Lily Bluebell Wyatt studied BA (Hons) Fashion Branding and Communications (now known as BA (Hons) Fashion Communication) at AUB. In her final year, she specialised in fashion styling and creative direction.
I can’t express enough how much I loved my course, from the close relationships I formed with lecturers and technicians, to the range of roles and specialisms I had the opportunity to explore. I came to uni with a passion for the fashion world but with little experience and technical skills (for example, I had never touched Photoshop or a proper Canon camera!) but after three rewarding years, I have a huge portfolio and mastered Adobe Creative Suite, learned technical skills in photography, graphic design, styling and direction and had the opportunity to collaborate and meet so many like-minded individuals across courses.
I was already excited about joining the AUB community from Open Days, exploring the vibrant campus and the amazing energy around. It is like a party 24/7 at a university full of creatives, with exhibitions, DJs, BBQs, market stalls, bake sales, etc.
The highlight of my time at uni was being able to collate all the skills and connections I acquired into my third-year Final Major Project – Escape. I created 300-page publication reimagining fairytale archetypes (Mermaid, Fairy, Witch and Knight) through a stylist lens, which included 12 editorials, poetry, illustration and styling all sourced from charity shops.
This project was inspired by my love for fantasy worlds, acting as a healthy form of escapism from a world that could use a little more magic. I conducted in-depth research into inner child theory and symbolism, as well as trend forecasting.
This project was exhibited at Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) 2025 via stop-motion animation and a campaign carousel illustrating the project from idea to completion. Escape was also lucky enough to be nominated for the GFW Fashion Illustration and GFW x ASOS Styling and Creative Direction Award!
I also had the opportunity to collaborate with GFW previously, as I was selected by my course leader to be a student stylist for GFW Talent of Tomorrow 2025. This was a great opportunity to work on a real industry set in London, surrounded by professionals and industry experts from all departments.
My advice to future students is… university is what you make it, so put yourself out there! I was determined to get the most out of my time, so I collaborated on many (MANY) additional projects such as music videos, modelling, live briefs with brands and even styled a full runway show. My hard work paid off, and I have recently won the Nicholas Durbridge Prize for Collaboration AUB Award! This allows you to find people just as passionate as you and make solid friendships whilst being productive.
In all honesty, I enjoyed my time at AUB so much I don’t want to leave! So I have enrolled on the MA Digital Fashion Innovation course next year so I can continue growing as a creative and collaborating. I have been documenting my time at university with exclusive behind-the-scenes content via TikTok (@lily.bluebell.styling), so please check it out if you want real insights of what a Fashion Communication student gets up to!
Thank you for reading and I hope to see you next year around campus!
