Key facts

Entry requirements

112 or DMM

Additional entry requirements apply to this course. Full entry requirements

UCAS code

W234

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

Three years full-time, four years full-time with a placement. Six years part-time.

Fees

2024/25 UK tuition fees:
£9,250

2024/25 international tuition:
£15,750

Additional costs

Entry requirements

112 or DMM

Additional entry requirements apply to this course. Full entry requirements

UCAS code

W234

Institution code

D26

Duration

3 yrs full-time

Three years full-time, four years full-time with a placement. Six years part-time

Fees

2024/25 UK tuition fees:
£9,250

2024/25 international tuition:
£15,750

Additional costs

In the global fashion industry, the fashion stylist and communicator creates visual stories, employs technologies and exploits promotional platforms. You’ll learn how to engage with audiences and tell ‘style stories’ to transform fashion products from just objects into modern must-have trends.

You’ll become proficient in visual research, illustration and storyboarding, and project management. Through your studies, you’ll work collaboratively with peers and industry experts and foster a network of future career contacts and opportunities.

Our new block approach to teaching, Education 2030, gives you a straight forward structure and timetable, where you study one module at a time. You'll focus on a topic for seven weeks with the same group of classmates and same tutor creating a close student community with ongoing assessment rather than final exams.

Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments – rather than lots of exams at the end of the year – and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging. Read more about block teaching.

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What you will study

Block 1: Fashion Styling

This module introduces you to the context and practice of how stylists work within the global requirements and diverse opportunities offered by the fashion industry. You will be practically exploring the underlying concepts, principles, and techniques for yourself.

Working through a series of mini tasks/projects, you will have the opportunity to participate in action-based learning to contextualise and enhance your creative skills for the area of fashion styling. The module will also develop your ability to talk about your work as you present the outcomes of your project work.

Typical areas covered will include Creative research, Concept building, Fashion styling, documenting creative development, Presentation, Portfolio building, Intellectual Property (IP) Introduction to studio Photography for Fashion. All work undertaken will be drawn together at the close of the module to form a portfolio of fashion styling projects plus a final visual and verbal presentation of your work.

Assessment: 60% coursework and 40% portfolio.

Block 2: Fashion Image Creation

This module will explore relevant techniques and applications for image making as a Fashion Visual Communicator. Working through a series of demonstrations and practical workshops, you will develop a personal portfolio of skills, techniques, and final pieces of work.

The photographic component of this module allows you to develop an aesthetic awareness and understanding of the language and processes of digital photography in relation to fashion communication. Through a series of practical tasks/projects you are encouraged to gain technical skills in the use of digital cameras, to control the visual content of your still image making. Still image production techniques will be explored and developed including digital image manipulation, via practical workshops demonstrating the use of image manipulation software. Image output will be explored for both print and screen-based systems.

Also exploring hand communication techniques including media experimentation, drawing, illustration, and story boarding. You will also be introduced to Computer Aided Design (CAD) techniques to enhance and compliment hand rendering skills, as well to aid image production and editing.

Assessment: 60% coursework and 40% portfolio.

Block 3: Communication Creation

Using the theme of editorial print-based media this module will explore and develop skills and methodologies for the creation of still, print based communications. Your communications awareness will be enhanced through practice-based investigation and analysis before moving forward into project based practical work to generate editorial communication outcomes appropriate to global fashion and lifestyle print based media and their differing audiences.

Typical areas covered will include Publication research, Audience analysis, Visual communication, Editorial Creation, Campaign building, Fashion Styling, Fashion Graphics, Adobe InDesign, Printing styles and options

Skills developed from block 1 and 2 will also be valuable for the development of your project work within this module too. All work undertaken will be drawn together at the close of the module to form a portfolio of fashion styling and communication development work plus a final portfolio presentation of the project outcomes you create within the module.

Assessment: 50% coursework and 50% portfolio.

Block 4: Fashion Film Cultures

This module introduces you to the practical language and grammar of video production through a series of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and practical exercises. The emphasis will be on providing a groundwork of craft and technique in moving image production from which you are able to research, develop, plan, and produce your own video/moving image for screen-based output. You will explore idea development, production, editing, and presentation related to appropriate video/moving imagery, sound, subject matter, and theme

The practical content is further underpinned by theoretical to contextualise current practice within an historical framework. You will consider origins and influences - how traditions develop and evolve in response to social and political contexts - as well as research methods, visual literacy, and the skills for academic writing. You will develop an understanding of stylistic development through visual culture and fashion communication. Typical content will include historical perspectives on the fashion design process; style, communication, and consumption; the social and cultural history of fashion; identity and subcultures.

Assessment: 50% coursework and 50% video.

Block 1: Concept to Consumer

This module focusses on and utilises a digital content and social media theme. With the development of multiple social media platforms, companies and individuals are able to communicate directly with their consumers and potential customers globally through varied and media rich content. It is now the perfect time to utilise your creative voice to engage with more important issues and this module will support you directing your art direction knowledge, styling skills and outcomes for raising awareness about important social, political, and ethical issues through developing campaign imagery and digital outcomes.

Capitalising on the opportunities generated by digital formats and the ever-growing number of social media formats you will explore the roles and responsibilities of the fashion stylist and communicator when assisting relevant organisations and companies to engage with their current customer base but also to attract a new target audience to their communications, who could ultimately become their customers too. You will explore how to research and identify consumer groups before moving forward to develop a range of potential digital content targeted at and engaging both existing and potential new audiences.

You are required to consider a wide range of issues related to the production methodology, conventions, and creative considerations of relevant imagery. These include, but are not limited to ethical, social, historical, theoretical, technical, and contextual considerations within the genre.

Assessment: 50% coursework and 50% portfolio.

Block 2: The Fashion Client: Campaign with Film

This module introduces you to the principles and theories that underpin the global fashion and lifestyle industry. You will begin to explore the psychological and personal motivations of consumer behaviour and develop market research skills and visually communicate those strategies, being flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of the industry.

Allowing opportunity for you to act as a real-life fashion consultant and create an exciting visual direction campaign for a contemporary designer or brand. You will explore the roles and responsibilities of the fashion stylist and communicator when assisting fashion companies and brands to engage with their current customer base, but also to attract a new audience to their communications, who could ultimately become their customers too.

Typical areas covered will include Campaign Building, Brand Analysis, Identify Consumer groups, Advertising Campaigns, Promotional Material, Trend Analysis, and advanced skills in Fashion Film / Moving image creation.

Assessment: 70% campaign and 30% video.

Block 3: Fashion Event Styling

This module will provide you with an insight, understanding and practical skills for the very hands-on activity of styling for targeted communication within physical event-based media and resources. The fashion industry utilises live event in many formats to engage with audiences on a very personal and direct level. Events are also an opportunity to create additional formats of visual content for follow-up media and marketing applications. More than a logistical challenge, live event must also be styled to achieve maximum impact on the audience and secure a highly positive overall experience.

This highly practical module will afford you the opportunity to develop skills and hands on experience of the variety of roles a fashion communicator and stylist will undertake responsibility for. Typical content includes Event design, Location sourcing, Location environment design, Design and build and Event/show production. Work for project outcomes within this module can be undertaken either individually, in pairs or in small groups.

Assessment: 60% event and 40% coursework.

Block 4: Futures: Professional and Promotional Identity

This module compliments subject specific skills and practice within the programme of study by focusing on professional and promotional skills. These skills and attributes become increasingly important factors as you begin to apply for jobs and work placements, including those opportunities available via the optional placement year and any other holiday work experience opportunities.

The promotional material will focus on digital platforms where you can present yourself and your work, encouraging a proactive approach to becoming known and accessible to a range of potential employers. These digital tools can be continually updated with added content, both before and after graduation

Design Cultures contextual teaching is included within this module. At level 5 you will engage with issues and debates including sustainability, gender, and cross-cultural awareness. You will research and explore relevant historical, theoretical, critical, and global concepts to underpin your understanding of contemporary issues in the fashion industry

The module will support the development of appropriate professional skills and the creation of suitable promotional materials. Professional skills will be both written and experiential, typically to include CV writing, interview techniques, employability, and skills auditing.

Assessment: 50% professional portfolio and 50% written assignment.

Block 1: Fashion Communication and Styling Consultancy

This module affords the opportunity to explore and manage a diverse range of consultative roles, creatively generating and managing the outcomes of consultation projects with a range of clients that can include fashion industry, fashion events and design specialist practitioners. How you manage and develop bespoke communication projects and outcomes for your clients will draw on all of your skills to date in addition to giving you a broader portfolio of live project work and successful outcomes. These skills and work will aid towards the development of Major Project work for block 3 and 4.

Working in a consultancy role, you will need to research and collaborate with your client to discover and understand what they need from a fashion stylist, pitch your ideas, and then once agreed, undertake a negotiated and manageable package of consultancy project outcomes, for your client.

The module also offers the option of various ‘live’ project briefs of varying complexity, which include relevant national and international competitions. Briefs will be focused towards your own individual interests as well as enhancing all communication and visual presentation skills.

Assessment: 50% coursework and 50% portfolio.

Block 2: Fashion Communication and Styling Portfolio

Building upon the professional and promotional skills developed from level 5 module you will continue to build further and showcase a body of work to help and support your transition to employment. This module prepares you for graduation and positions you to be able to confidently talk about and demonstrate all of your skills and experience in addition to making you career ready.

The module content includes skills auditing and career creation activities in addition to freelance and self-employed skills. Core activities and staff led content will cover:

  • Pitching and quoting for freelance work
  • How to operate on a self-employed basis
  • Promoting yourself and your skills to global audiences
  • Creating opportunities for yourself
  • Presentation of a professional portfolio of work

Assessment: 60% portfolio and 40% coursework.

Block 3 and Block 4: Final Major Project

This module is a negotiated project brief of creative research, exploration, experimentation, and practical outcomes. The area of focus and level of production for this project will be decided (in negotiation) by you and will bring all of your skills and experience together into a final, major, impressive demonstration of the creative fashion communicator and stylist that you have become.

You will be required to develop and negotiate a self-written Major Project brief proposal defining, describing the content, listing the deliverables for your final major project. Using the major Project module information, you will be able to describe the creative project brief you are setting for yourself and demonstrate how this work will meet the requirements of the module's learning outcomes and assessment criteria.

The Major Project should demonstrate the breadth of your skills and understanding. You will record your research, development and experimentation work and move on to produce final communication and styling outcome(s). The outcome(s) may be one big piece of work that includes a number of production elements and skills, or it may be a number of outcomes, each to fulfil a different need and using different skills. The project(s) will draw upon your learning and skill development from throughout the course and may draw upon activity based in drawn/hand generated work, print based media/editorial work, digital and social media targeted work and or live event-based work, or a combination element together.

For the Design Cultures element of this module students will consolidate their skills in research, organisation, critical analysis, and communication in order to develop and agree a self-directed title for an extended essay or alternative assessment. A link between the written assignment and studio projects is encouraged to demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between theory and practise

Assessment: 50% project outcome, 25% research and development and 25% essay.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

  • Learn about the technical elements of successful event styling and production – including the creation of image, film and graphics.
  • Gain the skills and confidence you’ll need to act as a consultant to industry partners, including fashion brands, fashion media and event organisations.
  • Study a wide and practical range of topics including computer-aided design (CAD), photography and video for fashion, concept building, and fashion illustration.
  • Cover areas including visual research, illustration, story boarding, audience analysis, styling, photography, fashion graphics and film, editorial development, event styling and production, freelance/self-employment skills and project management.
  • Take part in international competitions and work with big brands on live briefs. Recent briefs have been set by Mint Velvet, Ted Baker, DAA (Designers Against AIDS), Graduate Fashion Foundation, Sue Ryder, Lee Jeans and Shelter.

You'll study in a variety of ways on this course. New concepts and methodologies are introduced via lecture and seminar discussion, technical processes and skills are demonstrated and then practically developed by you in workshops and media studios. Throughout the three years of study you will receive formative feedback on projects, either from tutor led, group stage reviews or from individual formative assessments.

Summative assessment of all work carried out will take place at the conclusion of the module and is accompanied by written and verbal feedback. Assessment can be varied, but generally will take the form of a visual presentation, static display and or portfolio creation.

Contact hours

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops, practical activities, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and portfolio/event outcomes). Your precise timetable will depend on the modules of study in each term however, in your first year you will normally attend around 15 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures, tutorials and practical workshops) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 24 further hours of independent study to progress and complete research and project outcomes.

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Our facilities

The creative industries require imaginative graduates who can develop new ideas and products. Students use our sophisticated and contemporary workshops, labs and studios to experiment and test in the same way they will in industry.

Vijay Patel Building

Our award-winning Vijay Patel building has been designed to provide the space and facilities where all of our art and design students can develop their ideas and flourish. It is home to a wide range of resources and facilities, including:

  • Fashion studios: The building has a number of fashion studios, where students can design, create, and prototype their garments.
  • Textile workshops: The building has a number of textile workshops, where students can learn how to work with a variety of textiles, including fabrics, yarns, and fibers.
  • Fashion technology labs: The building has a number of fashion technology labs, where students can learn how to use a variety of fashion technology, including CAD software, pattern-making software, and sewing machines.
  • Exhibition spaces: The building has a number of exhibition spaces, where students can showcase their work.

The creative industries require imaginative graduates who can develop new ideas and products. Students use our sophisticated and contemporary workshops, labs and studios to experiment and test in the same way they will in industry, while the open and transparent spaces in the building encourage collaboration between disciplines. In doing so, the building prepares students for industry and helps develop them as future leaders in their respective fields.

The building is striking and innovative, with a large central atrium filled with natural light. It has a variety of teaching and learning spaces, studios, workshops, and exhibition spaces.

It is a major landmark on the De Montfort University campus and provides students and staff with the space and resources they need to thrive.

Awards and memberships

Ranked as one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 and 2023 (CEOWORLD, 2023) and in the top 10 in the UK for 'career after 15 months' (The Guardian University Guide 2022), our innovative and widely-respected courses help prepare students for fulfilling futures in this fast-paced industry.

Green Gown Award logo

Green Gown Award

The School of Fashion and Textiles won the Next Generation Learning and Skills Award in the Green Gowns Awards 2021 and received global recognition in the International Green Gown Awards 2022. These awards are the gold standard for sustainability in universities around the world and this puts DMU at the forefront of sustainable fashion and textiles education in the UK. Sustainability is at the heart of our curriculum and teaching, empowering our students to be agents of change within the industry.

UK Fashion and Textiles Association logo

UK Fashion and Textiles Association

We are members of the UK Fashion and Textiles Association which ensures our teaching stays up to date with the latest developments in the sector and provides valuable industry links that enhance our courses.

What makes us special

Education 2030 - Block Learning

Block learning

With Education 2030, you’ll learn in a focused ‘block’ teaching format, where you study one subject at a time instead of several at once. As a result, you will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, have a more simplified timetable, and have a better study-life balance. That means more time to engage with your DMU community and other rewarding aspects of university life.

A group of students in New York on a DMU global trip

Global experiences

DMU Global is an international experience programme for De Montfort University students. It offers a wide range of exciting overseas, on-campus and online international experiences for students, with the aim of enriching studies, broadening cultural horizons and developing key skills valued by employers.

Our Fashion students have recently undertaken DMU Global trips to places such as Paris, Hong Kong and New York, where they visited companies such as Burberry, Coach, Rituals, O'Neill and Calvin Klein.

Where we could take you

fashion-communication-and-styling

Placements

This course gives you the option to enhance and build your professional skills to progress within your chosen career, through a placement. Our dedicated team offers a range of careers resources and opportunities so you can start planning your future.

We have excellent links with the fashion industry, ensuring you work on industry relevant projects and client briefs to gain more experience and build your external reputation before you graduate.

There will be opportunities to take part in national and international competitions and be part of DMU’s showcase to industry leaders at events such as Graduate Fashion Week in London.

Graduate success, students throwing their mortar boards into the air at graduations.

Graduate careers

We expect graduates to go on to a variety of areas within the fashion styling and communication industries such as journalist contributors, media commentators, editors stylists, fashion researchers, show producers, show curators and art directors.

Course specifications

Course title

Fashion Communication and Styling

Award

BA (Hons)

UCAS code

W234

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Part-time

Start date

September 2024

Duration

Three years full-time, four years full-time with a placement. Six years part-time.

Fees

2024/25 UK tuition fees:
£9,250

2024/25 international tuition:
£15,750

Additional costs

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements

We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds.

  • Art and Design Foundation or
  • 112 points from at least 2 A levels
  • BTEC Extended Diploma DMM
  • International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points or
  • T Levels Merit

Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.

  • Pass Access with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit and GCSE English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above

We will normally require students to have had a break from full time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Interview and portfolio

Interview required: No

Portfolio required: Yes

Please see our portfolio advice page for full details.