For fashion design student Lainey Volz, spending a semester studying abroad in London was not just an exciting opportunity, but also a dream come true. 

“Even when I was really young, I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer, so my parents started looking into fashion colleges really early. As early as the third grade, London College of Fashion was something that came up in their searches,” she remembers. “Then, when I went to interview for the program, I saw a flyer about where you could study abroad, and London was one of the options. And that immediately made me so excited.”

Lainey’s first-ever international trip happened the summer after her first year at the Wilson College. She says attending ITMA, a textile and garment innovation showcase in Milan, with a group of other students cemented her goal to study abroad. 

“Going to ITMA definitely gave me a taste of what travel was like. It was my first ever time leaving the country, and especially doing it in that kind academic setting really excited me,” she says.

The time she’s spent immersed in London’s fashion scene has helped her become more experimental in both her design and her personal style.

“It’s influenced me to be more eclectic, and even have some more retro influences in my design practice. I would describe my style as highly feminine and very colorful, but learning about subcultures in class and exploring different boroughs has shown me this new, edgy style that’s very popular here,” she says.

Below, Lainey shares firsthand what a typical day in London looked like for her this spring! 

Morning routine

I wake up in the University of the Arts “The Costume Store” housing. Before it became  student living, it was home to the BBC’s costume collection, giving it its name and making it the perfect place to live as a fashion student! 

I’m a morning person, so regardless of whether I have class or not, I’m up at 7 a.m. Every room at the costume store has its own bathroom, and as a girl who loves doing her hair and makeup every morning, this is a real treat. 

I love picking out my outfit, and have been very influenced by my classmates and the London fashion scene. So that I don’t get too bored with the limited wardrobe I packed for the trip, I’ve picked up a few clothing items and accessories while I’ve been here. I love that the eclectic London style is starting to seep into my wardrobe! 

As a fashion student, it’s been a fun challenge to mix and match what I packed in creative ways, and it’s really teaching me that I can live a lot more minimally!

Class time

Every day is a little different! I have field trips some days that take my classes off campus, and some days I only have one class! 

My favorite class would have to be my footwear design studio. We do everything in that class from speed sketching, to mood board making, “dissecting” footwear, and learning about branding and marketing! It’s my longest class, a three-hour studio, but the time always flies by.

All of London College of Fashion is beautiful, with its open concept design and floor-to-ceiling windows making it a super lovely place to create and spend time. 

Study break!

My favorite places to study are Sourdough Sophia and The Cheeky Scone! They are two super quaint coffee shops with amazing coffee and baked goods (great studying motivators), adorable colorful ambiance, a ton of seats and WiFi (which can be hard to come across in a packed city like London)!

Free time

I truly love everything about London, so I seize every free moment I have to explore. My three favorite areas of London are Notting Hill, Richmond and Marylebone. You can often find me going on long walks through the neighborhoods of the colorful houses and Portobello Market in Notting Hill, or drawing up new designs in my sketchbook with an iced latte, sitting by the Richmond riverside! 

But my favorite thing has been spending time with my friends, becoming even closer with my FTD [fashion and textile design] cohort members who are here in London, and making new friends on and off campus!