The ASBCI student membership is the most successful in the United Kingdom and goes from strength to strength and importance each year. Now with 16 of the UK’s leading fashion colleges and universities as full members, the ASBCI student membership is expected to reach up to 500 students this year.  I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the University of Portsmouth who recently joined.

Aims of the student membership
The aim and ambition of the student membership programme remains the same, to provide students easy and direct access to a greater practical and commercial understanding of the fashion industry. The most important function is to enable student members to engage directly with the fashion industry and create exceptional opportunities for them to meet and learn from heads of industry.

 

The student membership enables students to join from the time they start their fashion degree course to when they leave university to meet the challenges of the work place. This contact and communication is more important now than ever due to today’s very challenging fashion environment.

The student membership now numbers over 500 currently, and many others who have graduated.  It is also very important to the ASBCI’s future. Our student members are tomorrow’s designers, technologists, buyers and directors. Through them we will be able to communicate the value membership provides its retail, consultant and industry partners.  Once in the supply chain they will help create greater awareness of the range of ASBCI services and network of contacts for fashion professionals in the future.

Student representation
Student representatives have recently joined the ASBCI Student  Committee, and have provided invaluable advice and suggestions.  This input has helped the student committee to remain relevant and active in meeting the needs of today's undergraduates.

Student conference and seminars
The main conference is covered elsewhere. It is quite formal, mirroring major industry events with very high calibre speakers, and typically fills a 300-seater lecture theatre.  Seminars tend to be more informal, where students in small groups can discuss in-depth questions with industry experts.  Often the content is aimed more at final year students, and includes current and practical advice on career path options.