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A place to study at University of the Arts London

15 Jun, 2021
A place to study at University of the Arts London

Vuong Lan Chi, from Vietnam, has been doing the Art and Design Foundation at Kings London and hopes to study a degree in Cordwainers Fashion Bags and Accessories: Product Design and Innovation at UAL's London College of Fashion. Here. she tells us about her time preparing for university with Kings, and a little about she hopes her chosen degree will help her make a difference in her home country.


Hi Vuong Lan, why did you decide to take the Art and Design Foundation at Kings?

I was initially looking for a foundation course for further studying at Kingston University and this course was recommended by my agents in Vietnam.

"I took a look at the course description as well as previous students’ achievements and I was impressed, therefore I decided to take the course."

How did Kings help you with your university applications and portfolio preparation?

Kings played an important role in my application process. I met my wonderful teacher Giuseppina who guided me in my portfolio preparation (even though we didn’t have much time since I started in January and the application happened in the end of February, and we also worked online). With her help I was able to finish my portfolio on time and way better than I expected.

"I honestly never thought I could make it this far in just a short period of time. And all thanks to my teacher who even spends her weekends helping me with my work — I could never be thankful enough."

What is your artistic discipline/specialism?

I am the kind of person who prefers delicate, soft and feminine design, but that doesn’t stop me from trying things that are bold and out of my comfort zone. I always tried different kinds of ideas development, but I think what is most important in my design is that it always has to have a femininity aspect in it.

What are your plans for university?

I plan to study Cordwainers Fashion Bags and Accessories: Product Design and Innovation at London College of Fashion, UAL.

The reason why I ended up choosing this (over Fashion Design at Kingston) is because I realised the possibilities that I could gain with this course and in my country, where bags and other accessories (producers) still deeply exploit. Therefore, by taking these subjects, I can make myself different from others in my hometown and develop more of a Vietnamese fashion accessories industry.

How has your experience of studying online during the pandemic been?

To be honest, studying in the pandemic was hard, especially for people who take arts courses like me. We don’t have access to a lot of materials and we don’t have that much space at home like in the studio. Also, we don’t get to work directly with the teacher, that made a barrier in communication and it took more time when it comes to discussing also. It has been a tough year for everyone, I was struggling at first to keep up with the lectures, but it all turned out really well as we had personal tutorials and I still managed to gather some of the materials that I needed.

"Even though some traditional ways of presenting ideas had to change into a more technological way, it didn’t take long for people to get used to it, and the teachers are very helpful if someone needs support."

Would you recommend the Kings Art Foundation to a friend? How would you describe the course?

Totally, If I have any friends that are interested in an Undergraduate art course in the UK and need help with finding a suitable foundation course, I would highly recommended it as my experience here was great.

View Voung Lan Chi's Virtual Final Exhibition online here: https://www.artsteps.com/view/60b73fa3149de95df4c8...