Urban World

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Angela Baidoo is already in the business of designing, creating and selling her own one off designs, simply named –Baydu, but of course, this didn’t happen overnight. The up and coming fashion designer certainly paid her dues and still is, by the sound of things...

The Designer tells Urban World how hard it is in the Fashion Industry, and stresses to anyone who would like to become a Fashion Designer, to be willing to really graft.

Angela, 28, from North London, always had an eye for fashion. She always dreamt of working for Bottega Venneta. She says, “The designs are very slick, contemporary and feminine – what woman wouldn’t want to wear those types of designs?” She admits that before this dream could possibly happen, she had to get the right training. Being in one of the largest fashion capitals of the world - London- there was only one place she wanted to study and that was London College of Fashion; and that’s exactly what she did.

“I did a Foundation Course in Art and Design for 1 year which gave me some grounding into design. I did a HND in Design and Pattern Cutting for 2 years which offered an understanding of the Fashion Industry, and how to make garments from the beginning to the end.

...Finally I did a degree in Product Design and Development. The degree was great because it showed me how to create a USP [Unique Selling Point] for myself and because it was a sandwich course, I managed to get a great work placement,” the designer said.

It wasn’t just any old work placement, Angela was selected to work as a Production Assistant for 6 months with US fashion company,  American Eagle, who are designers of high-quality, on-trend clothing. Clearly over the moon, she accepted, flew to the US and got involved with American Eagle’s design process, which is exactly the type of experience which she needed.

Angela knew work experience was integral to her future in design, so she made sure she worked with a host of designers and fashion companies such as Maria Grachvogel for London Fashion Week, Collection Design Studio and River Island Head Office.

Then Angela hit the big time and landed a job at Burberry as a Product Developer, where she stayed for 2 years. The aspiring Designer said: “I really enjoyed working at Burberry. I had to ensure that garments were prepared properly for showrooms and Burberry stores...I was flown across Europe on many occasions for work which was great, but I realised that the job wasn’t enough for me – I really wanted to design!”   

In September 2009, Angela decided to take a risk and leave Burberry for a hands-on Internship with Fashion Designers, Belle and Bunty. She formally gets involved with the design of garments and she hasn’t looked back since.

While working at Belle and Bunty, Angela also designs and sells her own clothes – Baydu - A line for young females with a fresh and chic look. She is gradually building on her line and looks forward to a time where her designs are known to all.

But to all those aspiring Designers, Angela advises to be ready to work hard, get plenty of work experience and get clued up on programmes such as Photoshop and Illustrator! She says, “It will put you heads above the rest.”

As for more details on Angela’s designs, she says, “Watch this space!”

Written By Krystle Osafo Jones

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