Jack Coutts

Jack Coutts has thrived at NESCol, taking his love of fashion and art to the next level. He’s recently completed the HND Textiles course and will be continuing his learning journey at university in September.

When 23-year-old Jack finished school at Oldmeldrum Academy in 2018, he chose to study retail for a year. However, he wasn’t sure if this was the career path for him and left his course to work out what he really wanted to do.

Having been interested in fashion for a while, he realised it was the design route he wanted to follow and fully commit to.

He said: “I decided to go for the SCQF Level 6 Fashion & Textiles: Design and Manufacture course, as this was exactly what I was looking for. That led me to continue my studies for two years on the HND Textiles course.”

His experiences with events and real-life clients and projects have been the best part of the HND for Jack. This year’s fashion design unit was in conjunction with Aberdeen’s Maritime Museum, which culminated with the students wearing the garments they had created in a fashion show at the museum itself.

Over the two years, the class has also had the chance to visit the Aberdeen Art Gallery, the V&A and the Verdant Works Museum.

Jack said: “I would include all of these as course highlights as I have found them very fun and interesting to take part in. I would never have imagined that I would get to do all these events and trips in such a short amount of time, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.”

Jack was impressed with his whole College experience, from the lecturers to the learning environment.

He commented: “As for the support we received, it’s been amazing. The lecturers have supported us the whole time. Whether it’s having conversations about fashion or showing us new design concepts that we’ve never heard of, they’re always there for us.”

“The College facilities are another aspect I can’t fault as they have everything we need and more. There’s fabric on hand if we need it, plenty of inks and paints to use, and big machines that really allow us to experiment with what we do.”

Jack’s preparing to transition to university after the summer, where he will be continuing his studies at Gray’s School of Art.

Looking to the future and his ideal job, he said: “I just want to be able to design what I want for a brand or company that is completely my own – or be able to work with established designers with a great history behind them.

“I feel that College has prepared me well for the future as I have done a lot of growing up here and improved my confidence in my social life. I am now able to rely on myself and trust my own abilities more often.”

Jack’s advice for others who have an interest in studying HND Textiles…

“I would say wholeheartedly go for it! The opportunities you get with this course are amazing, and that includes what you get taught in the classroom along with the trips, events and everything in between.

“The lecturers always encourage you to learn more and discover what you like and what suits your tastes. With the facilities on offer, you always get a chance to experiment. It’s a course I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in fashion and art.”