BA (Hons)

Fashion Design

Teaching & Learning

What you'll learn

This module will introduce you to two-dimensional and three-dimensional pattern making and garment construction. You'll learn how to manipulate a basic block, incorporating skills such as dart manipulation, adding volume, and changing the silhouette. We'll also explore pattern drafting fundamentals such as tracing off, and the use of notches and drill holes. In the first half of the module you'll learn technical construction skills through practical sessions and technical demonstrations. The second half of the module will focus on the development of your individual design into a resolved garment using pattern cutting, toiling, and industry standard construction techniques. Within the remit of the brief, you'll be able to adopt a personal, thematic, or experimental approach to the design process which should also consider diversity and inclusion. Studying this module will enable you to develop your responsible design thinking through a brief which specifies upcycling in the cut and construction of an original design.
This module is based purely on visual communication and will encourage your individual creative development. You'll explore a range of hand and digital drawing processes for the communication of silhouette, mood, fabric, colour and technical detail to become familiar with using methods of communication for fashion design projects. We'll also examine the relationship of colour, and colour palettes, including how to formulate a colour story and apply it in a fashion design context. Fabric types, fabric characteristics and their impact in fashion collections will be explored, for example silhouette, structure, season, mood, ethics, and technology. You'll develop your understanding of surface treatments such as print, and fabric manipulation techniques. This module will emphasise your experimentation and exploration, and will focus on how creative practices are combined with technical knowledge to develop and communicate innovative design ideas evocative of a specific mood or trend.
Study the history of fashion design and fashion marketing. We'll explore key moments in fashion history through a series of accessible themes, such as culture, politics, class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. Your lectures will focus on developments within the modern fashion industry from the 19th century to the present but also refer to early modern, medieval, and even ancient antecedents to the clothes we wear today. You'll understand key designers within the social context of representation, manufacture, and consumption, and the influence of historic dress on contemporary brands. Although the fashion industry is undeniably Western-centric, we'll also focus on non-Western histories of dress. Overall, you'll become familiar with a broad range of historic source material which might inspire your future studio work. In addition to lectures, you'll learn through a series of seminars, stimulating conversations, tutorials, independent research, and critical writing tasks. You'll be assessed via a portfolio of writing tasks.
Build on your knowledge of the fundamental process for fashion design, pattern cutting, and garment construction. You'll analyse and interpret ideas through research, design and development, and articulate your findings through the pattern cutting and construction of a garment, or garments. You'll learn technical skills through practical sessions and technical demonstrations before focusing on the development of your individual design concepts. We'll guide you in using pattern cutting, toiling, and industry standard construction techniques to resolve your ideas into a garment, or garments. You could adopt a personal, thematic, or experimental approach to the design process, which should also consider the embedding of diversity and inclusion, and sustainable design thinking.
This module will introduce you to two-dimensional and three-dimensional pattern making and garment construction. You'll learn how to manipulate a basic block, incorporating skills such as dart manipulation, adding volume, and changing the silhouette. We'll also explore pattern drafting fundamentals such as tracing off, and the use of notches and drill holes. In the first half of the module you'll learn technical construction skills through practical sessions and technical demonstrations. The second half of the module will focus on the development of your individual design into a resolved garment using pattern cutting, toiling, and industry standard construction techniques. Within the remit of the brief, you'll be able to adopt a personal, thematic, or experimental approach to the design process which should also consider diversity and inclusion. Studying this module will enable you to develop your responsible design thinking through a brief which specifies upcycling in the cut and construction of an original design.
This module is based purely on visual communication and will encourage your individual creative development. You'll explore a range of hand and digital drawing processes for the communication of silhouette, mood, fabric, colour and technical detail to become familiar with using methods of communication for fashion design projects. We'll also examine the relationship of colour, and colour palettes, including how to formulate a colour story and apply it in a fashion design context. Fabric types, fabric characteristics and their impact in fashion collections will be explored, for example silhouette, structure, season, mood, ethics, and technology. You'll develop your understanding of surface treatments such as print, and fabric manipulation techniques. This module will emphasise your experimentation and exploration, and will focus on how creative practices are combined with technical knowledge to develop and communicate innovative design ideas evocative of a specific mood or trend.
Study the history of fashion design and fashion marketing. We'll explore key moments in fashion history through a series of accessible themes, such as culture, politics, class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. Your lectures will focus on developments within the modern fashion industry from the 19th century to the present but also refer to early modern, medieval, and even ancient antecedents to the clothes we wear today. You'll understand key designers within the social context of representation, manufacture, and consumption, and the influence of historic dress on contemporary brands. Although the fashion industry is undeniably Western-centric, we'll also focus on non-Western histories of dress. Overall, you'll become familiar with a broad range of historic source material which might inspire your future studio work. In addition to lectures, you'll learn through a series of seminars, stimulating conversations, tutorials, independent research, and critical writing tasks. You'll be assessed via a portfolio of writing tasks.
Build on your knowledge of the fundamental process for fashion design, pattern cutting, and garment construction. You'll analyse and interpret ideas through research, design and development, and articulate your findings through the pattern cutting and construction of a garment, or garments. You'll learn technical skills through practical sessions and technical demonstrations before focusing on the development of your individual design concepts. We'll guide you in using pattern cutting, toiling, and industry standard construction techniques to resolve your ideas into a garment, or garments. You could adopt a personal, thematic, or experimental approach to the design process, which should also consider the embedding of diversity and inclusion, and sustainable design thinking.

What you'll learn

Gain an understanding of the tailoring industry by focusing on the technical design and garment realisation of a tailored jacket or coat. You'll analyse historical and contemporary trends in tailoring, and sample a basic tailored jacket. This will enable you to develop the tools to design, communicate, and manufacture your own tailored piece with a supporting technical pack. We'll concentrate on global markets ranging from niche to commercial and consider sustainable methods of production. You'll learn through lectures, technical demonstrations, individual and group tutorials, and critiques. This module will support you to to develop a professional self-promotional social media profile. You'll develop your curation techniques in presenting process and technique to an external audience.
This module will introduce fashion theory and build on the knowledge you gained in the Contextual Studies 1 module in your first year. New ways of thinking about style, trends, gender, technology, globalization, ethics, sustainability, faith, and culture, have transformed the fashion industry over the last few decades. Today’s industry professionals must be aware of current debates within fashion, while also being effective researchers, critical analysts, and excellent communicators. This module will equip you with these skills, as well as different theoretical lenses to interpret the diverse fashion practices you'll encounter in a globalized industry. Through informative lectures and seminars, stimulating conversations, independent research, and critical writing, you'll develop an intellectual understanding of contemporary fashion. As well as becoming a more effective fashion writer, this module will also enhance your future employability through developing your critical thinking skills, which will deepen your understanding of studio practice.
Examine industry-informed research methods that are used to explore, shape and compliment the design process. These include understanding of brand ethos and identity, customer and market, and trend analysis. We'll focus on developing your employability throughout the module as you expand your knowledge of the global fashion market and create a portfolio tailored for professional presentation. You'll be encouraged to place significant emphasis on your self-discovery as a designer, and you'll define your unique identity and positioning within the fashion industry in preparation for a placement year and/or your future career.
Explore fashion design through creative cut. You'll produce research, design development work, patterns, toiles, and final garments to a design brief. The focus will be on your creative exploration to support the development of your own fashion design identity. You'll create concepts that encompass a range of methodologies from trend, brand, and customer analysis, to self-directed thematic and concept driven ideas. You could produce research in diverse formats including film, photography, drawing, technical media, materials sourcing, and manipulation, as well as conventional and non-conventional pattern making and garment construction. Your design development will extend into range planning, evidencing awareness of colour and fabric application and balance. You'll build on the pattern making, garment construction and tailoring skills you acquired in your previous modules.
Gain an understanding of the tailoring industry by focusing on the technical design and garment realisation of a tailored jacket or coat. You'll analyse historical and contemporary trends in tailoring, and sample a basic tailored jacket. This will enable you to develop the tools to design, communicate, and manufacture your own tailored piece with a supporting technical pack. We'll concentrate on global markets ranging from niche to commercial and consider sustainable methods of production. You'll learn through lectures, technical demonstrations, individual and group tutorials, and critiques. This module will support you to to develop a professional self-promotional social media profile. You'll develop your curation techniques in presenting process and technique to an external audience.
This module will introduce fashion theory and build on the knowledge you gained in the Contextual Studies 1 module in your first year. New ways of thinking about style, trends, gender, technology, globalization, ethics, sustainability, faith, and culture, have transformed the fashion industry over the last few decades. Today’s industry professionals must be aware of current debates within fashion, while also being effective researchers, critical analysts, and excellent communicators. This module will equip you with these skills, as well as different theoretical lenses to interpret the diverse fashion practices you'll encounter in a globalized industry. Through informative lectures and seminars, stimulating conversations, independent research, and critical writing, you'll develop an intellectual understanding of contemporary fashion. As well as becoming a more effective fashion writer, this module will also enhance your future employability through developing your critical thinking skills, which will deepen your understanding of studio practice.
Examine industry-informed research methods that are used to explore, shape and compliment the design process. These include understanding of brand ethos and identity, customer and market, and trend analysis. We'll focus on developing your employability throughout the module as you expand your knowledge of the global fashion market and create a portfolio tailored for professional presentation. You'll be encouraged to place significant emphasis on your self-discovery as a designer, and you'll define your unique identity and positioning within the fashion industry in preparation for a placement year and/or your future career.
Explore fashion design through creative cut. You'll produce research, design development work, patterns, toiles, and final garments to a design brief. The focus will be on your creative exploration to support the development of your own fashion design identity. You'll create concepts that encompass a range of methodologies from trend, brand, and customer analysis, to self-directed thematic and concept driven ideas. You could produce research in diverse formats including film, photography, drawing, technical media, materials sourcing, and manipulation, as well as conventional and non-conventional pattern making and garment construction. Your design development will extend into range planning, evidencing awareness of colour and fabric application and balance. You'll build on the pattern making, garment construction and tailoring skills you acquired in your previous modules.

What you'll learn

Express your immediate career direction in fashion by producing a final comprehensive body of work. We'll explore an extensive fashion design methodology, from research to executing final garments. You'll articulate in-depth research and establish visual and conceptual interpretations that inform your individual concepts and design development. You'll need to demonstrate advanced project specific technical skills in pattern cutting and garment construction wthrough the process of toiling and fabrication of final garments, and through a technical pack. You'll also establish the market, trends, customers, ethos, and identity of the collection, and take a professional approach to product visualisation for the intended target audience. You could choose to adopt thematic, concept, or process driven approaches to the production of garments, or a combination of a range of research methodologies.
Build on the knowledge you gained in your previous contextual studies modules. This module will encourage you to draw on your studies to date to identify and independently manage a research project which complements your practice as an emerging designer. You'll set your own research questions and determine your own practice-based or desk-based research methodologies. We'll encourage you to reflect on how new ways of thinking about style, trends, gender, technology, globalization, ethics, sustainability, faith, and culture have transformed the fashion industry. You'll also develop a creative, critical, and professional position within these contexts. You'll work on expressing your personal voice and positions, evidenced through an illustrated portfolio of work which. Your portfolio may include an extended essay, a series of critical fashion articles, annotated bibliographies, a video essay or fashion film, critical reflection on studio practice, or critical analyses of relevant fashion designers or brands. You'll gain skills in project management, research methods, professionalism, and communication which will enhance your future employability.
This module will enable you to curate and refine your targeted graduate portfolio. You'll develop the tools needed to professionally present your design work in a portfolio format to industry standard. You'll practise working at industry pace to develop a commercial portfolio to showcase your work and identify the target client/consumer demographic for your projects. This will enable you to highlight your individual design strengths, demonstrate your essential skills, both creatively and technically, and provide context for your design process. Your submitted portfolio will align with your chosen industry sector, and aesthetically align with your chosen career path. The portfolio will be your passport into the fashion industry and will include a physical full edit and a digital mini-portfolio that can be easily forwarded to potential employers. You'll also submit a digitally produced visual and textual positioning report to contextualise your work in relation to other designers, brands, and fashion labels. You'll position yourself, and your work, for a defined segmentation of the global fashion industry. You'll also produce an employability skills audit to identify your individual skillset.
Express your immediate career direction in fashion by producing a final comprehensive body of work. We'll explore an extensive fashion design methodology, from research to executing final garments. You'll articulate in-depth research and establish visual and conceptual interpretations that inform your individual concepts and design development. You'll need to demonstrate advanced project specific technical skills in pattern cutting and garment construction wthrough the process of toiling and fabrication of final garments, and through a technical pack. You'll also establish the market, trends, customers, ethos, and identity of the collection, and take a professional approach to product visualisation for the intended target audience. You could choose to adopt thematic, concept, or process driven approaches to the production of garments, or a combination of a range of research methodologies.
Build on the knowledge you gained in your previous contextual studies modules. This module will encourage you to draw on your studies to date to identify and independently manage a research project which complements your practice as an emerging designer. You'll set your own research questions and determine your own practice-based or desk-based research methodologies. We'll encourage you to reflect on how new ways of thinking about style, trends, gender, technology, globalization, ethics, sustainability, faith, and culture have transformed the fashion industry. You'll also develop a creative, critical, and professional position within these contexts. You'll work on expressing your personal voice and positions, evidenced through an illustrated portfolio of work which. Your portfolio may include an extended essay, a series of critical fashion articles, annotated bibliographies, a video essay or fashion film, critical reflection on studio practice, or critical analyses of relevant fashion designers or brands. You'll gain skills in project management, research methods, professionalism, and communication which will enhance your future employability.
This module will enable you to curate and refine your targeted graduate portfolio. You'll develop the tools needed to professionally present your design work in a portfolio format to industry standard. You'll practise working at industry pace to develop a commercial portfolio to showcase your work and identify the target client/consumer demographic for your projects. This will enable you to highlight your individual design strengths, demonstrate your essential skills, both creatively and technically, and provide context for your design process. Your submitted portfolio will align with your chosen industry sector, and aesthetically align with your chosen career path. The portfolio will be your passport into the fashion industry and will include a physical full edit and a digital mini-portfolio that can be easily forwarded to potential employers. You'll also submit a digitally produced visual and textual positioning report to contextualise your work in relation to other designers, brands, and fashion labels. You'll position yourself, and your work, for a defined segmentation of the global fashion industry. You'll also produce an employability skills audit to identify your individual skillset.

This course offers the opportunity to take a ‘sandwich’ year – a year of paid employment in industry which will build your skills and experience. This is usually taken between the second and third year of your degree, typically making your course four years in total.

Students who choose the sandwich route find it helps with both their studies and getting a job after graduation. It can build your confidence, contacts, and of course your CV. Leeds Beckett advertise lots of placement opportunities and provide support in helping you find the right placement for you.