Peter Pilotto in Central London. An award-winning Luxury Womenswear Designer who specialises in fabric draping, digitally printed textiles and experimental knitwear. Working as part of the Peter Pilotto team taught her a great deal about the fashion industry, including the importance of teamwork, organisation, working to tight deadlines, taking initiative and problem solving.
In January 2018, she began her internship as a ‘Creative Management' Intern for the Boss Men’s Athleisure Jersey Team at Hugo Boss, Germany. She was given a variety of responsibilities including contacting international suppliers, creating technical drawings, designing within the capsule collections, and attending fit meetings. At Hugo Boss her skills in CAD improved substantially, she now has a high level of skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.