Behind the Seams: Inside Fashion Design

Take this Subject Spotlight to...

This experience explores the different aspects of the fashion design process. As you progress through it, you’ll learn what fashion design entails, the steps involved in transitioning from concept to the creation of the final garment. We’ll explore how to identify your target market, understand your customer, forecast trends, and discover where to find your ideas. We'll also cover how to develop them, record them, and effectively communicate them to others. We also conduct a thorough examination of fabric research. You’ll learn about the different types of fabric, where they come from, what they’re good for, and when you’d use them. You’ll also find out more about sustainable fabrics and practices.

Take Subject Spotlight

About University of Huddersfield

The University of Huddersfield is a place where ambition is encouraged and every student is supported to go further. You will learn from staff who are among the most highly qualified in the country and committed to helping you grow. You will have the chance to challenge yourself through placements, projects, networks, societies and real industry experience. Our campus is modern, welcoming and designed to help you feel at home while discovering what you can achieve. You will be backed on the challenging days and celebrated on the good ones. This is a university that helps you seize opportunities and reach new heights.

Meet the academics

Charlotte Goldthorpe

Charlotte Goldthorpe is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield. From 2003-2006, Goldthorpe worked as a freelance art director/assistant in film and television. She commercially designed and produced bags and accessories. In 2007, she qualified as a Design and Technology teacher from Goldsmiths University and taught in East London for several years before being awarded an MA in Fashion Artefact at the London College of Fashion. In 2015, Goldthorpe exhibited ‘Absence’ at the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence as part of Polimoda and IFFTI’s Momenting the Memento conference and installation series. Absence was a collection of objects linked to individuals in the artist’s life, playing with the absence and presence of owner and object. It combined heritage and modern production techniques to compel the objects to appear to portray 'ghosts' of their former selves. She completed her PhD in 2022 at the University of Huddersfield, which explored storytelling and the transmission of memories through making. Through this, she developed a new methodology, ‘narrative-led making’ that uses personal stories to inform practice. Her current research looks at working with the ageing community, in terms of craft, wellbeing, and heritage.

In every Subject Spotlight you'll find

On-demand interactive video content

Sign up, log in, and access a wide range of potentially life-changing Subject Spotlight experiences that will help you make informed decisions about your university future.

Remarkable & relatable academics

Learn from some of the UK's finest and most decorated academics as they give you a genuine, insightful, and engaging experience of studying their courses at their universities.

Interactive quizzes and activities

Have a go at fascinating interactive quizzes and activities, then get meaningful and intuitive feedback from the academics to see how you've done.

Content to enhance students university applications

Hear direct from the academics what's expected of you in your university application, and the things you can do to improve your chances of getting on the course you most desire!

Certificate of completion

You'll receive a certificate of completion to evidence your learning - why not add this to your CV and university applications to show your dedication to your future pathway!

Other Subject Spotlights for University of Huddersfield

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Subject Spotlight?

Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

Entirely free and available on-demand, you can choose to engage with the content in the way that best suits you - whether that's in bite-sized chunks or in binge-sessions!

Why should I check out Subject Spotlights?

Get a real, representative impression of what pursuing a subject at university is actually like, so that you can make the right decision for you.

Stand out from the competition by completing a Subject Spotlight to gain the most relevant references and evidence for your personal statement.

Who is this Spotlight for?

This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

How should I talk about completing a Subject Spotlight on my UCAS application?

Completing a Subject Spotlight shows the university you're applying to that you've taken time outside of school to engage with relevant content.

The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!