From Couturier to Climate Designer

26 July 2023

Former fashion student enters a new field and opens up conversations about sustainability

Agnes (Agi) Olah spent years working in the fashion industry after her first Bachelor’s degree, in roles that ranged from couturier and pattern-cutter to working on haute-couture for bridal gowns, costumes and the film industry.

But when the industry was shaken by the covid pandemic, and due to a rising uncomfortableness with sustainability issues surrounding fast fashion, Agi decided it was time for a change.

“I’ve always been a creative person and I wanted to stay in a creative industry,” Agi says. “But I found myself in a rut after Covid-19 damaged the fashion industry, and I felt that parts of it were going in a bad direction.

“I just didn’t want to be part of it anymore, which was having an impact on my creativity and motivation. So I started a fresh new course to get me thinking and feeling creative again, which is sometimes all you need. A prompt to get you going again.”

The course she chose was BA Graphic Design at University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Swansea College of Art – a course which came 1st in Wales and top 10 in the UK in The Guardian University League Tables 2023.

“From all the courses I could have studied at this university, I felt that Graphic Design was the most universal, and could open the doors to many industries to build a new career for myself,” she says.

Over the next few years, Agi flourished in UWTSD’s educational environment. Despite initial worries that she would struggle to return to university as a mature student, her work and projects won several prestigious awards, including a Creative Conscience Award in 2022 which recognises work that makes a positive social and environmental impact.

In Agi’s work, it’s easy to see the emphasis she places on sustainability, and this passion, combined with her knowledge of fashion, led her to enter – and win – the global World of WearableArt competition in 2022.

Agi’s wearable art design was made from materials destined for landfill, for which she scooped the Student Innovation Award at the prestigious show in Wellington, New Zealand, where her creation shared a stage with the then-Prime Minister of New Zealand, who was a guest model at the event.

But Agi’s success didn’t stop there.

Agi Olah next to a model in her winning Wearable Art competition design – Beneath.

“The biggest highlight of my final year was to work on the ‘Swansea Project Zero’ campaign, which supports businesses, residents and organisations as they help the city achieve NetZero carbon emissions by 2050.

“My design concept won a competition to be used as the official brand-identity of this important campaign, and I’m delighted to work with Swansea Council on this going forward.

“Using skills I learnt at UWTSD, I created a design which I hope will inspire and move people in Swansea to build a greener, more sustainable future.

“As a designer, knowing my concepts will be part of a campaign that will run for decades is very rewarding.”

Agi graduated today, 12 July, after showcasing her portfolio at the New Designers annual graduate showcase in London last week, which puts the UK’s most innovative emerging design talent in front of top industry professionals and talent scouts.

She attributes part of her success to the Graphic Design department at UWTSD, where she explored as much as possible that the University could offer: “There was an amazing workshop facility where I had the opportunity to try all traditional printing methods like letterpress, block printing, screen and Riso printing, to name just a few!

“Furthermore, my lecturers not only encouraged me but gave me all the help I needed, and opportunities to explore other departments’ workshops to widen my skills and experiment, including into Surface Pattern and Ceramics.

“I would highly recommend this course to others who want to explore and experiment with traditional and non-traditional design methods, but also because its highly industry-focused structure helped me gain valuable skills I can put towards building my future design career.”

Agi will return to UWTSD in September to begin a Graphic Design Masters.