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Fashion Marketing BA Honours

Are today's consumers really getting the message about sustainable fashion? Change that with a unique degree which focuses on Marketing to further UN Sustainability goals in Fashion
Code
135W220
Start
September 2024
Duration
3 years full-time
6 years part-time
Attendance
Full-time or part-time
Fees
£9,250 (UK)*
£16,600 (INT)*
Course leader
Michael Kourtoubelides and Lucy Fine

Why choose Fashion Marketing BA Honours at Middlesex?

BA Fashion Marketing at Middlesex sets out to shape the future fashion industry to make it truly sustainable and socially inclusive.

This is an interdisciplinary course offered between Middlesex Business School and the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries. The course will prepare you in the business-oriented fundamentals of marketing and offers specific opportunities to apply this knowledge to the fashion industry with a focus on promoting responsible consumption, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal SDG12 and Education for Sustainable Development guidelines.

Here are some of the reasons to choose this course at Middlesex:

  • The need to call out socially responsible claims in fashion marketing has never been more urgent
  • You'll learn and develop skills from two approaches – creativity and business – and how to bring these two elements together to ensure creative fashion marketing with social and commercial impact
  • This collaborative approach creates highly employable graduates in a unique position to shape the future fashion industry
  • Join this course and change the future of fashion. Or apply your skills and knowledge to a wide range of lifestyle and creative industries.

What you will gain

By joining us on this Fashion Marketing BA, you'll have the opportunity to:

  • Consciously approach creating more responsible codes of practice for the future fashion industry
  • Learn from a cross-faculty and interdisciplinary course, taught across both the School of Design and the School of Business
  • Take part in collaborative projects with BA Fashion and BA Marketing courses
  • Benefit from both marketing and fashion industry perspectives.

You'll also be able to take advantage of 6-week work placements and an optional year-long industry placement.

Other skills you will gain include:

  • Development of marketing concepts and strategies
  • Research and critical thinking
  • Collaborative working between creative industries and business practices
  • Consultation and client delivery skills
  • Pitching ideas at appropriate fashion industry market segments
  • Market insight and analysis
  • Strategic engagement with new technology/social media

What you will learn

This new course is delivered to reflect an authentic practice-based approach to working in the fashion marketing industry.

You'll be able to take advantage of staff Links with industry. Previous fashion industry collaborations have included: The FACE Magazine, Buffalo Magazine, DUST magazine, British Fashion Council, Student Fabric Initiative, Andrew Davis from Perfect Magazine

Fashion students have done placements with Dazed and Confused, Richard Quinn, Show Studio, Beauty Papers, Gareth Pugh, Jenny Packham and Scandinavian Vogue.

3 great reasons to pick this course

  • World-class fashion facilities
    Across both fashion and textiles including knit, weave, print, industrial sewing machinery, photographic studios and 3D workshops.
  • Graduate success stories
    Our alumni include designers Martine Rose and Christopher Raeburn, with others working for the likes of Burberry, Tom Ford and Givenchy
  • Excellent industry connections
    Get real-life experience and build your professional network in the global fashion industry on a six-week work placement

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Our communications are designed to support you in deciding your future and keep you up to date about student finance, employment opportunities and student activities available at Middlesex University.

This collaborative course capitalises on the synergy between the two areas of fashion and marketing, allowing you to look at marketing from a global fashion perspective and examine fashion with commercial insight.

Our Fashion Marketing BA curriculum focuses on inclusive socio-economic development and enriching lives through culture in line with the Middlesex University strategy and focuses on achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.

Modules

  • Year 1

    • Marketing Theory and Practice (30 Credits)

      This module defines key marketing theories, processes, and concepts, their strengths and weaknesses and their use in different organisational contexts. It analyses the role and function of marketing within organisations to identify market trends and explain marketing practice and fashion trends. The module recognises the role and importance of customers in marketing decision-making and applies marketing theory to suggest and justify marketing mix decisions.

    • Creative Communication and Branding (30 Credits)

      This module is designed provide a theoretical and practical understanding of integrated marketing communications in both commercial and social marketing domains.

      Students will examine a range of marketing communication models used in traditional media as well as providing an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities presented with the growth of new media channels within an everchanging digital landscape.

      Students will develop a deeper appreciation of the importance of brand message structure and content as it reaches diverse audiences. Given the competitive nature of the marketplace, it is incumbent on marketers to design message strategies that can be heard above the ‘noise’ of competing organisations and brands. To that end, students will develop strategies for the creative use of media channels to devise persuasive message campaigns and thereby develop relevant employment skills for the creative industry sector.

    • Business, Ethics and Fashion Marketing (30 Credits)

      This module sets much of the grounding contextual framework for the rest of the degree programme, considering the historical drivers and contemporary context of the fashion industry. The module aims to introduce students to the broad historical, social, cultural and economic contexts for the development of fast fashion and lifestyle brands and acknowledge how and why fashion and related industries have been associated with exploitative models of production and consumption.

      Through analysis of historical case studies and contemporary brands, students will gain knowledge and understanding of how business ethics has emerged and evolved over the 20th century and how communication practices have evolved to market fashion in an era of post-consumerism and stakeholder capitalism.

    • Fashion History and Social Identity (30 Credits)

      This module will introduce students to different ways of looking at and thinking about fashion, providing an introduction to key themes, narratives and concepts, and considering their historical and theoretical underpinnings. You will be encouraged to draw connections between fashions from the past and the present to encourage you to understand the rich cultural and social meanings of clothing and adornment in global fashion traditions. We cover a broad range of visual and material research methodologies, enabling you to be resourceful and explore different archives and historical collections in a hands-on way, making context the centre of students’ creative and professional practice.

  • Year 2

    • Responsible Marketing and Consumption (15 Credits)

      The module aims to develop an understanding of how fashion brands can encourage responsible consumerism. Marketing is sometimes seen as contradictory to positive societal and sustainable goals, nevertheless applying its principles can also serve to effectively promote societal outcomes.

      Concepts such as sustainable and social marketing are at the forefront of current marketing thinking and practice and brands can use this knowledge to create offerings that will drive consumers towards a more responsible consumption.

      Students will be encouraged to develop their own understanding of what it means to become a responsible consumer by being presented with theoretical concepts and ideas that lie on the interrelationship among marketing, public policy, social and environmental values.

    • Eco-fashion and Greenwashing (15 Credits)

      This module aims to enable students to research the challenges of linking fashion and the environment responsibly. Hands-on analysis of fashion products enables students to recognise the material qualities of eco-fibres, fabrics and garments. Lectures and discussions establish how the category of ‘eco-fashion’ has emerged and examines the current and emerging regulatory frameworks which govern ‘eco-fashion’ and emerging eco-consumer cohorts.

      Students will gain confidence in identifying a range of integrated marketing communication techniques to explore how greenwashing is applied and develop responsible marketing strategies for eliminating greenwashing from fashion and lifestyle marketing.

    • Brand Storytelling (15 Credits)

      The module aims to provide a holistic view of branding concepts and theoretical frameworks within the context of an evolving digital landscape. There is a recognition that consumer brands play an important role in creating and influencing consumer expectations and are more than just labels on the products and services we consume.

      Brands need to reflect and adapt to the changing values and ethical considerations that consumers are seeing as increasingly important in a world being defined by new environmental, social and cultural norms. In order to remain relevant, brands need to create greater emotional links with consumers.

      To that end, students will explore the art of brand storytelling across multiple digital platforms, and understand how brand narratives emotionally link with consumer aspirations, as well as create increased levels of loyalty, engagement and brand value in today’s globalised and dynamic digital era.

    • Fashion Experience (15 Credits)

      This module provides opportunities to consider contemporary approaches to experimental and immersive marketing used to promote fashion brands and enables students to experiment with adopting sensory, digital and phygital approaches to marketing a fashion brand of the student’s choice.

      Students will gain opportunities to study some of the innovative and creative ways fashion brands use physical events / digital showcases to market themselves in the established and emerging fashion capitals during some of the busiest and most important weeks of the fashion calendar, and how the metaverse is evolving and changing e-commerce, the retail experience, digital marketing, and communications.

    • Fashion Culture and Social Responsibility (30 Credits)

      To build upon the core academic research and communication skills introduced in the Fashion History and Social Identity module, students will develop specialist knowledge and understanding of critical issues in contemporary fashion, related to the production, consumption and mediation of fashion as a global aspect of both culture and industry.

      The module adopts a decolonial perspective to explore and develop how contemporary debates, themes and concepts influence the material, visual and consumer cultures of fashion, challenging dominant historical narratives and unpicking fashion’s mythologies from a global perspective. Students will develop their own independent research interests in contemporary fashion cultures and industry, and a critical awareness of the fashion industry, helping them to position their creative work in an ethically-informed, responsible, and culturally competent manner.

    • Fashion Internship (30 Credits)

      This module will enable you to undertake a period of work experience within a field of fashion (marketing) scheduled at the start of the second term and running until the end of London Fashion Week. Academic staff support and encourage students in identifying possible career networks and areas of employment and develop key employment tools. The project set whilst on placement also asks students to investigate the organisation in terms of its ethical and sustainable focus and commitment and will give students practical industry experience to contextualise key themes across the programme.

  • Optional Sandwich Year

    • Industry Placement year – Optional (120 Credits)

      This optional module allows you to undertake a year-long internship in the field of fashion industry before returning for your final year of study. You will utilise an employment experience to provide an insight into the work methods and operation of a fashion business or freelance role in the field of your degree specialism. You will carefully document the experience engender an understanding of the principles of reflective practice and the application in a professional context and network building.

  • Year 3

    • New Venture Creation (15 Credits)

      This module is underpinned by the ethos that ‘Entrepreneurship’ is now a career choice for many students in these challenging, dynamic and uncertain times. This module is designed to foster entrepreneurial talent and encourage and develop entrepreneurial new venture management skills as a Marketing Consultant for the fashion industries. It also aims to make students aware of opportunities in the marketplace and how to use Effectual Entrepreneurship to implement and generate sustainable incomes in a world outside the academic environment.

    • Collaborative Practice: Fashion Marketing and Branding (15 Credits)

      This module offers the opportunity to develop collaborative peer communities across the Design and Marketing departments at Middlesex and wider networks of emerging designers and creatives. You will be tasked with gathering and analysing market insight to create original campaigns and strategy and position your live client within the industry. You will develop an understanding of the designer’s creative process, how to practice effective consultancy, and negotiate a valuable set of outcomes for your client.

    • Sustainable Fashion Management: The Future (30 Credits)

      The module provides opportunities to analyse the strategic approach of managing a sustainable fashion business. Fashion brands have unique challenges, dynamic opportunities and are relying hugely on creativity.

      Students will understand what sustainable fashion is and how the established theoretical knowledge and concepts of strategic management can be applied and/or adapted to fashion-oriented companies, while gaining all the practical skills required for developing fashion brands in a diverse and competitive global environment.

    • Visual Cultures Research Project (30 Credits)

      This project will allow students to engage with the identification, organisation and development of a substantial, in-depth, self-directed research project (Dissertation) with a clear and sustained critical argument. We encourage the pursuit of a research topic related to issues explored in students’ own practice in any area of fashion visual cultures.

      Students will further develop critical awareness and self-reflection of historical and/or contemporary contexts of the discipline and research topic, building on primary and secondary research skills embedded at levels 4 and 5, and developing their ability to identify, analyse and critically evaluate appropriate sources and research methods.

    • Consultancy Project (30 Credits)

      This module builds on learning from prior modules and provides further collaborative experience working on a live client-driven consultancy project. External clients will provide the project brief and students will work in teams to develop practical solutions. This is an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real organisations and facilitate the practice of effective team working, problem solving reflective and presentation skills. You will also develop an understanding of the complexities relating to client management and project deliverables.

To find out more about your course, please download the Fashion Marketing BA Honours specification (PDF).

  1. Teaching and learning
  2. Coursework and Assessment

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, childcare and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

We'll help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

How can Fashion Marketing BA support your career?

This is a new course designed to educate you for the following careers and destinations:

  • Fashion marketing consultant
  • Environmental, social and governance (ESG) consultant
  • Marketing in the metaverse
  • Brand analyst
  • Brand manager
  • Digital marketing
  • Client relationship management
  • Data analytics
  • Social media manager
  • E-commerce
  • Freelance content creator
  • Video and social media
  • Trend forecaster
  • Market insights analyst

MDXworks

Our employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has put us in the top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money 2023 and a top 10 university for producing CEOs (Novuana, 2023).

MDXcelerator Student Start-Up Support

Want to be your own boss? You'll have the chance to pitch your business to gain mentoring and grants of up to £15,000.

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

  1. UK entry
  2. International entry
  3. How to apply

Fees

The fees below are for the 2023/24 academic year:

UK students1

Full-time: £9,250

Part-time: £77 per taught credit

International students2

Full-time students: £16,600

Part-time students: £138 per taught credit

Additional costs

The following study tools are included in your fees:

  • Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
  • Free access to the resources and learning materials
  • Free access to everything on your reading list
  • Free specialist software for your course
  • Free printing for academic paperwork
  • Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.

Scholarships and bursaries

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:

  • MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
  • Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
  • Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Emma Dick
Interim Head of Department

Emma Dick is the Interim Head of the Design Department at Middlesex University, and a Director of Inclusive Trade Ltd, a sustainability-first “eco-commerce” platform connecting vetted MSMEs to businesses and consumers globally, which aims to eliminate greenwashing and enable trust between consumers and brands. Her research practice aims to bring together the disciplines of textiles, business, and development and is often focused geographically on Asia (Bhutan, Turkey, Central and South-East Asia). She is interested in how global issues of the postcolonial intersect with ideas of the postmodern to foreground issues of ethics and appropriation in cross-border trade and the global business of fashion.

Matt Ryalls
Senior Lecturer

Matt Ryalls is Senior Lecturer in BA (Hons) Fashion Communication &Styling. He studied Fashion Design at Central St. Martins and has worked as a stylist and Fashion Editor for Arena, Dazed & Confused, Exit, Nylon, POP and The Face magazines, in addition he has collaborated with numerous designers on runway presentations internationally.

Matt publishes Animé, a print publication of photography, illustration, interviews and prose that explores themes of identity, sexuality and gender.

Dr Michael Kourtoubelides
Senior Lecturer

Dr Michael Kourtoubelides is a lecturer in marketing, global marketing and fashion marketing modules. His interest and teaching areas include retail marketing and fashion brands. Prior to joining Middlesex University, Michael was programme leader at London Metropolitan University. Michael has a PhD in Business and Marketing.

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