Since she was a little girl Kirsty Thompson has dreamed of being a fashion designer – and this week she graduates to a new career, with her own fashion business.
Kirsty, 30, graduates from the University of Sunderland with a degree in Fashion Design & Promotion alongside her fellow students, and next week she will be behind the desk of her own business, ARUNA Couteur.
It has been a long journey for Kirsty after dropping out of university ten years ago, and then finally returning to take the plunge.
She says: “Ten years ago I went to De Montfort University, in Leicester, and studied for a year and a half, but then I fell ill with IBS. I just left education behind, and I got a job in a bank.”
Though Kirsty admits it has been a hard road, going back to university has changed everything – even leading to her landing a new job while she was still studying.
“Are part of the Fashion Design & Promotion degree you have to do a placement, and I did my placement at House of Mooshki in Seaham, the bridal occasional wear shop.”
Now, Kirsty is focussed on her future, and will launch her new business ARUNA Couture from the Enterprise Place, which is managed by the University of Sunderland, and allows new businesses to use co-working office space for up to a year.
Kirsty says: “Sustainability is so important in fashion at the moment. Fashion is the second largest polluter in the world, and we’re not really doing anything about it.
“I want to make couture fashion accessible to people to would never really consider it.
“The University has given me the perfect opportunity to start my professional practice – and helped make my dream of becoming a designer come true.”