This course allows you the freedom to grow in a range of areas within the fashion industry. The strong record of employment and work experience held by the Fashion programme ensures graduating students leave with the skills and knowledge required by this specialist area. You can focus on one of two pathways, Fashion Design and Development or Fashion Promotion and Communication. Fashion Design and Development concentrates on development of initial design ideas through to prototype garments. Fashion Promotion and Communication focuses on communicating design concepts through drawing, forecasting, styling, fashion writing, public relations, buying and merchandising.

Whatever pathway you choose, you'll have access to our studio facilities, which include dedicated studio space for 2D and 3D design, pattern cutting, production techniques, photography, IT, and computer-aided design.

Due to the broad nature of the course, you'll be well equipped to fulfil a number of careers, such as fashion design, styling, buying, merchandising, fashion forecasting, pattern cutting, fashion public relations, and fashion marketing. You may wish to work for a magazine or become a consultant, or perhaps start your own business.

Industrial Placement & Field Trips

You are encouraged to carry out work experience whenever possible. Students look for their own placements and guidance is often offered by the course team in finding these. Opportunities often come to students via the strong external links that the course team have with industry. These have led to placements such as: Trend Reporting for WGSN, Styling at FHM Magazine Reporting for Daily Mail Fashion Desk, Design for Griffin Menswear, PR for Agent Provocateur, PR for Purple, PR in Saville Row, Design at Jenny Packham, Marketing Dept at Harvey Nichols, Visual Merchandising at Marks & Spencer, Design for Mudpie Design, Visual Merchandising at TopShop.

There are opportunities to take part in trips abroad. Recent examples are the Premier Vision Exhibition held in Paris, and visits to New York and Milan. Regular trips to museums and exhibitions relevant to the course, are also organised.

• 160 points from two 6-unit awards or equivalent, one of which must be in a relevant art and design discipline; or have undertaken a relevant Art and Design Foundation course.
• You will normally be invited to a portfolio viewing and sometimes a formal interview
• Qualifications equivalent to the above may also be considered

Course Content

Year 1

• Design
• Illustration
• Pattern Cutting
• Garment Development
• Trend Analysis
• Styling
• Fashion Communication
• History of Fashion
• Trend Analysis
• Trend Analysis

Year 2

You build on skills learnt during Year 1, applying design concepts and ideas within the fashion market context. Dependent on your chosen pathway, you'd study units in:

• Design Experimentation
• Garment Development
• Specialist Fabric Applications
• Outerwear
• Fashion Forecasting / Trends
• Public Relations
• Styling
• Buying
• Merchandising
• Design Research
• Marketing

Year 3

• You'll work independently and negotiate project outcomes according to your career aspirations culminating in a final project and dissertation.
• You are encouraged to enter high profile competitions during this year, many of which are linked to our involvement with Graduate Fashion Week.
• Industry liaison is also encouraged and we hold an annual local fashion show to profile our students’ work, which gains local and national press and is attended by industry professionals.