The BA Fashion Design Technology Womenswear course is situated in the School of Design and Technology, and prepares students for a career in the womenswear sector of the fashion industry. Students on this course have a strong work ethic, are energetic, focussed and highly motivated, and are drawn from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Through this course you will develop the core skills of researching, designing, pattern cutting and realisation, including problem solving, to achieve the finished product. As well as learning these skills you will gain an intellectual appreciation of fashion and its place in society through studying relevant academic units, and acquire the visual and verbal skills necessary to be a successful designer. The course considers market levels, from high street to designer, through a range of projects, many of which are in conjunction with specific labels or companies, or are for a particular sector of the market. This wider involvement with industry and society is invaluable to your development as a designer, as is the opportunity to enter national design competitions and take part in collaborations across the College on specific external projects. The short work placement will enable you to experience the reality of working within a particular company, together with the chance to make useful contacts for your future career. You will be encouraged through the course to develop your individual identity through your work, by a fusion of your design direction and the excellent craft skills and knowledge of technological developments that you have acquired. You will understand every aspect of a garment through both the creative detail in the design and the technical skills used in production. By the end of this course you will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to respond creatively to a design brief within the womenswear market.

BA Womenswear is based at Curtain Road in Shoreditch, on the edge of the City of London and very near to Hoxton. The area is rich in creative studios, fashion PR companies, magazine head offices, art galleries and hip restaurants, bars and clubs. Specialist markets nearby include Spitalfields and Columbia Road, the White Cube Gallery is just down the road in Hoxton Square and the Geffrye Museum is a short walk away at the bottom end of Kingsland Road.

Course Units

Year One     Stage One     Level 4     120 credits 

Term One: Introduction to Study in Higher Education (20 credits); Research and Realisation (20 credits);

Term Two: Introduction to Cultural and Historical Studies (20 credits); Creative Skills Development (20 credits);

Term Three: Introduction to Industry Practice (40 credits);

Year Two     Stage Two     Level 5     120 credits

Term One: Cultural and Historical Studies (20 credits); Tailoring Techniques (20 credits);

Term Two (or Three): Research Methods (20 credits); Placement and Professional Brief (20 credits);

Term Three (or Two): Professional Skills Development (40 credits);

Third Year     Stage Three     Level 6     120 credits

Term One: Design Project Report (20 credits);

Terms One and Two: Final Major Project (60 credits);

Term Three: Negotiated Portfolio 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.

The Research and Realisation unit introduces you to research methods and their relevance and application to the design process and the realisation of ideas. You will learn about how to achieve the visual communication of your ideas and how to explore techniques to realise these ideas three dimensionally, through the demonstration of practical pattern cutting skills and the development of samples.

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.

Creative Skills Development introduces you to the characteristics of stretch and woven fabrics and the differences between structured and unstructured garments. The translation of your ideas into two and three dimensional form will be explored further, together with the development of your drawing and presentation skills, both manually and through the use of computer software. You will realise the importance of the use of colour, the choice of fabric, proportion, silhouette and detail through your response to the project brief.

In the third term you will collaborate with fellow students in a small group to respond to a simulated or live industry brief through the Introduction to Industry Practice unit. Each team will identify a role for each member of the team, and together you will develop your networking, communication, team-work and presentation skills in order to answer the brief. The emphasis in this unit is on the exploration and analysis of information and creative problem solving in a team through discussion and negotiation. You will use professional production and presentation skills in your response to the industrial brief.

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 Tailoring Techniques unit gives you the opportunity to explore the principles of tailoring and the differences between structured and unstructured tailored garments. Your research, analytical and design development skills will be enhanced through this unit as you learn about the application of tailoring techniques and finishes, and your design and technical portfolios for this project will exhibit your two and three dimensional responses. Drawing and presentation skills will be developed.

In the second term the Research Methods unit provides a broad overview of the different critical and methodological approaches to research and introduces you to a range of research methods. You will learn the role of research in design and technology and this will prepare you for later projects where research skills are needed to underpin your work.

Also in the second term, the Placement and Professional Brief unit gives you the opportunity to further develop your skills learnt on the course and apply them within a professional working environment. You will observe and understand at first hand how the industry works, and what opportunities exist for your career progression. You will complete a report detailing your experience, which will include a profile and analysis of your company together with a personal reflection of your experience on placement. The Fashion Business Resource Studio will provide a series of Career Management and Enterprise Skills lectures, workshops and group activities to prepare you for your industrial placement.

In the third term the Professional Skills Development unit develops your knowledge of fashion and business practices through an investigation of the role of trends, marketing, customer profile, and sustainable, ethical and global practices related to an industrial client. You will analyse the client brief and establish working methods to identify and solve problems, together with gaining a full knowledge of the products and market levels of the client. This will inform your design proposal and presentation, and you will further develop your critical skills and your professional communication skills through this project.

Recent projects and collaborations have included Abercrombie and Fitch, Puma, HMP Send, Sony, John Lewis, Adidas, Tesco, and Hackney Schools.

The projects in Term Two and Term Three are interchangeable to ensure that students achieve a successful placement in industry. Recent placements have included Gareth Pugh, Alexander McQueen, Peter Pilotti, Stella McCartney, Nicole Farhi, Jonathan Saunders, New Look, Giles Deacon and Matthew Williamson.

Year Three

In the first term you will do your Design Project Report. This unit give you the opportunity to explore and evaluate the research you are doing for your Final Major Project. This research is focussed on your chosen concept or theme and should include both primary and secondary research. Analysis of the context of your work is essential, and the Design Project Report should communicate the reasons why you have chosen to do your Final Major Project on this concept or theme.

The Final Major Project in the first and second term is the culmination of your undergraduate learning experience. You will be able to demonstrate your ability to design, develop and produce an innovative collection of garments for womenswear that expresses your personal design vision.

In the final term you will undertake the Negotiated Portfolio Project. This gives you the chance to reflect on achievements so far, evaluate your personal strengths, and develop a visually stimulating, professionally presented portfolio of work establishing a clear direction for your future career. This may be an extension of an element in your Final Major Project, or may be a portfolio targeted at a specific career aim.

Showing your Work

All final year students are given the opportunity to profile their work online using the Showtime section of the University and College websites. 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.

Future Careers and Graduate Prospects

Graduates who wish to continue their education at postgraduate level are encouraged to progress to suitable courses within the College, the University or elsewhere.

Many graduates prefer to seek employment as soon as they have completed their undergraduate studies. Recent Womenswear graduates from this course are working in many companies across the industry including Max Mara, Celine, Tesco, Arcadia, Debenhams, Jaeger, All Saints and Burberry.

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.

The Curtain Road site contains three floors of industrial machinery and equipment that can be used to make any type of garment in any appropriate fabric. This gives students a real opportunity to experiment, and womenswear students have the opportunity to develop their practical and technical skills in pattern cutting and sample room. Open access provision, supported by technical staff, enables students to further develop their skills outside daytime teaching hours.

Liliana Sanguino is the Course Leader and trained as an architect in her native Colombia before moving to study fashion in London at London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins. She has worked in the fashion industry since 2000 with a number of designers, including Kokon To Zai, Marjan Pejoski, Eley Kishimoto and Pam Hogg. She has also collaborated with the late installation artist Jason Rhoades, the Mexican-born gallerist Pablo Leon de la Barra, and the author Detmar Blow, and is an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry.

Claire Swift is the Programme Director for the Design Technology Womenswear and Designer Patter Cutter programme. She graduated in fashion and textiles from Bristol Polytechnic, and has extensive industry experience with a number of companies, including Ally Capellino, Duffer of St George, Boxfresh, Bodymap, Burro, Walé Adeyemi, Hoxton Boutique and Joe Casely-Hayford. Claire is the Widening Participation champion for the School of Design and Technology and has won an Art Works People Award for her work in this area. She has facilitated projects that highlight social issues for students, such as the HMP Send project and the projects with Hackney Schools.

Rob Phillips is the Creative Director for the School of Design and Technology and his career started in fashion womenswear, menswear and illustration. He worked at publishers Benjamin Dent as Fashion Editor for International Textiles magazine, and as Creative Director of Fashion Forecast magazine, where his progressive work promoting young fashion talent garnered him much acclaim from industry. Rob continues to nurture talent at LCF across all courses within the School, preparing students to develop their full potential and make their unique contribution to the fashion industry. He furthers the work of the College through many routes, including the recent collaboration between LCF, English National Ballet and the V&A. He also curates the School’s fashion shows and exhibitions, and is fully engaged with all external events and competitions.

Showing your Work

All final year students are given the opportunity to profile their work online using the Showtime section of the University and College websites. 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.

Course Entry Requirements

This course requires portfolio evidence.

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.

Student Selection Criteria

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

Foundation Diploma in Art and Design PLUS two ‘A’ level passes at grade C or above PLUS passes in three GCSE subjects at grade C or above

OR

Equivalent awards. For International qualifications see the International Qualifications Guide [PDF - 1.9mb]

Preferred subjects include Art, Design, English and Maths.

This course requires a minimum 160 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.

English Language Requirements

All classes are conducted in English. The level required by the University for this course is IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each skill. 

For more information, read the University's English Language requirements page.

What We Look For

The course team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

• A strong interest in fashion, visual imagery and an awareness of technology
• An understanding of the need for a critical and analytical approach to the area of study
• An approach suited to the demands of the course and the projected career futures

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/presentation skills; contemporary fashion/cultural awareness; a level of research, exploration and experimentation; fabric and material selection/knowledge; construction/technical competence; ability to think/work in 3D; and visual communication skills.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the following at interview: a strong interest in fashion and visual imagery; an awareness of technology; a critical and analytical approach; a motivation to succeed on the course; and a motivation for working as a womenswear designer.

Home/EU Applicants

You apply online through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).  

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 W291.

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

If you have a question, you can contact our Enquiries Office by calling +44 (0)20 7514 7563 / 7344 or by completing our Online Enquiry Form.                                        

International Applicants

For specific details on how to apply as an international applicant please visit our international student pages 

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: If you have a question, you can contact our International Recruitment Office by calling +44 (0)20 7514 7656 / 7678 / 7629 or completing our Online 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. Depending on the quality of your application, you may be asked to submit copies of a small number of pieces of your existing work (not more than ten pieces). If the course team wish to consider your application further, you will be invited to a full portfolio review where the course team will look at your work. If you are successful at the portfolio review stage you will be interviewed by the course team. If you are successful at the interview stage you will be offered a place. Applicants are not guaranteed a portfolio review or 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.   

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.