The impact of in-curriculum placements: how a Bristol alumna is helping prepare students for success

How does Bristol prepare students for the working world?

We spoke to Bristol alumna Keri Andriana, founder and CEO of Amschela, an affordable luxury, vegan handbag brand, about setting up her own business and why she is giving back and supporting our students with in-curriculum placement opportunities.

Could you tell us a little bit about your background and your career leading up to the development of Amschela?

I’m a University of Bristol law alumna. I was a solicitor for 16 years, then I was a prison lawyer for 8 years and ended my career as an adjudication judge in property. I took redundancy in 2016 and then had this great idea of Amschela and here we are six years later.

My motivation to start the brand was to transition to a second career, and I don’t think I could have done it had I not been taught the things I was taught at Bristol. Such as how to:

be methodical
work logically
conduct research in areas that you know nothing about
be organised
analyse data and information.

All of those skills help me do what I do today. I use them every day.

In your own words, what is Amschela all about, and what does it stand for as a business?

We wanted to see if we could create a brand that still had a luxury appeal but at an affordable price.

I would call Amschela a business for purpose. We’re not just about the profit margins and sales figures. Yes, we want to make money, but more important than that is when we sell a product, the profit from that is filtered into two tiers. It either goes into our social mobility programme or it goes into the six sustainable projects that we support around the world.

Our target market is the type of woman who wants that luxurious life, but also wants to help. They want to have a nice bag; they want to have that luxury feel, but they also have a conscience. That’s the essence of who we are and why we’re here and why we do what we do.

Why did you decide to collaborate with the University in the first place?

I think for me, being an alumna, it was a no-brainer. I feel like that’s where my career journey really started from being at the University, so I think it’s always nice to go back to where it all began.

For me, it just makes sense to kind of come home, and if I’m going to use the brand to benefit any student group, then it just has to be my alumni. Giving back to the University that gave me all of my skills is an absolute pleasure.

Tell us about the student placement experience at Amschela

We take a few students each year on placement in-house, and they get a whole project, plus they get to go to fashion events, so they love it. I want them to have an experience of what a fashion brand really does because I think it sometimes gets viewed as just events and red carpets and things like that. It’s still a business, and it still has to operate like a business. So, it’s giving them real-life experience. It means something to them that is credible on their CVs in order to help them on their career trajectory. That’s really what it’s about.

The projects we do are instrumental to the brand, and you see them played out in the brand. It’s not a tick box; it’s real-life projects. I think that makes it more interesting for the students, because then they’re able to see how they’re actively contributing. And, if this were a real job, they’re actually doing what they would be doing.

Students who have previously been on placements at Amschela have fed back very positively on their experiences and the skills they gained:

‘I really enjoyed taking on tasks specific to the company. Leaning to use new tools and adapt my academic skills to real life practices was really helpful and interesting.’

‘My main highlights were to be able to be part of the behind the scenes in product campaign shoots and be able to help create a strategy for how these would be promoted on their social channels.’

‘Overall I found this experience to be revolutionary for my future career prospects, as I feel more confident within my skills and abilities to carry out marketing operations, along with having clear evidence and experience to show for it.’

How has the placement experience at Amschela contributed to a student’s career success?

They go on and do fantastic things, and it’s nice to see them progress. We’ve had one woman go off to work with Chanel, another man go off to work within other marketing areas, and one student who has gone to theatre design school. It’s nice to know that they look back on Amschela as a good experience.

From your incredible career journey, what is your advice for our students?

I always want Amschela to be, for the students, a safe environment to get it right, but also a safe environment if you get it wrong. It’s fine if you get it wrong. I’m still learning, and I’ve been running this business now for nearly six years. And sometimes there might not be a right or wrong answer, but it’s teaching them how to come into their own and be their own type of boss. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Don’t be afraid to make a decision that might go against the grain. Be able to present yourself well and do what you do best.

I think the University of Bristol itself has always been about purpose. It’s about making us be the best that we can be and to walk, head up, chest out, and I think that’s who we are in our brand. All of the students who come in, the work they do is phenomenal, and I didn’t expect anything less.

Find out more about our courses in the Business School.

Discover more about project and placement opportunities for students with the Professional Liaison Network.

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