BA Honours Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion Degree

Overview & facilities

Our BA Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion Degree with Honours was designed especially for the person who dreams of a career in Fashion as a stylist, show producer or art director, or working with words, graphics, photography and image making to create magazine editorials and the promotion, presentation, branding and packaging of Fashion - in other words - all the exciting things that go on within Fashion after the clothes have been made.

On the BA Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion Degree with Honours, you will benefit from having a first year that introduces you to fashion through a series of Fashion Awareness projects and also gives you the opportunity to explore photography, illustration, graphics skills, portfolio presentation, show production, promotion and exhibition. Included in the second year is a six-week work experience where you are based full time with the designer/practitioner/show producer/PR company of your choice.
Your third year concentrates on the research and development toward producing your final portfolio of work.

The course is enriched and supported by History of Art, Architecture and Design modules, which contextualise the academic work within the Fashion modules, and helps connect your thinking to the cultural, political, socioeconomic and philosophical issues that inform our society.

At the end of your degree you will exhibit your work at the Middlesex University Art and Design Degree Show.  The show is a celebration of the end of your studies and the start of your creative career, it's a great opportunity to show off your talents to friends, family and creative industry employers. 

MIDDLESEX FASHION NEWS

Middlesex Fashion, Design, Styling and Promotion students go tropical with their pop-up Flash Paradise store in Brent Cross shopping centre. See the video here

Middlesex University is a member of The British Fashion Council Colleges Council

Content & modules

We cover essential fashion design skills because although you are not required to make clothes as part of this degree, an understanding of how clothing is constructed is relevant. These include

Research
fashion awareness
fashion media

Portfolio presentation
styling
branding
illustration

Graphic skills modules and workshops include
photography
computer generated image
screen-printing
letterpress
etching
relief print

The degree is further enriched by History of Art and Architecture modules that run through all three years of the course, providing a contextual framework that relates fashion design, styling and promotion to historical, philosophical, cultural and socioeconomic contexts.

Year One
The first semester of the first year is common to the BA Honours Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion and the BA Honours Fashion. We will support any student who may wish to change pathway through their optional module choice. Introductory modules that cover research, fashion awareness and design Workshops in styling, branding, visual communication design.

Year Two
The developing of the use of graphic skills and magazine design including photography; interactive i.e. TV and web, design; also advertising, copywriting, promotion and publicity and their application to fashion.

Year Three
The defining of a personal design identity and the design and design development employed in the refining and production of a final portfolio.

We place particular emphasis on good attendance and it is part of our assessment criteria. Whilst we expect our students to be self motivated and able to work on their own and use outside sources for research and inspiration, quite simply, if the student does not attend, they cannot be taught and they do not learn.

Modules

• Year 1

  Fashion Skills One (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  Extend the range of skills used in fashion design. Introduce and encourage fashion awareness.

  Introducing Fashion (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  Introduce the academic and professional environment that lays a foundation for Future study on the B. A. Fashion and B.A Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion Programmes. Encourage the discovery of an individual style and/or identity through exploratory and experimental work. Employ the basic techniques in research and design, illustration, styling and presentation.

  Visual Communication Workshops 1 (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to provide an opportunity to explore a variety of different graphic media and understand their value as methods of visual communication. It aims to encourage an inventive and experimental response to the use of processes and materials in workshop areas chosen from photography, screenprint, etching, lino print, letterpress, 3D design, magazine design, life drawing, animation, electronic design and bookbinding. The module also aims to offer students the opportunity to learn a range of transferable practical and technical skills in art and design, through material handling, exploration of process, production and presentation. This module also aims to provide students with the opportunity to identify and develop a range of specific transferable skills which will enable each student to independently engage in effective learning at first degree level. Additionally the module aims to provide an initial framework for the acquisition of personal and career development skills. Both of these main aims are further developed at level 2 and 3 through subject specific modules.

• Year 2

  Developing Fashion (60 Credits) - Compulsory

  Encourage a widening of awareness of the fashion industry. Develop research skills, analyse contemporary style and learn how to create, manipulate and rework imagery to communicate ideas. Develop observational drawing skills necessary for visual communication. Develop the students interest in surface pattern in the form of embellishment, embroidery, beading, and printing. To provide the opportunity for a work placement within the Fashion industry.

  Visual Communication Workshops 2 (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to develop an understanding of specialist subject areas of creative practice through studio and workshop based activities. It enables students to develop individual approaches to visual communication and to begin to identify broad areas of interest that could form the basis for further specialist study on their programme. It will encourage the acquisition of intermediate specialist skills to work effectively in creative workshop areas chosen from; advertising, life drawing, publicity, editorial photography, publishing, magazine design, animation, etching and print, interactive and web design. The module aims to further develop skills in using creative processes analysing, evaluating visual pieces of work and presentation methods.

• Year 3

  Critical and Contextual Proposition (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to enable students to identify and deliver a research project that is the product of sustained and creative engagement both with a range of research resources and an area of studio-practice. The module will consolidate skills of project identification, research organisation and development, time management, written and visual analysis and the presentation of a critical argument/thesis. The module further consolidates the development of skills required for autonomous learning.

  Establishing Fashion (60 Credits) - Compulsory

  To consolidate all previous learning Design, build and develop a cohesive body of Fashion based work employing specialist skills. To realise a final portfolio/collection of work.

  Professional Practice in Design 3 (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  Working in the context of the major design project the module aims to enable students to audit and articulate their design practice in relation to the different fields of knowledge design and communication, professional practice, technologies and processes, history and theory developed throughout their studies.

Entry & applying

A minimum 240 Ucas tariff points and Foundation Diploma in Art and Design/Fashion is desirable also GCSE grade C in English Language Applicants will be invited to attend portfolio interview.

Entry requirements

At least three passes at Level C and above in GCSE in academic subjects, including English language A foundation diploma in Art and Design, or A National Diploma in General Art and Design, or, where appropriate, equivalents such as a recognised professional qualification in one of the design disciplines: fashion/textiles, three dimensional design, interior or spatial design, product/industrial design, visual communication/graphics, furniture, ceramics, jewellery, metals, glass or architecture. Applicants will be invited to attend portfolio interview.

We also offer two 12-week long courses successful completion of which guarantees you a place on this course.

• Foundation in Art and Design, Intensive Short Course
• Foundation in Digital Arts, Intensive Short Course

Apply now

Qualifications accepted

For a comprehensive list of qualifications accepted by Middlesex, see further information under entry requirements

English language requirements

You must have competence in English language and we normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. The most common English Language requirements for international students are IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components) or TOEFL internet based 72 (with at least 17 in listening & writing, 20 in speaking and 18 in reading).

Middlesex also offers an Intensive Academic English course (Pre-Sessional) that ranges from 5-17 weeks depending on your level of English. Successful completion of this course would meet English language entry requirements. For more information on applying for the pre-sessional please email english@mdx.ac.uk.

Entry into year two or three (transfer students)

If you have achieved a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND, or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex course in year two or three. For full details of how this works see transfer students

UK/EU applicants with existing higher education qualifications

If you have already been awarded a qualification at the same level as the course you are applying for, you may not be eligible for a tuition fee loan, see fees and funding for more information.

Applying

Applications for UK and EU students should be made to UCAS – the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. The institution code for Middlesex is M80, and the code name is MIDDX. You also need the code for the course you wish to apply for – this is found in the 'at a glance' box above.

International students from outside the EU can make a direct application.  We have a network of regional offices across the world to assist you with your application.  They have worked with people from your region coming to Middlesex before and can help. Read more on international applications

You might also be interested in the 12-week long Foundation course, which runs three times a year, successful completion of which will guarantee a place on a nominated BA Honours programme:

Foundation in Art and Design, Intensive Short Course

Fees & funding

The tuition fee for the 2012/2013 academic year for UK/EU students is £9,000.
The tuition fee for the 2012/2013 academic year for International students is £10,400.

Click here to find out more about fees, funding and our scholarships in 2012.

Careers & placements

As a graduate, you could become a Fashion Magazine Editor, Photographic Fashion Stylist, Fashion Illustrator, Art Director, Fashion Show Producer, Fashion Promoter, Trend Forecaster, Fashion Web Designer, Fashion Agent, Beauty Editor, Fashion Journalist, or Fashion PR Manager.

The existing fashioncourse has had successful graduates whose talents and skills lie within the huge employment market in the design, styling and promotion of fashion. They include

• Richard Gray - internationally known illustrator and art director
• Richard Sloan - who graduated only two years ago and is already successfully styling and art directing such as style icons such as Kylie Minogue and Coldplay and stylist for the designer Robert Cary-Williams.

Middlesex has strong links with art and design employers. Our industry partners sponsor final year students, give visiting lectures, and art and design agencies, organisations and other employers attend our final year degree show each year.

A period of work experience of approximately six weeks is embedded in the degree in the middle of the second year. This is in the weeks leading up to London Fashion Week in February. It is an assessed part of the degree offering a wonderful opportunity to work with fashion based designers, show producers, magazines, PR companies, stylists and photographers in their studios at their busiest time of the year and often leads to job offers. Students are supported by the Fashion tutors and the Placement Officer

Our Careers Service offers you a range of support both while you’re studying with us – and after you’ve graduated.

Placements

Work placements are proven to increase your success in the job market – as well as being a fantastic experience. We encourage as many students as possible to grasp this opportunity. As part of your second year you will have the opportunity to carry out a placement of a minimum of 4 weeks.  This will provide you with first-hand experience of a fashion organisation. We have a Placement Office which will support you through the placement process.

Past students (alumni)

Graduates from the fashion courses at Middlesex include successful students whose talents and skills lie within the huge employment market in the design, styling and promotion of fashion. They include:

• Richard Gray - internationally known illustrator and art director
• Richard Sloan – a recent graduate who is successfully styling and art directing style icons such as Kylie Minogue and Coldplay and stylist for the designer Robert Cary-Williams.