Ruth Lawrenson

Ruth has a PGCert in Creative Education, is currently a Fashion Enterprise lecturer at London College of Fashion, teaching entrepreneurial skills across all disciplines within the college. She is a former retail buyer for House of Fraser & Fortnum & Mason & presently runs a Retail Buying Consultant to support her professional knowledge exchange practice, working closely with designer makers, brands and retailers on product and brand development. Ruth's lecturing specialism is within enterprise, buying & merchandising, the retail experience and design and to complement her teaching, mentoring & consulting, she is writing an online course that is due to launch this year.

Describe your approach to teaching. 

My approach to teaching is to listen & learn from my learners. I am very passionate about the creative industries; craftsmanship & fashion and whilst I love to impart my knowledge, I strive to nurture & inspire confidence in all my student,s be it in a professional environment or in the classroom. I like to individually get to know my cohort so that we can creatively find our learning path together. I like to build a community of practice, encouraging peer to peer learning, discussion & collaboration. 

What inspires your own work? 

My work is inspired by the many crafts people & skilled creatives I work with. I am in awe at the creative process & journey & love to build on that as a foundation for growth with my guidance & expertise. I get inspired by contemporary innovation to aid sustainability within fashion but am equally as happy trawling markets, galleries & nature to determine trends, patterns & to spy an opportunity. I love to travel & fuse cultures in design which I earnestly encourage & support within my teaching practice, advocating & promoting inter-disciplinary disciplines & inter-cultural conversations.