Yen'k Murray at the 2018 Designer Critic and Senior Thesis Fashion Show

Yen'k Murray began taking a keen interest in fashion from a very young age, and started her career in fashion as a model at fourteen years. At the age of eighteen, she was the youngest Costume Band Leader in her country for the internationally acclaimed Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. Having recognised that she had an incredible love and passion for the arts and fashion, she decided to pursue her dreams by enrolling with The University of Trinidad and Tobago's (UTT) to study Fashion Design, with her future goal to pursue Fashion Styling and Communication.

She recently completed a Diploma in Fashion Design at The Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design (CAFD) at UTT.  Previously, she attended Signal Hill Secondary School where she completed her five-year tenure and received a full Certificate in the Department of Science. She then pursued one year of six form and obtained a Certificate, in the area of Science. It was during her time at this institute she was appointed 'Executive Prefect', a very auspicious role. She received many awards for her hard work and dedication, some of the awards included:

• Persistent Student
• Most Disciplined Student
• Most Outstanding Student - Biology

In 2017 she began hosting an art workshop and obstacle course charity event in her community in Tobago. This was geared towards giving back some of the knowledge she gained during her time at UTT, to young people within her hometown. These young people had a passion for the arts, but without a platform to express themselves. Yen'k is a creative at heart, a designer and an artist.

She eventually applied to Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), Florence Italy to expand her knowledge in fashion styling and communication. On May 30th 2018, she received confirmation that she was selected the winner of the Undergraduate Fashion Styling and Communication Competition. This was due to the portfolio submitted of samples done at CAFD.

The Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) has more than fifty (50) years of experience in the field of Fashion, Visual Communication and Design. IED also has campuses in the most iconic places for art and fashion design, and holds some significant areas in fashion and design history. Structured with real companies support - such as Vogue Pomellato, Fendi, Kering, LVMH, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Bulgari, Ermenegildo Zegna, WGSN, Calvin Klein, Acqua di Parma, Moleskine and Max Mara - IED courses coach students to deal with customer's marketing and build their own identity.

IED also has a number of benefits because of their affiliation with the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education, giving students access to grants, scholarships and academic exchange. The determining factor for her was the fact that IED opens its tuition to over 2000 international students each year. "This institution is the place where I hope to further my education, in a culturally diversified environment that is conducive to my development" she said.