Fashion and Textile design BA (hons)

If you’re ready to make your mark on the fashion world and unleash your creative ideas through doing what you love, this is the BA (Hons) Fashion and Textile design course for you.

You’ll develop your design abilities to the standard expected in the industry and learn business-savvy skills that boost your career prospects.

After the course, you'll be set to pursue a career with the biggest names in fashion and retail. Or you could set up your own label.

On this degree course you’ll:

Immerse yourself in the latest trends, cultures, techniques and technologies in the fashion and textile industry

Learn design methods including drawing techniques, pattern-cutting, fashion illustration, silkscreen and digital printing, embroidery and constructed textiles

Use the professional software you’ll use in your career to bring your digital designs to life, including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Lectra Kaledo for fashion and textile design

Make use of our modern facilities and equipment, which include industrial sewing machines, lazercutting, and Lectra Modaris, for digital pattern making with 3D prototyping

Build your professional network with international guest lecturers fashion industry professionals, like Julian Roberts, Niccolo Casas and Shingo Sato

Set up your own label or fashion and textile company as part of your studies

Exhibit your work at the University’s annual Graduate Shows and graduate showcases in London

To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.

We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and freelancing opportunities that will complement your studies and build your portfolio.

Placement year

After your second year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.

Students have completed work placements at designers such as:

-Paul Smith

-Mary Katrantzou

-Peter Pilotto

Interested in running your own business on your placement year instead? You can start up and run your own fashion company for a year as an alternative to a work-based placement.

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.

When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the industry. You could work in areas such as:

-fashion, textile or accessories design

-trend prediction

-buying

-visual merchandising

-teaching or lecturing

-journalism or writing

Previous students have gone on to work for some of the biggest names in fashion, such as:

-Ralph Lauren

-Hugo Boss

-Matthew Williamson

Others have secured careers working within major retailers including River Island, Fat Face, and Marks and Spencer.

Previous students on this course have also set up their own fashion and textile labels. 

For example:

-Sunny Williams set up his label, House of Sunny, in 2011 and has developed minimal, androgynous aesthetic womenswear, which sells internationally and is stocked by ASOS.com

-Nikki Strange created her own-name line for Marks and Spencer in 2015 and also works as a freelance textile designer and visiting lecturer

-After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.