The FdA Fashion Design and Marketing course is one of a group of courses in the School of Management and Science that are designed to prepare students for a particular role in the fashion industry. This course provides you with skills in fashion design, product range development, marketing, branding and promotional communications, and this gives you wider opportunities to move into successful employment, or self employment, in the industry when you have finished your course. This is achieved through designing, pattern cutting and making garments, balanced with studying the theoretical and practical skills of marketing. We look for students who have a creative flair combined with a good business sense, and your design projects will target particular areas of the market. Broader academic studies allow you to see the context of your particular studies in the wider perspectives of fashion, society and the environment. A one month work experience placement in the industry during the second year is an integral part of the course. Your work may be showcased in the end of year fashion show. High-achieving graduates from this course have the opportunity to do a third year of specialist studies to gain a BA Honours degree.

This course is taught on two sites: Lime Grove and High Holborn.

The practical aspects of FdA Fashion Design and Marketing are taught at Lime Grove in Shepherd’s Bush, just west of Holland Park and Notting Hill. The area, which is rich in cultural influences from across the world, is home to Shepherd’s Bush Market and the many fabric shops lining the Goldhawk Road, which sell a good variety of fabrics, including silks, at extremely competitive prices. There are numerous restaurants, cafes, delis and food stores, as well as the market, which reflect the many cultures of the people living there. Nearby is the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, an excellent venue for live bands, and the Westfield Shopping Centre, one of the largest retail complexes in Europe that caters for the luxury market as well as the high street. Holland Park with its Orangery and Leighton House Museum are both worth visiting.

The theoretical aspects of FdA Fashion Design and Marketing are taught at High Holborn, adjacent to Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Other green spaces in the area include Gray’s Inn Gardens and Coram’s Fields. Situated nearby are Sir John Soane’s Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, and the British Museum in Bloomsbury. Markets worth visiting are the weekday lunchtime markets in Leather Lane and Exmouth Market. Covent Garden, with its numerous shops, bars and restaurants, the Royal Opera House and many of the West End’s theatres, is a five minute walk away. The John Prince’s Street site with the library, Oxford Street and Regent Street are two tube stops away.

Course Units

Year One     Stage One     Level 4     120 credits 

Term One: Introduction to Study in Higher Education (20 credits); Designing for a Market (20 credits);

Term Two: Introduction to Cultural and Historical Studies (20 credits); Fashion Operations and Systems (20 credits);

Term Three: Collaborative Project (WBL) (40 credits);

Year Two     Stage Two     Level 5     120 credits

Term One: Cultural and Historical Studies (20 credits); Fashion Forecasting and Brand Development (20 credits);

Term Two: Work Experience (WBL) (20 credits); Design Development, Product and Marketing Plan (20 credits);

Term Three: Individual Major Project (40 credits);

Course Outline

Year One

In the first term you will study two units.

Introduction to Study in Higher Education gives you an understanding of your personal and professional development at university, with three core purposes: to introduce you to the necessary learning skills for undergraduate study; to show you where you are situated within the College and the University; and to help you understand what you will learn on your course and how you will develop your skills.

Designing for a Market introduces you to the design process from visual research through to sample product. Your awareness of the fashion market will be developed, and you will be introduced to the concepts of market levels and positioning. You will understand the link between fashion design and the needs and desires of the fashion consumer market.

In the second term you will study two units.

Introduction to Cultural and Historical Studies introduces you to key concepts and ways of thinking about fashion and its context in society and culture. You will attend lectures, seminars and workshops, and do a significant amount of reading of academic texts in order to complete a formal academic essay for assessment.  Completion of this unit will allow you to make an informed choice of subject for study in the second year Cultural and Historical Studies unit.

Fashion Operations and Systems introduces you to the relationships between design, product development, pricing and product management. You will learn about the scope and structure of the business operations involved in the supply chain for fashion products, and you will gain further knowledge about terminology and technologies. This will give you the necessary tools to manage the operational development of a new product or range for a fashion business. You will gain a broader understanding of marketing, and learn how to analyse, evaluate and exploit consumer markets. You will learn about the effective and appropriate collection of data, financial calculations, report writing, data storage and general business communication.

In the third term you will undertake the Collaborative Project unit. This gives you the opportunity to work collaboratively with other students. This mirrors the real-world challenges faced by fashion enterprises that depend on close working relationships between departments. You will consolidate the knowledge and skills that you have already acquired, and the project will give you opportunities for fieldwork and research, as well as increasing your teamwork and presentation skills. The project will be concerned with the development and expression of brands in the marketplace, will have an operational focus, and will address key themes such as sustainability, ethics, entrepreneurship and globalisation. You will begin to look at the industry from a managerial viewpoint.

Year Two

In the first term you will be able to study a Cultural and Historical Studies unit of your choice that will broaden or deepen your learning of areas relating to your interests in your chosen field. You will have the opportunity to participate in lectures, seminars and workshops with students from other courses within your School, and will read relevant academic texts and complete a formal academic essay for assessment.

Also in the first term, the Fashion Forecasting and Brand Development unit gives you the opportunity to further develop your understanding of the concept of branding in the fashion industry, and to appreciate the impact of fashion forecasting on product and brand development. You will look at the process of fashion brand development and consider the differences between a product and a brand. You will identify and analyse fashion brands and their unique characteristics across a range of product categories. You will learn how to identify trends through fashion forecasting, how to examine the key drivers for change in the contemporary fashion market place, and how to evaluate their relevance. You will look at the ways in which brands are managed, with particular emphasis on marketing communications and how these are translated into marketing campaigns.

In the second term the Work Experience unit gives you experience of working in the fashion industry within a department or area that you have studied, and where you are interested in furthering your skills. You will develop your understanding of the career options open to you, and will start to focus on the direction you would like to pursue. You will acquire the research skills to find work experience opportunities and progress your career.

Also in the second term, Design Development, Product and Marketing Plan will consolidate the knowledge and skills you have acquired so far by giving you the opportunity to produce a cohesive, comprehensive and creatively compiled planning report for a fashion business. The brief will allow you to select a suitable company for study based on market awareness and the appreciation of quality, make and finish relative to the market level. The final outcome will be a written and visual presentation of your conclusions together with a 3D outcome. These outcomes will be drawn from your critical analysis and understanding of your chosen company, and the recommendations you make regarding current and future marketing plans. You will have the opportunity to experiment with a range of techniques for the development of your 3D outcome, which will be related to your product range and marketing plan.

In the third term you will undertake the Individual Major Project, which will give you the opportunity to undertake a self-directed project that consolidates and extends your knowledge and skills. Your project will include planning, research, ideas development and recommendations, and will include elements of both practice and theory. You will negotiate the specific topic and detail of the project with your course tutor. Your project brief will allow you to demonstrate creativity and entrepreneurship, at the same time as producing an outcome with a feasible and realistic commercial application.

Learning and Teaching at UAL 

Courses in UAL span a broad range of art, design, communication, business, media, science and communication subjects. So the ways in which you learn and how your time is used will vary according to the specific course you are studying; this may be in studios, labs, classes, involve working alone, learning from peers in pairs or groups, or with external partners. Most importantly, no matter which course you enrol on, you will learn not only about your subject but also about how you learn and how to increase your knowledge base.

Our courses will guide you to take increasing responsibility and ownership of your work and your learning. We do this so that you will be ready and able to take full advantage of the full range of opportunities offered by the creative industries in the global economy.

Assessment Methods at UAL 

Assessment always sounds austere and foreboding, but it is not. We see assessment as a very real part of learning, rather than just a means of looking back at past work and measuring achievement; we believe that assessment helps you plan future work and develop new ideas.

Your work will be assessed through projects or portfolios, with written papers or research journals, and, on some courses, examinations.  You will be graded according to a set of marking criteria that relate to such things as research, subject knowledge, methodology, and your capacity to analyse and reflect on your achievements. So don’t be afraid of assessment - it is the way to progress. 

Developing your skills

All our undergraduate courses are concerned with the development of your personal and professional skills. On your course you will evolve from learning basic skills in your discipline through to a position where you are an independent creative thinker capable of making an effective contribution to the relevant sector of the fashion industry. PPD (Personal and Professional Development) skills are embedded in all units on every course. Speaker programmes with contributions from alumni, members of industry and others are a part of many courses, as are work placement opportunities in industry. Where relevant, students have the chance to attend trade fairs, enter industry competitions, visit exhibitions and go on field trips and visits. The central position of our John Prince’s Street site in the West End affords students easy access to all sectors of the fashion retail market. In addition, our position as a constituent College in the University of the Arts London means that our students have access to the wide range of activities and events that occur in all the Colleges and at the University’s centre. Last but not least, being in London gives every student opportunities to explore and be inspired by the cultural, intellectual and social life of one of the great capital cities of the world.

Resources

Our excellent resources for educating our students are two-fold: people and premises. People includes everyone at the College who contributes directly in some way to your education, whether as a subject tutor, a technician, an Open Access Officer, a librarian or a study support tutor. Premises include the buildings and the facilities contained in them, such as specialist machinery, design studios and workshops, lecture and seminar rooms, and the library.

At Lime Grove there are good facilities for pattern cutting and sample room, and you will have access to a number of specialised workshops that can be utilised if required.

The facilities at High Holborn include excellent lecture theatres, seminar and tutorial rooms and breakout spaces. The building is shared between the College and many of the central services of the University, including the Student Centre next to the Students’ Union, the Learning Zone and the Cafe and Bar.

Tim Williams is the Course Leader and has extensive teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion. He has pioneered a number of approaches to teaching using face to face and blended learning, as well as running the online FdA Fashion Marketing and Promotion course. He has contributed to academic publications and international conferences, and his experience in industry includes working in menswear for Hardy Amies, Chelsea Girl, BHS and Debenhams. He has also developed lingerie ranges for Luella Bartley and Agent Provocateur, and for his own company, ‘Williams’. His work has been featured in Vogue, The Sunday Times and The Observer.

Dan Henderson is the Programme Director and his fashion industry experience includes working at Marks and Spencer and Debenhams as a Senior Buyer in Menswear and at Blacks Leisure and Fat Face as the Head of Buying for Clothing. His research interests centre on the role that fashion plays in the social hierarchy of football and rugby club supporters, and the impact this has on clubs managing their ‘own-label’ branded merchandise.

Rosemary Varley is the Subject Director for the School of Management and Science and is responsible for academic curriculum development and fashion industry collaborative curriculum-embedded projects. She teaches fashion brand strategy across courses and her research interests focus on the relationship between fashion brands and their retail environment. She has authored Retail Product Management and co-authored Principles of Retail Management.

Future Careers and Graduate Prospects

High-achieving graduates from this course have the opportunity to do a third year of specialist studies to gain a BA Honours degree in Fashion Design and Marketing.

Many graduates prefer to seek employment as soon as they have completed their Foundation Degree. Recent graduates are now working in a variety of roles in a number of companies, including design assistant at Kinder Aggugini, visual merchandiser at River Island, assistant buyer for Biba, administrative buyer for menswear at New Look, and assistant buyers at Fashion Classics and Accessories QVC.

Enterprise and Employability at UAL 

We know what it takes to be successful in your chosen field. Your tutors are professionals in their own right and understand what you need to help you establish your career. Staff in our dedicated Centre for Student Enterprise and Employability Service (SEE) are specialists at supporting you onto the right career path and at helping you to build up work‐relevant skills, knowledge and experience throughout your time here. You will also benefit from our many relationships with industry, which give our students exclusive opportunities and access to networks and funding.

Artists and designers tell us they value UAL’s informed engagement with their career development concerns across a whole spectrum of activities and practice interests and our ability to offer them practical advice, guidance and opportunities across the possible pathways open to them - as entrepreneurs and employees. Staff value the resources and skills UAL makes available to help them deliver effective professional and career development through the curriculum.

Showing your work

All final year students are given the opportunity to profile their work online via Showtime. London College of Fashion can make no guarantee that your work (either in sum or in part) will be shown, exhibited or profiled in any way as part of your course. All student work appearing in College organised events, catwalk shows, exhibitions and other forms of showcase, is selected by a panel of senior staff and, in some instances, external industry judges.

For details of the wide range of careers support provided for students, please visit our Careers Support page.

Opportunities for All

We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and seek to recruit students from diverse socio-economic, cultural and educational backgrounds. We are committed to supporting all our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.

Course Entry Requirements

Entry to this course is highly competitive: applicants are expected to achieve, or already have, the course entry requirements detailed below.

One ‘A’ level pass (80 UCAS tariff points required) PLUS three GCSE passes in other subjects at grade C or above

OR

BTEC National Diploma in a fashion related subject

OR

NVQ level 3 in a related subject

OR

A one year Foundation Diploma in Art and Design PLUS five GCSE passes at grade C or above

OR

Access course in a relevant subject

OR equivalent awards

Preferred subjects include Art, Textiles, English and/or Business.

This course requires a minimum 80 UCAS tariff points.

Exceptionally, applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered if the course team judges the application demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by: related academic or work experience; the quality of the personal statement; a strong academic or other professional reference; or a combination of these factors.

This course requires portfolio evidence, and we would welcome the opportunity to see any work you have online. Please paste the full web addresses of any sites you wish us to visit while considering your application at the bottom of your UCAS personal statement. The following platforms may be used: Facebook; Google+; Twitter; Pinterest; Blogger; WordPress; Flickr; Tumblr; YouTube; Vimeo; Photobucket; Myspace; or your own personal website.

English Language Requirements

All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language you will be asked to provide evidence of your English language ability when you enrol.

The level required by the University for this course is IELTS 5.5 with a minimum of 4.5 in any one skill.

Please go to: http://www.arts.ac.uk/international/apply/englishlanguagerequirements/

read carefully and look at the relevant documents.

Student Selection Criteria

What We Look For

The course team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

• A current awareness of fashion in terms of fabric development, new designers and fashion trends
• An ability to record and develop design ideas through the vehicle of drawing
• A potential to achieve a high standard of technical manufacture
• Knowledge of and enthusiasm for marketing for the fashion industry
• An ability to build and design a concept
• A potential to achieve a high standard in the strategic, functional and operational aspects of fashion marketing
• A potential to achieve a multi-disciplinary approach to design and marketing.

This might, for example, be demonstrated by: related academic or work experience; the quality of the personal statement, a strong academic or other professional reference; or a combination of these factors.

Portfolio and Interview Advice

For this course your portfolio should show evidence of: drawing skills; research skills; design and development of ideas; evidence of technical and 3D skills; and awareness of current fashion trends. Please do not bring large pieces of work to interview if you are invited: A2 sheets and your sketch books are preferable.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the following at interview: an understanding of marketing in the fashion industry; an awareness of fashion and current affairs; a motivation for working in fashion design and marketing; and a motivation to succeed on the course.

* Please note: this course will not be recruiting students for entry in 2014, therefore the final first year of this course will run in 2013-2014, the final second year will run in 2014-2015, and the final Top-up Year will run in 2015-2016. This subject area will be replaced with a new three year Honours degree.

How to Apply

You apply online through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) at   http://www.ucas.com 

Go to ‘Apply’ from the UCAS home page, where you will be able to register and create a password that gives you unique access as you complete your application form.

The University code is U65.

The UCAS code for this course is WN25.

The deadline for equal consideration of your application is 15 January 2013.

Contact us on:

• Telephone: +44 (0)20 7514 7563 / 7582 / 7344
• Course enquiry form

International Applicants

For specific details on how to apply as an international applicant please click on the following link:

http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/lcf-international.htm

The International Recruitment Office at the London College of Fashion will help to guide you through the application process and answer any specific questions that you may have regarding our courses. This may include portfolio advice, the application process and fee advice. We offer a ‘drop-in’ facility for applicants who may be in London and wish to obtain further course and admissions information. Please contact us for further information on this facility. We can also arrange a tour of our facilities if we are given prior notice.

Our contact details are: International Recruitment Office London College of Fashion 20 John Prince’s Street London W1G 0BJ.

• Telephone: +44 (0)20 7514 7656/7678/7629
• Course enquiry form

Deferred Entry

Deferred Entry is normally only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Please contact us before you submit your application if you are considering applying for deferred entry.

What Happens Next?

All application forms, personal statements and references are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed under What We Look For. Your online work will also be considered. If the course team wish to consider your application further, you will be invited to an interview with your portfolio. If you are successful at the interview stage you will be offered a place. Applicants are not guaranteed an interview.

Please note that if you are unable to attend the College may not be able to re-schedule.

If you applied through UCAS the result of your application will be communicated to you via UCAS through ucastrack. You will only receive further communication directly from the College if your application has been successful. This will be in the form of a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.    

Applicants have the right to ask for feedback if their application is unsuccessful. Requests must be made in writing to the Student Administrator, and we will respond within 20 working days. 

Additional Information

Additional Costs

Some courses charge a fee for the bulk purchase of materials and/or equipment used on the course. Further details will be supplied at a later date.