Luke Alton

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I’m from the north east of England and before changing onto this course I studied electronic engineering, prior to this I worked as a chemical operator as well. Changing to my current course was a big step, people were shocked when they heard about it, but I would rather pursue a career in something that I’m really interested in.

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?  

I applied for my course as I thought it would incorporate engineering into fashion, which so far it has. Information I learnt whilst in college and when working has ended up being quite relevant and beneficial to my learning. 

I decided to come to Leeds because I had been told by friends that it’s a nice city and a good university to get into, also the city has some art museums and venues for bands which is what I’m into. 

What is it that makes you passionate about your area of study?

Mainly that you’re given freedom to be as creative as you want, you can tackle a problem from different directions whereas with a more academic subject like maths there’s typically only one answer. Additionally, a lot of modules are based around what’s happening right now so it’s really relevant. 

What aspects of the course do you enjoy the most?  

I’d say I enjoy the practical sessions the most, this is where you can get an understanding of a machine or process hands-on instead of just learning about it in a lecture. For example, during a recent fashion technology lab we were shown how to operate machines which were used to carry out physical test on a garments materials and after this were told to carry out the tests on a garment that had been selected for my group.

What has been the most surprising thing about coming to Leeds?

I’d say how easy it is to get along with people, coming to university can be a daunting and intimidating thought but at the same time everyone is in the same boat. I’ve made some really good friends whilst here who I get along with very well.

Although it’s a stereotype I was surprised at how approachable lecturers are. With fashion, the stereotype is that people are too high and mighty to waste their time explaining things, but at Leeds, this isn’t the case.

What would you say about the learning facilities in your School and at the University in general?

I have to say the facilities within the School of Design are exceptional. There’s a full laboratory to test fabrics, a photography studio and three computer clusters next to one another if you wanted to use any adobe programmes outside of lectures.