Fashion BA (Hons)

The Study Abroad module is a semester based 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which facilitate study abroad within the programme. You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be constructed to meet the learning outcomes for the programme for the semester in question, dependent on suitable modules from the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host University, the student, and the home University (Northumbria). The module will be assessed by conversion of graded marks from the host University.

Learning outcomes on the year-long modules on which the student is unable to attend the home institution must be met at the host institution, and marks from the host are incorporated into the modules as part of the overall assessment.

In ‘Fashion Thinking 1: Professional Practice Preparation’ you will look at the industry from two perspectives. You will develop a critical understanding of the key social, political, theoretical and practical work-based considerations relating to contemporary fashion design and the broader fashion industry to support your development as a responsible designer in a challenging professional environment.

The module encourages you to extend academic skills in knowledge retrieval, library and web-based research and critical analysis to inform your judgement presented in written, oral and visual presentations. By engaging with lectures and seminars delivered by Fashion Historical and Critical Studies and Design lecturers, you will develop knowledge and a critical perspective on issues and practices in the world of fashion such a sustainability, responsible design practice, corporate responsibility, branding, fast and slow fashion. You will gain important tools to join the fashion industry with a clear vision of the processes involved in sourcing, applying and undertaking of a student internship or study abroad. Skills of analysis and written exposition will evidence your critical awareness of the key issues and practices related to contemporary fashion design.

You will apply your valuable insight to the fashion industry from our long-standing relationship with global fashion companies and designers as you start your preparation for a desirable, exciting fashion experience in a multi-faceted international industry, or in testing an enterprise idea.

You will gain insight to roles and responsibilities, rules of engagement and industry’s expectations of interns from online talks buy industrial partners and experts through role-play and studio workshops. This will to give you a realistic overview of industrial experience and how to realistically approach the application process for a successful outcome. You will develop the ability to evaluate your skills from an area of practice, highlighting your strengths and communicate this in a way that is a desirable asset to a placement provider.

You will be assessed on final outcomes comprising of a 1500-word essay critically reflecting on issues relating to the contemporary fashion industry; and a ‘professional tool kit’ containing documentation; C.V., cover letter and portfolio, balancing personal creativity with professionalism; skills, content and finish in screen-based format, to support the employment application process.

In ‘Fashion Design Project 1’ you will learn how to further develop your design skills in relation to professional practice. The creative design brief will be industry focused on a specific market level or brand, as a ‘Live project’. This module will introduce you to the balance designers must achieve between craftsmanship, aesthetic ideals, responsible practice and commercial restraints and opportunities.

This project will help you to understand the relationship between the creative and commercial requirements of Fashion design, and provide the opportunity to develop specialist skills and knowledge of materials, skills and processes in the realisation of your Fashion design concepts. Students are able to select a specialist area of study in this module, exploring the creative challenge of either technical pattern cutting; haute couture construction techniques, fashion print design or constructed knitwear design or a negotiated combination of pattern cutting with printed textile design or constructed knitwear design to support your career aspirations.

You will learn how to research, develop and design a market-led collection of garments presented as a Fashion design portfolio.

In addition to the portfolio, you will produce and communicate a Fashion artefact or creative solution, which will take the form of a garment or a sample package to contextualise the portfolio collection. In the Fashion workshops using industry standard equipment, students specialising in garment design will produce a garment of their own design, students specialising in printed textile design will learn the fundamentals of printed textile design through screen printing to produce a printed textile sample collection while students specialising in constructed knitwear design will learn the fundamental knitting skills on industrial machinery and produce a range of technical constructed knitwear samples.

The industry facing nature of this project supports the industrial placement period, which begins in the following semester in the FA5017 Fashion Industrial Placement module.

‘Fashion Industrial Placement’ will offer you the opportunity to complete a minimum of 24 weeks in the fashion industry, gaining experience in one or more placements. This opportunity affords you a broad insight into how industry operates, its differing market levels and consumer profiles. Being part of a team in a Fashion Company means a greater understanding of design processes; product development and range planning, price points, production processes and lead times. Through your industrial work experience, you potentially gain an understanding of the importance of comparative product analysis; brand image, packaging and labelling, traditional/digital retail, marketing and promotion. By undertaking placement(s), you develop a greater awareness of fashion, contemporary culture and trends and to advance your visual and verbal communication skills. The experience of applying your academic studies in a real work environment will help you to develop a confident and professional attitude and make informed decisions about your future fashion career. In this ‘Fashion Industrial Placement’ module you will keep a digital diary of your learning and professional experience; documenting your new skills and knowledge acquired from your Placement(s).

During this 12 month period you are expected to complete a minimum of 24 weeks. The weeks can run consecutively or as a series of individual placements throughout the year. If you are unable to complete or secure an enterprise or industrial work placement, an alternative industry-focused placement brief will be set. Additionally, a minimum term shorter than 24 weeks may be allowed, should the University implement 'emergency'/mitigating measures, in response to Covid-19 or other significant changes in the operating environment.

This Industrial Placement module offers you the opportunity to complete a placement/s in the fashion industry, gaining experience in one or more placements. This opportunity affords you a broad insight into how industry operates, its differing market levels and consumer profiles. Being part of a team in a Fashion Company means a greater understanding of design processes; product development and range planning, price points, production processes and lead times. Through your industrial work experience, you potentially gain an understanding of the importance of comparative product analysis; brand image, packaging and labelling, traditional/digital retail, marketing and promotion. By undertaking placement(s), you develop a greater awareness of fashion, contemporary culture and trends, and to be able to advance your visual and verbal communication skills. The experience of applying your academic studies in a real work environment will help you to develop a confident and professional attitude and to make informed decisions about your future fashion career. In the Industrial Placement module you will keep a digital diary of your learning and professional experience; documenting your new skills and knowledge acquired from your Placement(s).

During this period you are expected to complete a minimum requirement in industry. The weeks can run consecutively or as a series of individual placements throughout the module period. If you are unable to complete or secure an industrial work placement an alternative industry-focused placement brief will be set.

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.