My name is Kelly McGrath but I work under the name/brand KellyDawn Riot. I’m Irish but moved to Glasgow to do my MA at GSA. I’m originally from a purely printed textiles background, but have transitioned into a both a print and menswear designer in recent years. The opportunities in Glasgow have been wonderful and so I have decided to stay here as so far it’s been very kind to me.

Photography: Gabriela Silveira, Model: Bejoy Sanjeev

Since completing my MA two and a half months ago, I’ve been lucky to have had fantastic opportunities come my way quite regularly, but that’s not to say that they fell into my lap. A lot of it was days spent searching for opportunities online or going the extra mile to go out of my way to approach people.

The GSA Promenade and accompanying publicity was a launch pad as it provided great exposure for me. I was featured alongside two other classmates on The Herald and on the college website. From this, I was contacted and offered two photoshoots, one for an online retailer, and the other for GUM magazine. Following this, GUM offered me the main space for a fashion show at their launch event in December.

I think it’s important that if you meet like-minded creative people that you keep in contact and network as much as possible. There’s a lot of people who want to collaborate with other creatives and the photoshoots I have on my website were the result of this. Gabriela Silveira Photography and Bejoy Sanjeev were two people who really just wanted to get involved and be creative and I think you can see that in the shoot.

Since finishing college, I have ensured that a large portion of my time was spent entering both large and small competitions. Although it’s sometimes incredibly disappointing not to win or to hear that they don’t want you, it’s good to see who wins and what their website or CV looks like so that you can better yourself and improve on things (like your website, like I did).

However I have recently been awarded The New Talent Award for Scotland Re:Designed which was an exhilarating experience. It has provided me with fabric, funding and a mentor which is more than I could have asked for. From this, I was offered a fashion show with Glasgow University and have had the most amazing feedback and compliments from various creatives such as the director of Grazia and the director of Victoria Beckham.

If I had any advice it would be to network constantly and to research, research, research.

Comment below or on Twitter using #LifeAfterArtSchool & mentioning @CenSta with your experience after art school.

Stay tuned for updates from art school graduates all this week. In the meantime see a preview of what to expect from the Life After Art School features here.

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We’ll hear from GSA alumna and fashion designer Kelly Dawn Riot, who recently won the Scotland Re:Designed New Talent Award along with sculptural knit designer Laura Muir, whose cosy snoods have begun to take the internet by storm. GSA Communication Design graduate Steven Swinney talks about taking on the Commonwealth Games alongside his freelance work while fellow ComDes alumnus Cliff Andrade revels in the recent win of the Jill Todd Photographic Prize Award.

Ryan Esson – Air and Space

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design graduate Samantha Wilson’s drawings and paintings were put on our radar at the DJCAD degree show. In her take on professional life, Wilson talks about seizing opportunity while fellow DJCAD alumnus Ryan Esson considers the less glamorous side of post-art school life and emphasises the value of staying motivated. Also from DJCAD, Ellis O’Connor discusses the difference between her undergrad and her current postgrad degree, as well as the importance of artist residencies for the development of her work.

Bryony Strange

Edinburgh College of Art graduate and fashion designer Bryony Strange writes about the importance of networking and mentoring in the Scottish creative industry. As she details her transition to professional life, fellow ECA alumnus and illustrator Alexander Jackson talks about taking on the editorial realm. Also from ECA, digital artist Richard Phillips-Kerr (who will be showing his degree show piece at RSA New Contemporaries 2015) explains what he’s now doing in Birmingham.

Finally from Gray’s School of Art, award-winning painter and model-maker Catherine Ross and multimedia artist Dominic McIvor reveal their most recent exploits in Aberdeen and Birmingham respectively.

Stay tuned for updates from these art school graduates all next week.

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