Fashion Design BA (Hons)

This module introduces the key aspects of your subject area, including foundational knowledge, problem-solving skills, effective communication, personal responsibility, and the development of important attributes required for employment within and beyond the creative and cultural industries.

This module will enable you to apply your skills and knowledge to a specific design challenge. You will have the opportunity to apply your subject specific knowledge and expertise in multiple areas of creative practice.

You will have access to workshops and production facilities to produce an outcome to the themed brief.

This module enables students with A-Level German or equivalent to further develop their grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations.You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

This module is designed for students that have completed A-Level or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

This module is designed for students that have completed a A-Level or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE in Chinese or equivalent. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

This module is designed for students that have completed GCSE or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

This module provides the opportunity to study a new language from scratch and introduces you to basic grammar, vocabulary and cultural contexts. You will apply the language to practical situations using both oral and written skills. 

This module explores contemporary cultural and critical issues in both current and future design practice, encouraging you to engage with themes such as ethics, responsibility, and technological advancements. You will have the opportunity to apply your research to practical, real-world problems while collaborating across disciplines. Emphasising interdisciplinary teamwork, the module enables you to work with students, academics, and technical demonstrators from various design fields on shared projects and challenges. Through this process, you will critically examine the societal and cultural factors that shape design, developing a deeper understanding of its role in addressing complex future challenges.

This module is delivered in Term 1 - (AUTUMN) - Level 5.  

In this module you will explore the relationship between fashion design and the manufacturing process, gaining a deeper practical knowledge of how fashion products are made as they progress through the full production cycle.  

By translating clothing design ideas through to final garment resolution, you will develop a deeper understanding of production restrictions and challenges, as you develop your ideas through to  final ‘proto sample’ garment/s.

This module introduces you to more advanced, industry specific garment production methods, whilst expanding and building upon pattern cutting and manufacture skills.

You will learn, practice and employ key skills at each creative stage of garment development and gain valuable technical insight into 3-dimensional problem-solving techniques.   

You will learn through continuous aesthetic self-evaluation.   You will be encouraged to document throughout the creative production and technical manufacturing cycle.

The importance of time management will be crucial, and you will need to produce supporting technical folders to manage the fashion ‘critical path’ production plan.

This module will provide you with the practical and theoretical underpinning of professional practice in your specific subject, enabling you to identify and develop key employability attributes and skills in preparation for your future career.  

You will spend several weeks working collaboratively with other students across the School for the Creative Industries on one major project or several smaller projects in a professional ‘simulated real world’ working environment.  Projects will be contemporary, topical, externally focussed and often involve partnership with outside agencies. The module will provide you with opportunities for immersive learning and the chance to apply your knowledge in real-world contexts. 

The module provides you with an opportunity to undertake a 140-hour work placement. This placement is complemented by a number of school-delivered sessions designed to develop your employability, professional practice, and understanding of career options. Students learn to reflect on the nature of creativity within their studies, as well as other transferable skills and competencies developed on their programmes, and gain awareness of how this is valued and relevant in modern workplaces. 

This will be a university-level work placement of up to 7 weeks of 140 hours with a placement provider(s) (e.g. an employer from the private, public, or charitable sector). The placement(s) should be relevant to your area of study and wider career goals, and can either be organised by you, or with support from university staff. All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means: Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc).

Placement may potentially take place with more than one employer, reflecting the nature of freelance suppliers in the creative industries. To further reflect the diverse nature of employment in the creative industries, some- or all- of your hours may be spent working remotely on activities such as copy-writing, preparation, post-production and presentation.

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at advanced level. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a sustainability issue in a target language country. The first half of the module will prepare you for placements abroad where appropriate as well as a deeper understanding of sustainability in target language contexts. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at intermediate level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes an placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a business or tourism issue in a target language country. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at beginner level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a cultural issue in a target language country. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

• The multiple facets of global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication
• Culture shock
• Cultural adjustment
• Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess-with a strong focus on understanding the intercultural competencies (ICC) needed to live and work abroad.
• Critical analysis/evaluation of individual requirements in relation to culture/cultural adjustment/culture shock/visas/medical.
• Critical analysis/evaluation of skills already acquired in relation to key skills related to ICC.
• Devising strategies to improve one’s own prospects of working abroad in the future.
• Devising an action plan to address gaps in transferable skills based on organisational analysis and sector opportunities.

Part A:      

Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the University of Chester during level 5 and will include:  

• The multiple facets of Global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Theories and models Intercultural competence
• Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism
• Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection

• Experiential learning models
• Self-directed experiential learning

Personal and placement-related skills

• Enhanced independence
• Improved command of multicultural behaviour
• Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development
• Team building and team work

Part B:            Overseas

Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours 

Preparation for the year abroad will take place in Chester during level 5 and will include:

• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Host-country orientation, study methods– economic, political and social reality of the country
• Orientation specific to exchange – health, education, gender issues
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Practical matters relating to living and studying in the wider world

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Critical thinking skills, experiential learning and models of reflection

Personal and placement-related transversal skills

• Effective self-motivation and independent resourcefulness
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development

Whilst abroad:

You will undertake study at one of the University of Chester's partner universities or undertake and approved work placement or virtual placement. If you are a student,  it is expected that you will choose a series of modules at the university abroad which must be agreed by the host institution and the Module Leader. you must supply details of you modules on a learning agreement within 4 weeks of arrival at the host university.

This module provides you with the opportunity for an in-depth exploration of a design topic of personal interest. You will select a research question and conduct a thorough investigation using a range of research methods to uncover key insights and present potential opportunities. By the end of the module, you will have developed a research-driven approach to addressing a design challenge that enables new perspectives and innovative ways of thinking. This may or may not relate to your Major Project.

The focus of this module is to build your workspace readiness through the development and production of a visually exciting Curated Portfolio-to-Go and complementary self promotion materials. Work produced for this module can be used to target ‘identified’ areas of prospective career opportunity and enhance your readiness to enter the workplace.

In this module you will engage with more sophisticated and authentic approaches to research, development, experimentation and playful design process, which will form a design basis to underpin your individual approach in Level 6 study.

Pre Collection invites you to explore authentic design concepts, which challenge and will stretch your aesthetic judgement and lead to creation of new and experimental approaches to innovative toile sampling.  The body of work produced will demonstrate your creative journey from concept through to prototype stages and document the judgement and selection needed to develop a professionally informed development process.

Initially, you will undertake deep dive research to investigate potential for innovative concepts and possible starting points for collection building.  You will then be expected to develop a range of experimental samples and design proposals to be refined in readiment for project realisation. Typically, these could include 2 and 3 dimensional prototypes, 3D printed prototypes and/or newly evolved approaches to sampling and garment realisation

The purpose of the module is to create a potential body of work that could be realistically move forward into the final collection production stage and demonstrate resourcefulness and entrepreneurial skills to support individual fashion practice.   This module will be a stepping stone to cement your understanding of the skills to approaches required for the fashion industry.

This module is delivered in Term 2 (WINTER) - Level 6.

This module focuses on realising a final collection that showcases your vision and individual identity as a designer.  It encourages increased professional autonomy whilst sharpening your technical skills through the exploration of diverse manufacturing approaches, construction techniques, materials, and processes.

You will expand upon experimental ideas and prototypes developed during the pre-collection stage, further refining them into a cohesive collection of signature finished garments.

The module culminates in the production of a professional signature collection that creatively integrates your accumulated design knowledge with advanced technical and production values and skills.  You will continuously refine your design methods to ensure your creative vision aligns with your chosen industry market and target audience.

Throughout the construction process, you will document and reflect on the fit, form, silhouette, and function of your garments.

This module is delivered in Term 3 (SPING) - Level 6.

'Brand Me' - Shaping the Fashion Industry: A Unique Perspective

This module focuses on evaluating your individual design identity and producing a strategic body of work to support your intended career pathway. You will reflect on your identity as a designer, analyse your unique perspective, and create marketing materials that establishes and elevates your brand. This will help you identify and apply for roles within the graduate market, effectively promoting yourself as an individual (Brand Me).

In the competitive fashion industry, a distinct brand identity and connection with your target market are paramount.  To this end, you will develop work that identifies and establishes your unique selling proposition (USP) or signature style. This will challenge you to move beyond honing your creative skills and design vision, and instead create professional packages that position you as a commercial design asset.

Throughout the module, you will demonstrate resourcefulness and entrepreneurial skills to support your own fashion practice and showcase your professional role as a designer within the wider fashion industry.

The aim of the module is to develop a cohesive body of branding materials that showcases your identity, skills, and design aesthetic. This work should promote your creative capabilities, reflect target market and support your future employability in the fashion design industry and affiliated sectors.

You will be assessed on your capability to the successful create key items, such as:  professional lookbook/s, promotional campaign materials, possible fashion films, sample designs, brand proposal report and business plan (if pursuing entrepreneurship).  You may also wish to add and expand your collection range to enhance content for editorial photoshoots or for possible fashion show opportunities as you build you 'Brand Me package'.