“I feel like I’ve grown both as a person and as a creative” – UKFT’s MADE IT internship
14/02/2024
Samuele Ricchiuti, a second-year BA Fashion Design student at the University of Wesminster, undertook an internship at the London-based leather specialist Nosakhari, with support from UKFT’s MADE IT programme.
“During my two months at Nosakhari I feel like I’ve grown both as a person and as creative,” said Samuele. For this internship Samuele was under the supervision of Nosakhare (Nosa) Osadolor, Nosakhari’s Founder and Creative Director.
Samuele explained: “Nosa pushed outside of my comfort zone by giving me tasks and being put on the spot. The first few weeks, he sat me down to talk about his brand ethos and values and taught me information I hadn’t acquired at university, like the difference between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, and the importance of semiotics when making and selling a product.
He put me straight to work, starting with a tech sheet of professional standards for the Able Bag. I learned the difference and difficulty found in accessory design, as everything must be exact and in scale to the millilitre. This was very new to me as in garment design, tech drawings are made to proportion and not scale. This challenge helped improve my skills on Illustrator. Nosa gave me great feedback and sharpened my eye to detail.”
“I advise businesses to treat interns in the way I have been treated here at Nosakhari. It showed me that there are people who want to nurture young students.”
Based in Hackney, London, Noskahari brings together a team of leather specialists to create appealing and functional leather products such as bags, briefcases and accessories. The company also features CreateLab, an in-house leather goods studio that offers sampling, manufacturing, production and leather sourcing services to fashion brands. Samuele said:
“Another important aspect of running a business I learned from Nosa is regarding leadership. The way he trains his team with morning group meetings and addresses issues one-on-one with his employees showed me the importance of authority, communication and respect. Furthermore, Nosa puts a lot of effort into sharing his brand values with his team so everyone in the company can be on the same page and work towards the same goal.
I also had the opportunity to be a part of their production team. I was trained by Nosakhari’s Production Manager, who taught me everything that goes into leather craft. My eye sharpened as I gained an understanding of what it means to handle huge workloads and time manage them correctly.
This led to me designing a key ring for their upcoming collection which was accepted by Nosa and implemented in their product range. I was allowed to sample it several times to adjust its size and finishings, while the expert artisans in his team guided me through the process.”
Discover Nosakhari online:
About MADE IT
Five university design students have undertaken paid internships at UK fashion and textile businesses including Cookson & Clegg, Nosakhari, London Contour Experts, LLUK and Toogood, as part of UKFT’s MADE IT scheme.
Students have been selected from the four participating universities on this year’s MADE IT programme: the University of Bolton, the University of Westminster, Manchester Metropolitan University and Buckinghamshire New University.
UKFT held a production and sourcing masterclass for fashion and textile design students at each university to promote the importance of production and sourcing within a rounded fashion education and to highlight the breadth of job opportunities across the supply chain. The sessions also highlighted the rich manufacturing expertise and specialisms within the UK.
Following the masterclasses, students took part in a production-focused project and UKFT selected winners to undertake the two-month internship scheme.
Supporting UK manufacturing
UKFT’s MADE IT campaign is generously supported by The Clothworkers’ Company and CapitB. It is part of UKFT’s broader aim of supporting the future of the UK manufacturing sector, which includes running projects to support growth and innovation, promoting and matchmaking businesses and ensuring that the next generation of skilled people entering the sector are being trained to the highest level.