Fashion and Textiles (Taught)

This stimulating course challenges motivated graduates from fashion and textiles disciplines to explore their chosen specialism and take their development to the next level of creative innovation. Choose from one of the following three areas to specialise in:

• Fashion Design focuses on womenswear, menswear and fashion knitwear.

• Footwear Design and Accessories covers women’s, men’s and children’s footwear and accessories for sport, leisure or fashion

• Textile Design examines printed, constructed and mixed media in relation to fashion, interiors and lifestyle

You will focus on building creative, technical and academic knowledge, while developing a critical and contextual understanding of wider issues facing the global fashion industry. Complement your creative practice by selecting from optional modules to tailor your skills to your career aspirations, with the opportunity to undertake a live external client project.

Learn independently and direct your own studies, with encouragement and support from our specialist teachers who bring their industry insights to the curriculum. You will benefit from outstanding facilities that will both push your creative boundaries and advance your technical skills.

Key features

• You can exit the course with a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate award depending on the credits you have successfully achieved.

• We are recognised as one of the country’s most sustainable fashion and textiles schools (Green Gown Awards, 2021) and one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022).

• We will empower you to authoritatively choose your creative direction and tailor your learning around your own academic and professional interests

• Our stimulating, practice-based environment will help you to contextualise your own work, develop real-world skills and collaborate with international practitioners

• Learn from our research experts with a strong technical focus, alongside leading industry professionals who deliver outstanding guest lectures

• Benefit from an optional year-long work placement to gain valuable experience and enhance your practical and professional skills

• Join our close-knit interdisciplinary community which fosters a supportive learning environment for students from around the world

• Our award-winning Vijay Patel building has been designed to provide the space and facilities where all of our art and design students can develop their ideas and flourish.

Modules

Block 1: Design Innovation

This module explores the development of conceptual thinking, creative approaches to design and the technical aspects of product realisation. An introductory design brief considers the use of secondary and primary research sources as inspiration for the generation of innovative subject-specific product design statements. You will practically re-examine the possibilities of design development and creative awareness for your own area of interest either Fashion Design or Footwear Design and Accessories or Textile Design, to advance to MA level.

Block 2: Research and Design Communication

In this module creative and technical skills will be developed in order to effectively communicate complex creative concepts using specialist skills to a professional standard. Areas that will be explored include design illustration and drawing skills, technical drawings, print developments, layout techniques. You will develop various skills and styles of 2D representation and presentation using digital and hand-crafted methods, to create a visually stimulating and innovative portfolio of work for an ever-changing fashion society.

You will also be introduced to advanced research skills. You will consider the role of research within the context of fashion and textiles, and to reflect on your personal attributes, skills and values as a contemporary researcher. Typical content will include research design; gathering, managing and analysing data; developing critical and ethical practices; and reporting and presenting research findings.

Block 3: Select one from the following:

• Design Live

In this module you will work on a ‘live’ project brief in relation to your individual interest for your chosen market. You are encouraged to develop external links to support quality research, design, and innovation for technical resolution. The exact format and nature of the outcome will be dependent on the negotiated project brief.

• Narrative Spaces

This module will explore how the design of spaces can tell a story. You will consider the interaction between objects, space and stories, in order to better understand complex ideas, messages or emotional connections and empathy.  The interpretation of ‘space’ will be stretched beyond physical space and you will also explore how digital platforms can play a significant role in enhancing and immersing people in the built environment. There will be a particular focus on how modern retail environments and progressive museum and exhibition design use a combination of spaces and experiences to convey a story.

Block 4: PRE-Collection

This module is design to strengthen your 2D design to 3D resolution skills. Through design research, critical self – evaluation, 2D and 3D experimentation, you will initiate projects to an advanced range of skills and potential design solutions. By focusing on successful and innovative outcomes you will develop your creative identity. This individual creativity will be taken forward into a focused design direction for the Major Project in Blocks 5 and 6.

Blocks 5 and 6: Major Project

In this module you will be supported to demonstrate a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the techniques applicable to your own research and advanced scholarship in the completion of a major project. You will demonstrate your ability to use initiative and ingenuity, make complex decisions and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level.

You will have the choice of either a major focus on design practice supported by a written critical evaluation (practice) or a major focus on the critical evaluation supported by a condensed design practice (academic). This should reflect your chosen path after graduation, should that be into design practice or continuing to an academic path.

https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-courses/fashion-and-textiles-ma-degree/fashion-and-textiles-ma-degree.aspx

Assessment is continuous through methods such as 2D/3D design projects, portfolio, reports/essays, blogs, poster presentations and oral presentations.

The staff team are designers, researchers and/or senior academics with a strong design and technical focus, which ensures that their teaching remains current. Course teaching is further complemented by visiting lecturers and guest speakers who are leading industry practitioners.