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When your current workplace is situated in one of the coolest cities in the world and your new life is working for one of the biggest retailers in the world…… Then you certainly have a story to tell on your road to success.
Rachael Cliffe, who is now Senior Outerwear Designer for the retailer Inditex, has come a long way since studying at UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire) and wanting to take those first crucial steps into working in the fashion world.
Rachael went on to tell us. “I first fell in love with clothing and fashion when I bought my first KAPPA tracksuit strangely enough, I liked how important and confident I felt.”
Her super stylish appearance and fashion forward dress sense these days clearly make these ghastly tracksuits a thing of the past, but we can completely understand where she is coming from with that one.
“I felt my tomboy days ended though once I started to work in a bridal shop on the weekends and then became obsessed with wanting to design wedding dresses and would spend hours and hours drawing and designing on evenings and weekends.”
Rachael learned very quickly that it was only going to be hard work that would get her where she wanted to be, and after working for the likes of All Saints in university for a project, to then working in Regatta once she left her studies, that’s when all her hard work began to pay off.
It was then that Rachael knew she wanted to work in menswear and everything started to fall into place. Also to add to her list of great achievements was her designing for Footasylum with brands such as Siksilk, KAPPA AND Anthony Morrato where she boasts she loved every minute.
The next venture for the young designer then came when she started working for Native Youth, a small brand based in Manchester which was the time when there had to be big decisions made on what would be next in her quest to finding her feet in the fashion industry.
It was then that her inner tomboy was put to the test when she landed her dream job as Senior Outerwear Designer where she is now based in Barcelona for their young men’s brand Bershka ……. Jealous much???
She then explains: ” The move to Spain was not an easy one, we really do need to count ourselves lucky with what we have available in the UK (i.e NHS and cheap shops!!) But after 3 months I´m finally settling in and getting used to my new life in Barcelona. The city is incredible and my weekends consist of eating amazing food, exploring old back streets and of course THE BEACH!”
She has had MANY highs and some lows with her new lifestyle away from home, but one achievement that has stuck with her is seeing the talented Craig David pictured wearing one of her Native Youth Camo Bomber Jacket designs which she claims she nearly passed out when she saw it.
With a fantastic future set ahead of her and everything she has accomplished to get where she is, the successful designer can only dream of what life has in store for her in her dream job and she cannot wait to see where she will be in the next 5 years.
Her plan for now is sticking with her wonderful life in Barcelona and seeing where the Spanish destination takes her, and we don’t blame her!
She explains: “designing Versace would of course be another huge dream but I’m definitely more of a low key kinda gal and would love nothing more to work with Nigel Cabourne, he is my idol and also a fellow jacket lover.”
This UK born designer has had to grow some seriously thick skin to be in her position, and do you know what…… We love her for it.
In our current negativity-riddled media, let’s celebrate our young enthusiastic generations and we certainly know that Bershka have a determined and driven individual on their hands and we wish her the best of luck.