Lynne Burstall
Creative Director of Coast, Lynne Burstall, completed the Foundation in Art & Design and also studied the first year of the Fashion Diploma at Bradford College of Art in the early 1970s.
“It was 1972 and it was my first year out
of Bolling Girls School when I was let loose
on the Art Foundation course. It was a
really exciting mixture of new interests,
new people, great music and everything
happening at once. Suddenly I was
surrounded by hippies and long haired lads!
It was all very creative and I thought it was
amazing.
I actually met my partner on the
course and after all these years we are still
together.
I always knew that I wanted to do fashion
but what was great about the Foundation
course was that it was a year devoted
to art, print, photography, sculpture –
everything, and there were lots of guest
lecturers coming in. I remember doing an
art deco project, which was really trendy
at the time. I made a satin outfit with a
sunburst on it and felt I had really achieved
something. I also made a decorated plate
which still sits on my shelf at home.
I then spent a year on the Fashion course
at Bradford. I had originally turned down
an offer to go elsewhere but later I realised
that I wanted to have that freedom of
going away and at the time the Bradford
course wasn’t a degree.
After my degree in Fashion Design from
Birmingham, I did a Masters at the Royal
College of Art and then spent 7 months
designing for Fiorucci in Milan. I then came
home to work for Chelsea Girl, before going
to Warehouse for 6 years. I spent a year
setting up a business before going back
with the guys who had set Warehouse up.
I was with Oasis from 1988 to 1998, and I
am still with the group as Creative Director
of Coast. I now apply an external eye to the
business and oversee the creative identity
of the brand.”
Photograph supplied by Coast