In 2010, Stine Linnemann landed a dream work placement at Alexander McQueen’s in London. The atmosphere was busy and intense from day one, but the British fashion house soon began to notice the Danish design student’s talent. So much so that Stine and fellow student Signe Rand Ebbesen were headhunted in 2011 to serve as experts in the hectic run-up to the Paris fashion week.
The challenge was to do a demanding weave. A unique expression that no one else could achieve. “We did sample after sample in a room full of interns and with fashion designers constantly coming and going. The demands to the collection were staggering. I spent our first days there building my own loom on site, as it became clear that no one else could do the weave that Head of Design, Womenwear Christine Nielsen – and, ultimately, Creative Director Sarah Burton – was looking for,” Stine explains. “We did a tiger leap in comparison with the other interns. And I think that as Danish designers we can contribute with a high degree of independence. We’re not afraid to fight to prove our worth – and to prove that our ideas and solutions are viable.”
The 2010 employment survey carried out by The Danish Design School found that work placements open new doors and facilitate employment. Therefore, this is only one among many good examples of work placements.
