Fashion Design with Professional Placement

Turn heads and change minds as you steer the industry toward a more sustainable future.

With a pressing need to reduce its environmental impact, the fashion industry is calling for designers who place sustainability and circularity at the forefront. This is your chance to help shape fashion’s future. You’ll explore the environmental, ethical and moral contexts of fashion design as you tackle real- world challenges, learning how to embed responsible practice throughout the process of garment concept and creation – from pattern cutting and construction to curating fashionable, functional and highly original collections that don’t cost the earth.

You will:
Learn design skills needed to make positive change at the forefront of the creative industries
Explore the environmental, ethical and moral challenges of our time in relation to the fashion design sector
Have access to resources ranging from specialist industrial sewing and knit machines and ultrasonic welding equipment to screen printing and a natural dye garden
Discover the sustainable ways of working in both traditional and digital pattern cutting – including CLO3D
Collaborate with likeminded students, expert staff and industry specialists to unlock new ideas, opportunities and networks
Tackle live briefs from leading brands with a focus on global sustainability
Investigate brands and business models to develop professional practice skills
Have the opportunity to explore all realms of fashion design, including streetwear, sportswear and functional clothing concepts
Graduate as a confident, innovative and responsible fashion designer, with a career-launching portfolio, look book and final collection

Throughout this Fashion Design degree, you’ll learn to create original and inspiring fashion proposals underpinned by a specialist knowledge of sustainable fashion practices. While developing an understanding of your responsibility as a fashion designer, you’ll gain advanced skills in research, analysis, translation, drawing, pattern cutting and construction. Working with professional facilities, you’ll also be encouraged to take risks as you experiment with new and emerging technologies and processes.

Year one
Through design and practical projects, you’ll build an awareness of the fashion industry’s social and environmental impact and seek innovative and sustainable solutions. Through tutorials and workshops, you’ll develop core skills in research, design development, drawing, pattern cutting and construction – utilising professionally equipped studios to create original works.

Modules
Cut and Construct
Redesign
Belonging
Histories
Colour and shape

Year two
The second year focuses on industry knowledge, responding to global challenges and exploring how digital and traditional fashion practices can invoke positive change. By investigating brands and sustainable business models, you’ll continue to build on your creative design skills and start to align with sustainable practices.

Modules
Industry Practice
Core skills: Digital
Core skills: Stretch
Collaboration
Innovation
Theories

Year three
You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the employability team. Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying.

How you’ll study during your professional placement
You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks.

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation.

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth.

Year four
In the final year of your Fashion Design degree, you'll develop a graduate collection by intensively researching, developing and exploring 2D and 3D concepts. Your collection will be underpinned by a consideration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and supported by a dissertation.

With sights set firmly on launching your career, you’ll also produce a professional portfolio and lookbook and have the opportunity to participate in live competition briefs set by professional fashion organisations, such as the British Fashion Council and the Graduate Fashion Foundation.

Modules
Pre-Collection
Investigations
Collection
Professional Strategies

As part of our process of continuous improvement, we routinely review course content to ensure that all our students benefit from a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be some changes made to your course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website. Any students affected will be informed of any changes made directly.

Studio-based projects, including portfolio and garments, and written assignments
Final year dissertation, collections & portfolio