Bianca Maria Pianigiani

What has your career journey been since graduating?

I landed a job in fashion with a company where I had completed a placement during my course, so started straight after graduation! I did admin for the production team, then moved to coordinating the reprocessing/quality checking of the goods. After a couple of years, I moved to cover roles in production and product development for small leather goods for luxury companies. A few years later, I literally stumbled into my current job, which might seem like a big change but, actually, only the product is a bit different, the logics of supply planning I had already learnt are very much applied in the same way. Never underestimate your ability to be flexible and versatile: it is your most powerful skill!

Did you feel that the course prepared you for going into industry?

I loved the course! It had everything I wanted to learn: the management, the creative part, constant industry insight, tutors coming from the industry who demonstrated how to put theory in to practice. I thought it was brilliant. Looking back I can appreciate how much hard work my peers and I put into finishing the course, it was intense at times, with long hours of classes, seminars and study sessions, but looking at where we all are now and how we'll we are doing, I would re do it again and again.

Have you been able to use the knowledge and skills you learnt on the course in your job roles?

Yes - the skill to be analytical and logical about the situation you are working in. Be practical: most problems have extremely simple solutions. The part I enjoyed the most about the course was getting "briefed" for our projects as if we were in the workplace: presentations, building campaigns, mapping a management or business development strategy for a company. The constant reminder to learn to recognise what theory applies to your reality and if it can be put into practice.

What did you enjoy about your time at Solent?

The course merged two of the things I was most passionate about: fashion and management, I was constantly driven to give my best and learn as much as I could at the time. My tutors were all equally passionate and caring, they were sharing their knowledge from their experiences, and dispensed advice as if they were our caring parents. I remember them all fondly.