LCF graduate strikes the fashion prose

by Bianca Bass

While studying Fashion Promotion at London College of Fashion (LCF), Jessica Bumpus interned at every given opportunity; spending her holidays in the stock-piled fashion cupboards at The Daily Telegraph, ELLEgirl, Vogue and Easy Living.

She even gained work experience at her local paper, The Cheshire Chronicle.

After graduating in the class of 2006, with a first class degree, she embarked upon her career at Condé Nast.

She worked for the love-filled Brides magazine, before going freelance for a period, and then played a big role in launching some of the publishing giant’s most popular and renowned websites. 

Having proved her worth, Bumpus became Fashion Features Editor at Vogue.com in 2008, bringing style to everybody’s fingertips via the digitalisation of the most prestigious publication in fashion.

New Talent

Alongside her role at Vogue.com, the young Bumpus is an avid supporter of up-and-coming designers such as Michael van der Ham, James Long and Naisr Mazhar, to name but a few.

She is also a member of Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s selection panel, which showcases young British designers and advises new talent as they begin their careers.

While undoubtedly having a gift for the written word, it is her love for fashion that is most visible in her work.

Through a life-long passion, hard work and determination, she is an inspiring example of someone who has already made so many of her dreams come true.

During her time as a student, LCF was one of the few London colleges to offer fashion journalism courses. After having gone to one of the college’s open days, her choice was easy: “I remember coming out buzzing and excited – the projects you got set and the industry lecturers that taught you, that was my mind made up.”

Big city living

Bumpus grew up in Cheshire before moving to London eight years ago, and cannot imagine life anywhere else: “It is a fantastic city”, she enthuses, “it can be scary, it can be fun, it can be exciting – there’s so much to it and even now I find myself surprised by simple things that I didn’t know existed.”

As a vocational course, the renowned program at LCF enabled Bumpus to get inside the city’s famously vast creative sector, while still studying: “On the course it really was up to you to make it work. I was doing work experience at every opportunity – which is the best way in, coupled with the skills you learn at LCF.”

During last month’s London Fashion Week, work was piling up, as usual. She worked around the clock, attending as many shows and events as was humanly possible, all the while writing reviews on the hour, nearly every hour.

She then flew straight from the capital to Milan, for the next big week on the fashion calendar, to repeat the process all over again. While discussing the weeks’ highlights, another UAL alumnus crops up: “In London, JW Anderson – who studied menswear at LCF also – was fantastic and very exciting.”

Anderson is in good company among Bumpus’s Spring/Summer 2012 highlights: “I personally loved what Marc Jacobs did at Louis Vuitton, Chanel of course, and Roberto Cavalli was a wild take on the House of Elliot [the nineties BBC fashion television series currently being repeated on ITV4].”

Stylish

Her own style is one of varying influences, and the result is, indeed, stylish. “I’m not sure I have any favourite trends as such but I do like the general recurring Nineties thing that’s going on. It’s a bit of a nostalgia thing for me! I seem to have developed a bit of a thing for coats at the moment and love anything by Marc Jacobs and Chanel.” 

Back in the London office, the fashion press’s workflow doesn’t stop. “I’m compiling shopping pages, interviewing designers, co-ordinating the ‘Street-Chic’ pages, attending events and working with the rest of the team to plan our content for now, next week and next month.”

In addition to her editorial knowledge, Bumpus is an experienced interviewer, having met many of the industry’s big names: “I have been lucky enough to interview some of my favourites – but I also love to meet the up-and-coming talent and offer advice as and where I can. It’s great to see them grow and exciting to see where they’ll end up.”

Her advice to the current crop of UAL students? “Work experience, work experience, work experience! It’s the best way to learn the ropes – everything from how to work in an office to prepping for a shoot etc.”

Bumpus also stresses the importance of building up contacts through such experience, as she now works with some of the people she used to intern for at Condé Nast.

“And at LCF I had to produce a magazine for my final year project and it’s a very impressive  thing to be able to present to potential employers. So, of course, work hard.”

Jessica’s essential winter wardrobe

• Kooky tights. I’m a big fan of coloured, patterned and printed tights and now is the time to show them off.
• Bulky and oversized jumpers – they look so effortless and cool with skinny jeans.
• And a great winter coat, of course, there are so many good ones about. I’m currently switching between a retro duffle coat and a dramatic faux-fur collared one.
• More ankle boots – I’ve been living in one pair for the last month, so it’s definitely time to to invest in some new ones.