After more than five years of teaching in Vietnam, May Cortazzi has contributed to educating many famous Vietnamese designers such as Vu Ta Linh, Kelly Bui and Lam Gia Khang. She has also helped create a professional education environment at the London College for Design and Fashion, attracting the interest of domestic and foreign fashion communities.
Possessing a bachelor degree in fashion design from Northumbria University and a master’s degree in fashion design from Nottingham Trent University, May Cortazzi chose Hanoi as a place to live and work. Now she is head of the Fashion Design Department at London College for Design and Fashion and is contributing to training talented fashion designers in Vietnam.
Before coming to Vietnam, May Cortazzi worked as a lecturer for fashion training courses in the UK, Indonesia, and Thailand. In 2010, she got an invitation to teach at the London College for Design and Fashion in Hanoi and immediately accepted the offer as she wanted to learn about differences in the fashion industry in different countries as well as to promote her career.
At the beginning, May faced a lot of difficulties. In a short time, she had to get used to the new working environment and ensure teaching quality at the London College for Design and Fashion.
With her experience, May delivers her skills in creative design from idea generating to producing and marketing. Firstly, she taught general knowledge about the world fashion industry and culture to give a general idea to students. Then she taught them skills in analysing fashion trends from runways and street styles so that they have the ability to predict potential trends and understand the market to sell their products with the lowest costs.
Her most notable success when teaching at the London College for Design and Fashion is to organise graduation exhibitions and showcases. With her experience in organising international shows and exhibitions, May has instructed and supervised the organisation of graduation fashion shows for students that impress domestic and foreign fashion lovers and enterprises.
Sharing her most memorial story during her teaching, May remembers that once when she was teaching five students for the 2015 graduation show. She worked with her students from the beginning to the end in a year and helped them generate ideas, create designs, and produce promotion videos for the graduation fashion show. All five collections of her students were chosen to take part in Vietnam Fashion Week, which was an unexpected success for her.
Before coming to Vietnam, May Cortazzi worked as a lecturer for fashion training courses in the UK, Indonesia, and Thailand. In 2010, she got an invitation to teach at the London College for Design and Fashion in Hanoi and immediately accepted the offer as she wanted to learn about differences in the fashion industry in different countries as well as to promote her career.
At the beginning, May faced a lot of difficulties. In a short time, she had to get used to the new working environment and ensure teaching quality at the London College for Design and Fashion.
 May Cortazzi gives lectures on fashion designing skills to Vietnamese students.  May instructs her students on designing.  May examines design assignments of her students.  Checking designs made by students under her supervision.  May often buys the designs of her students.  May helps her students from generating ideas to finalising designs to be showcased at the graduation show.  May gives advice to her students on selling products at programs held by the London College for Design and Fashion.  May comments on the sales space of her students who take part in a sale program held by the London College for Design and Fashion.  The graduation shows that she organises impress both domestic and foreign fashion lover and entrepreneurs.  Graduation shows are occasions for Vietnamese fashion students to show their capability.  May has contributed to training several famous Vietnamese designers.  Though being a demanding teacher, May is close to her students. |
| May Cortazzi was presented with many fashion related awards such as the Green Entrepreneur Award presented by Derbyshire’s Chamber of Commerce, Innovative Entrepreneur Award presented by Nottingham City Committee and Fashion Entrepreneur Award given by the British Council. |
Her most notable success when teaching at the London College for Design and Fashion is to organise graduation exhibitions and showcases. With her experience in organising international shows and exhibitions, May has instructed and supervised the organisation of graduation fashion shows for students that impress domestic and foreign fashion lovers and enterprises.
Sharing her most memorial story during her teaching, May remembers that once when she was teaching five students for the 2015 graduation show. She worked with her students from the beginning to the end in a year and helped them generate ideas, create designs, and produce promotion videos for the graduation fashion show. All five collections of her students were chosen to take part in Vietnam Fashion Week, which was an unexpected success for her.
Story: Ngan Ha – Photos: Khanh Long
