LondonMet Evening course inspires creative career change
4th February 2009
Evening course inspires creative career change
Designer Aiveen Daly, who studied upholstery at the Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design (JCAMD) has recently been profiled in the Daily Mail’s You magazine.
Aiveen was a professional marketer until an evening course at London Metropolitan University inspired her to set up her own upholstery business. She has quickly become a much sought-after supplier, with high profile clients including property developers Candy and Candy, Studiolise, designer Paul Smith and Liberty. She is renowned for her use of boudoir style silk, satin and velvet, and takes much of her inspiration from the 1940s and the golden age of Hollywood.
Talking about her time at London Metropolitan University, Aiveen said: ‘I have always loved sewing and playing around with fabrics, and I dreamt of having a career that was creative. The course was practical and hands-on. We got stuck in from the start, I absolutely loved it.’
Michael Upton, Academic Leader at the department said: ‘Our short and part-time professional courses are increasingly popular with those seeking a career change so it’s great to see Aiveen enjoy this success. The world of upholstery is changing too- the traditional craft techniques are being used in really interesting ways by contemporary designers like Aiveen and by other recent alumni from the course such as that by Julia Surina of Artel House and by Miss Pokeno in her controversial work.’