Fashion Design with Foundation Year

This is the level 4 work experience module and will enable you to work on an Applied Project. 

Module Aim:  

This module will build on skills and knowledge gained in Fashion Practice: Research & Design Principles, while developing your understanding of fashion markets and the impact of ethical and commercial environment of the time.  

You will benefit from work experience through an applied project with practising designers, industry and other external stakeholders.  

You will adopt a research-oriented experimental and questioning approach to the construction of a new fashion narrative, exploring alternate modes of design thinking and conceptual thinking. 

You will be introduced to a digital toolkit that will develop a knowledge and understanding of CAD systems to enhance your creative process. The toolkit can be applied within any real-world context to curate and communicate final design outputs and respond to ‘live’ industry components.    

Indicative content:  

Typical content may include: 

• Compiling, primary, and secondary research to inform design decision-making and developing conceptual thinking. 
• Engagement with external resources, galleries, exhibits and archives.   
• Exploration of wider textile and material uses across multiple fashion products.  
• Using lateral thinking and taking risks to solving creative design and production problems, through exposure to alternative cutting techniques.  
• Producing prototypes (toiles/technical samples) 
• Demonstrate accountability between ‘slow fashion’ vs ‘fast fashion’ systems and balance your own thinking and practice 
• Developing theoretical and contextual understanding, demonstrating critical thinking and analysis on contemporary cultural issues surrounding art and design.  
• Develop digital skills using CAD to aid design thinking and production.  
• Participation with an applied project that will develop your knowledge of current industry practices and audience needs.  
• Managing workloads and meeting deadlines. 
• Produce an industry standard portfolio appropriate to year of study.  

Module Aim:  

This module will introduce you to the core skills needed to support the development of a fashion outcome, forming key principles of your creative practice.  

You will cultivate research-oriented skills and techniques to establish design narratives and concepts that will enable critical and divergent thinking. You will use a range of visual communication techniques that will aid design responses and help form your future design identity.  

Engagement with the fashion studio to develop industry-led practices and technical competencies appropriate to clothing design and production. 

Indicative content:  

Typical content may include: 

• Building, primary, and secondary research to inform design decisions (Colour, textiles, Silhouette). 

• Fabric, fibres and uses.  

• The observation, investigation, and analysis of information 

• Developing practical skills in pattern adaption and garment construction, presenting design proposals in 2D and 3D forms.   

• Developing effective project management and organisation skills 

• Reflect on your own history, identity and aesthetic in the pursuit to generate design solutions.  

• Imbedding sustainable and responsible design methodology within practice 

• Adopting an experimental approach to the investigation of visual communication techniques, including template drawing, observational drawing, and technical flats. 

• Formulate appropriate responses, responding to social, cultural, environmental, historical, and economic issues. 

• Insight to industry cycles, markets and calendars that effect the position of the designer.  

This is the level 5 work experience module and will enable you to work on an enhanced Applied Project.

Module Aim:

This module challenges you to respond to an enhanced applied project brief. You will work within set parameters and restrictions to develop deeper understanding of advanced industrial practices.

Using a research-led approach you will build your knowledge and understanding of consumer and commercial factors in developing appropriate designs and high-quality outcomes.

Through a series of lectures, workshops, and seminars you will be introduced to key factors affecting designers working practices.

You will gain advanced competence and knowledge in a specialist area of fashion design, building confidence and expertise using an appropriate range of materials and techniques. Critical reflection on your skills and abilities will be encouraged to analyse and direct independent learning and development within the context of your own continuing professional practice.

This module also includes preparation for sandwich placement success including the Applied Diploma.  

Indicative Content:

This module will consist of one, or more project briefs asking the students to respond appropriately to the requirements and expectations of a live external brief, either for a competition(s) or client(s). Typical content may include:

• Specialist design research for alternative markets i.e., menswear luxury outerwear
• Participate in an enhanced applied project, negotiating a series of client focused outputs.
• Consideration of audience, niche groups, individual users, semantics, and market levels
• Indepth product analysis, understanding design language, historical, and cultural context.
• Advanced handling of material and its uses
• Field research and advanced product awareness related to the brief
• Advanced pattern cutting methods and production techniques
• Research and concept development, driven by user needs.
• Creative design development through the analysis and synthesis of ideas and knowledge
• Professional design communication and presentation
• Careers Readiness Programme (Continuing Professional Development)

Module Aim:  

This module explores new digital design technology as a vehicle to aid the design process. You will be encouraged to work collaboratively with peers to push the boundaries of new digital fashion design systems, using research-led approaches to further explore virtual environments to create concepts that are highly imaginative and innovative.  

Responding to a professionally focused brief you will be challenged to work within parameters and restrictions to develop a deeper understanding of industrial practices. You will gain experience creating and producing work to be showcased in a digital or virtual world arena.  

At the end of the module, you will present a digital portfolio demonstrating skills that reflect your future career and final year route. 

Indicative Content 

This module will typically include: 

• Research, development, visual presentation, and the production of a virtual communication package using emerging technologies for product visualisation 

• Knowledge of carbon zero strategies in the development of fashion product 

• Development of innovation strategies and future trend predictions 

• Reflect on contemporary of making. 

• Responding appropriately to the requirements and expectations of a professionally focused brief 

• Working collaboratively with teams and co-creators 

• Produce an interview ready portfolio and supporting self-promotional material 

• Creation of a written proposal in preparation for your chosen direction at level 6 study. 

• SWOT analysis, milestone mapping, intellectual property rights and career planning 

• Consumer factors affecting digital design, critical paths / workflows and the importance of quality and appropriateness of outcomes 

Module Aim:  

This project-based module will facilitate you to collaborate with others to tackle sustainable development challenges creatively. With the support of academics and external stakeholders, you will develop your collaborative, creative, communication, and presentation skills. Through multi-disciplinary project work, you will develop an informed and imaginative response to local and global sustainable development challenges. 

Learning will be blended and delivered through teaching, workshops, doing, and independent study individually and in groups.  

Indicative content:  

• Study and consideration of Sustainable Development  

• Exploration and utilisation of collaborative skills 

• Exploration and utilisation of design thinking and creative thinking tools  

• Project management 

• Creative research methods 

• Understanding audiences 

• Communication and presentation skills 

• Working with others, building relationship including with external stakeholders 

• Critical thinking and reflection 

Module aim:    

The aim of this module is to enhance students’ professional development through the completion of and reflection on meaningful work placement(s).  

A work placement will provide students with opportunities to experience the realities of professional employment and experience how their course can be applied within their chosen industry setting. The placement will: 

• Allow student to apply the skills, theories and behaviours relevant and in addition to their course 
• Enable students to enhance their interpersonal skills in demand by graduate employers – communication, problem-solving, creativity, resilience, team work etc.  
• Grow their student network and relationship building skills. 
• Provide student with insights into the industry and sector in which their placement occurs 
• Help student make informed graduate careers choices. 

Indicative Content:  

In this module students undertake a sandwich placement (min 24 weeks / min 21 hours per week) which is integrated, assessed and aligned to their studies.  

Their personal Placement Academic Supervisor (PAS) will be their key point of contact during their placement and will encourage and support students to reflect on their experience, learning and contribution to the organisation they work for.  

To demonstrate gains in professional development, students will be required to share their progress, learning and achievements with their Placement Academic Supervisor and reflect on these for the summative piece of work. 

Module Aim:  

This module will bring together the extensive research findings and knowledge gained from ‘Independent Fashion Project: Research & Design Ideation’ that will lead to conducive outcomes, related to the specific route and captured within a Graduate Portfolio.  

This module will seek to validate your position as a fashion design practitioner, demonstrating accountability and integrity through the building of a significant and highly considered body of work. 

Your work will communicate a range of practical fashion skills, knowledge, creativity and technical abilities, that will articulate and be able to showcase your design signature, becoming the vehicle towards life beyond university.  

Indicative Content 

Typical content may include: 

• Self-directed project management and implementation of negotiated tasks.  

• Work collaboratively to resolve complex design problems with co-creators, academics, technicians 

• Applying critical judgement to the ethical implications of individual research and practice 

• Engagement with specialist machinery, equipment, software in the pursuit to meet industry standards of work 

• Experimentation with visual communication methods 

• Produce appropriate means of presentation and layout techniques responsive to market research 

• Engagement with external opportunities, competitions, industry briefs 

• Facilitate and documentation of work in progress, to fully reflect on learning and knowledge gained.  

• Engagement with industry practitioners, co-creators, and mentors for critical feedback.  

• Curate project outcomes within a variety of marketing assets ready for further study or employment.  

This is the level 6 work experience module and will enable you to work on a Consultancy, Employer Led Scholarly Research project. 

Module Aim:  

In this module you will establish a self-directed project outline that should relate closely to future graduate aspirations and particular final year route. It will consolidate the skills and knowledge you have acquired throughout your studies, enabling you to draw upon past learning experience.  

Throughout the module you will be encouraged to appreciate the value of creative risk taking to produce a cohesive body of work. Using extensive research-based enquiry you will provide a framework for your work that contextualises individual thinking in real-world problems. You will work autonomously in the attempt to manage and resolve an appropriate range of outcomes.  

Through consultancy and collaboration with employers, co-creators and mentors this will give your project proposal agency and aim to generate high quality outcomes that contribute to the discipline area.  

Indicative Content 

This will typically include: 

• Plan and manage individual projects, generating a clear critical path across final year 

• Creative development through the analysis and synthesis of ideas and knowledge. 

• Inquire beyond the university, through external visits to archives, conferences, museums, and industry. 

• Market research and analysis applicable to set global audiences and users 

• Establish design methodologies and approaches suitable for product requirements.   

• Focused product development in workshops, studios and computer labs that will drive extensive range of 2D/3D sampling and prototypes 

• Generate detailed industry standards technical packs 

• Collaboration with peers, clients, and audiences, to gain critical feedback.  

• Creative experimentation with 2D/3D materials and textiles related to contemporary practice 

• Documentation of personal design proposals and creative outcomes.  

• Experimentation with visual communication methods appropriate to project requirements 

• Engagement with industry practitioners to offer mentorship and knowledge exchange to enhance personal growth into employment.  

• Budget management, seeking sponsorship and funding where available  

• Continual career readiness, reflecting on skills gained and harnessing project outcomes to serve future progression.