Fashion Textiles

A fast-paced, exciting and ambitious course for determined and inventive individuals who want a career in fashion textiles.

• Benefit from BSU’s position as member of the British Fashion Council Colleges Council, The Graduate Fashion Foundation, UKFT and Association of Fashion and Textile courses.

• A reputation for producing highly individual, award-winning designers and practitioners.

• #5 in the UK and #1 in the South West for Graduate Prospects in Fashion and Textiles (Guardian University Guide 2025).

Fashion at Bath Spa University offers a comprehensive design education for students looking for careers in the fashion industry – the largest of the UK creative industries. The BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles degree enables you to develop a deeper understanding of how textiles shape fashion design.

Our fashion textiles course is based at Locksbrook Campus where you’ll learn and develop in bespoke fashion design studios, preparing you for a career in this exciting industry.

There’s an emphasis on ideas, creativity, traditional skills, and developing students’ own personal ethical and responsible design ethos, underpinned by strong 2D, 3D, digital and product development skills.

You'll have the opportunity to develop your skills in bespoke fashion design studios and benefit from access to one of the world’s leading fashion collections at the Fashion Museum Bath.

Year one
Year one covers the core fundamentals of fashion design disciplines including 2D and 3D practice; design, drawing, fashion illustration, CAD, construction, pattern cutting, ideas research and trend research as well as fabric sourcing and development; the relationship between fabric and design.  
You’ll develop two-dimensional presentation skills investigating ideas through drawing within a sketchbook to inform your three- dimensional work. Textiles for fashion design is introduced at this level for all students.

Year two
In your second year you’ll be encouraged to develop a more personal design style and to develop ideas through research, design development, and design translation using drape and modelling on the stand.  
You’ll develop your drawing and fashion illustration skills and learn to communicate your ideas and design process within a fashion portfolio. You’ll also undertake an external brief. In addition, you’ll continue to develop your knowledge and skills in textiles fabrication for fashion design.

Year three
In your third and final year you’ll develop a more strategic perspective and negotiate a body of work that reflects your personal practice as a fashion textiles designer, drawing together your academic experiences and personal interests to develop a highly professional contemporary fashion textiles collection.  
You’ll also have the opportunity to enter national design competitions, develop a strong fashion portfolio and self-promotional materials. You’ll also gain a greater understanding of the various roles within the fashion industry to help you develop your professional practice and employment strategy.  
You’ll have opportunities to showcase your work in Bath and at the Bath Spa University Undergraduate Degree Show. In addition, you’ll have the fantastic opportunity to have a presence at Graduate Fashion Week in London – an annual student showcase event attended by industry and press from across the UK and overseas.

The main approach to assessment used in Fashion Textiles is through submission of a portfolio of work. Fashion students learn through design projects, following the stages of the design process usually comprising research, development of ideas, analysis, reflection and outcome. This reflects professional fashion textile design practice.

You’ll communicate your design ideas through your portfolio of work. There’ll be specific projects and design briefs that will require you to communicate your work to external audiences, such as clients or designers, but also to your lecturers and peers through informal reviews and presentations. There are no written exams.