Ella helps out in Calais

What were your reasons for visiting Calais?

Volunteering in Calais has been something I have wanted to do ever since the refugee crisis was documented in the news back in 2016. Ever since then, I have been passionate about raising awareness of the situations that are happening all over Europe, which is why I decided to base my final collection on the European refugee crisis.

Visiting Calais and volunteering with the charity Help Refugees was not only important to me personally, but also vital for my collection. My experience in Calais at the Help Refugees warehouse has given me more drive to raise awareness of the ongoing issues that are currently happening in Calais and beyond.

How did your experience in Calais match up to or differ from your expectations?

I really did not know what to expect when I arrived in Calais. On my first day I was able to help prepare food with the charity, Refugee Community Kitchen. They cook 1500 meals a day for refugees around Calais and Dunkirk. Whilst working there I was able to go on a distribution in Dunkirk and got to experience first-hand the way the refugees in this area live and survive.

Ella Gilchrist

'Sew-ho' in Calais

It was raining and cold yet the people I served were extremely grateful and cheery – and the volunteers got to join in with some Kurdish dancing. The long-term volunteers had such a great relationship with the refugees and it was great to see barriers being broken down so that they didn’t feel like it was ‘us’ and ‘them’.

When working in the warehouse I worked in ‘Sew-ho’ which is where repairs are made to broken zips on sleeping bags, coats and trousers and patches are sewn onto holey blankets. The charity has a make, do and mend ethos. I also helped in the woodwork department, where I made kindling which is also distributed to communities around Calais.

How will your trip inform your work going forward?

I managed to gather lots of imagery during my trip which I am hoping to use within my collection. I am also aiming to make a zine to go along with my final collection about the volunteering experience and what various charities are doing to help the situation.

Using the information from my trip, such as accurate statistics and facts, I am to print these onto garment pattern shapes to inform and educate the viewers of my collection of the issues happening today. I have been looking at utilitarian, sportswear and street wear styles which have inspired my work and designs.

How would you describe your time at the University of Brighton?

My time doing fashion and textiles at the University of Brighton has been positive and exciting. Through the volunteering service I was able to work at Cancer Research Brighton and be their visual merchandiser, which was great for my CV when applying for internships during my placement year. I have been pushed and encouraged to try new things and have been able to gain industry contacts which will benefit me when I leave the university. 

What are your ambitions after university?

After university I am hoping to gain more experiences within fashion journalism and work towards my goal of working for a magazine. Whilst out on my placement year I was fortunate enough to try out various careers within the fashion industry and my experiences at magazines have led me towards this pathway. Although I have specialised in printed textiles, I am hoping that I can gear my final collection to be more journalistic and that my experiences throughout my time at the university will aid me in my career choice.

You can view some of Ella's work on her Instagram account.

Ella working in Calais