Lucy's University Story

Today the founder and designer of Lucy Loves This - Lucy Stephens is sharing her university journey to celebrate our new collection of uni prints. We have recently designed a whole host of brand new prints that champion university towns, perfect for anyone who is set to graduate this year.

Now over to Lucy to hear all about her uni story...

I had a wonderful few years studying graphic design in Leeds, but it didn’t start off that great. I actually nearly left my course after the first year as I didn’t feel it was the right direction for me. But by that point, I had already made some great friends and as I’m not a quitter by nature I decided to persevere. I’m so glad I did. I came back in my second year to find the course had been completely changed, new staff new focus - and much more in line with what I wanted to do.

I learnt so much about designing in a commercial way which has no doubt impacted on the business I run today, it also led on to me teaching on the course after I graduated for several years - which I loved, and helped me grow in confidence as a young designer. For me though, probably one of the most important things that happened from moving to Leeds was meeting my husband. Corny I know, but he has been my partner in crime through the good and bad, and 12 years on we are stronger than ever. I would never have started the business without his support, he has been a constant source of advice and help over the years - from accounting to manning craft stalls in the early days. There wouldn’t be a business without him.

So the Leeds print would have to be the most important one in the uni collection for me. As a former student, I’ve tried to pick out some of the most iconic spots, from the Original Oak with it’s sprawling beer garden in Headingley to a nod to the infamous Otley run pub crawl which I’m proud to say I completed (if proud is the right word!). All these memories and landmarks make me so happy to be a Leeds graduate. 

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Thanks so much to Lucy for sharing her story. Uni definitely has its ups and downs and we believe that graduating is well worth a big celebration! We would love to hear your own university tales so head over to our Facebook and Instagram accounts to leave a comment and join in the conversation.

Our full collection of uni town prints are available here if you'd like to purchase one.