Fashion Design

Fashion is a fast-paced and exciting industry, but where do you start? Embark on a transformative journey with our leading Fashion Design degree at the University of Salford. Located in the heart of Greater Manchester at our New Adelphi campus, you’ll be studying within one of the most vibrant centres of the UK.

This course offers innovative methods and industry-standard approaches to research, design, digital and making skills, empowering you creatively and technically. You'll benefit from access to our purpose-built studios, cutting-edge technology, and industry-standard equipment. The course also offers work placement opportunities where you can gain invaluable work experience, preparing you for a successful career in the fashion industry. Our students have worked with leading design houses including Alexander McQueen, Armani, Hugo Boss, JW Anderson, Karl Lagerfeld, Mary Katrantzou, Philip Treacy, Vera Wang, Viktor & Rolf, and Vivienne Westwood.

In year one you’ll learn research, design and construction skills and develop a good understanding of the design process. In year two, you’ll have the opportunity of work experience, to gain an essential understanding and knowledge of how brands and design studios work. In your final year, you’ll develop your own collection alongside opportunities to show your work in outfacing environments. We have previously shown at collections in London, Paris and New York Fashion Weeks. We also provide a range of study visits for you to experience other fashion hubs around the world, previous trips have included London, Milan, Paris, Antwerp, New York, Tokyo and Shanghai.

The fashion industry is a global community, and we will help you begin this networking journey. Our open-access studios have an atelier atmosphere, where you work alongside other year groups, sharing a professional space. Beyond graduation, you’ll become part of our alumni network where job opportunities can become available.

Throughout the course, we invite industry professionals to work with students through live projects, presentations, or networking events. Previous contributors have included guests from Adidas, H&M, Max Mara, Levis, Fred Perry, Iceberg, Superdry, Umbro, Harvey Nichols, Dr Martens, New Balance, and Patagonia.

Our academics are experienced designers and educators, supported by highly skilled technical demonstrators who will guide your journey as a designer. With us, you’ll gain valuable entrepreneurial skills and professional experience essential to realising your potential as a future Fashion Designer.

As part of our award-winning Fashion Design degree course, you’ll gain the necessary skills and knowledge to be part of this exciting global fashion network, leaving the course with confident and strong design voices, be resilient and have a diverse understanding of how you can impact the future of the industry.

Collectively we aim to produce graduates with confident and strong design voices, with soul, diversity, and resilience.

You will:

• Explore your individual talents and creativity through the application of the professional design process

• Study on a course awarded Best Programme for Undergraduate Fashion Design in the UK by The Business of Fashion in 2019

• Be transformed into a flexible, resourceful, and creative practitioner with well-developed transferrable skills

• Get invaluable insight into what it’s like to work in the fashion industry through live briefs and work placements.

• Study on a course which is ranked in the top 10 for Fashion and Textiles in the Guardian University Guide 2023

Course Modules

Year one

• Introduction to Fashion Design

• Fashion Design: Principles

• Fashion Contexts

• Introduction To Pattern Cutting and Construction Techniques

• Fashion Illustration & CAD 1

• 3D Approaches to Design Research

Year two

• Fashion Illustration & CAD 2

• Critical Dialogues

• Fashion Design Specialism

• Work Placement: Fashion Design

• Digital Fashion Design

• Fashion Design Professionalism

Year three

• Design and Research for an External Brief

• Pre-collection

• Portfolio Module: Fashion Design

• Negotiated Major Project: Collection

• Major Project Proposal

Assessments are an important part of your academic journey, giving you the chance to put the skills and knowledge you’ve learned into practice.

Throughout your fashion design course at University of Salford, you’ll be assessed through a variety of different methods including coursework, presentations and essays. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.