Fashion Buying with Merchandising BA (Hons) module details

Year one (Level 4)

Block 1: Fashion Consumer and Marketplace

This module will introduce the concept of commercial awareness and the basic activities of the buying function through the Fashion Buying Cycle. Physical bricks and mortar stores, ecommerce and the future of retail experience will be explored. The module will offer an overview of the changing retail landscape at an introductory level. You will also be introduced to fashion roles and responsibilities, fabric identification, construction methods and Excel spreadsheets which will give crucial foundation knowledge for future modules.

Assessment: 100% 2000-word report

Block 2: Fashion Business

This module teaches the fundamental principles of fashion business within a global context. The module will inform at an introductory level the subjects of fashion business innovation, marketing, merchandising, strategy, and digital enterprise. You will be taught the use of Microsoft Excel to develop a range plan and critical path. Additionally, you will explore and apply relevant theoretical concepts in the areas of fashion innovation, marketing, and business strategy to underpin your understanding of contemporary issues within these subject areas of fashion business.

Assessment: 100% 2000-word report

Block 3: Fashion Lifecycle

This module explores the buying process from trend and colour prediction, range planning, product development and the role of sustainable sourcing, through critical path management to sales analysis and trading. You will communicate and present ideas through Adobe Creative Suite to develop a range of garments, implementing knowledge gained on fabric identification. Adobe skills will be developed enabling you to become CAD proficient, while developing your own digital portfolio.

Assessment: 100% digital portfolio

Block 4: Sustainable Futures

This module engages you in personal reflection and development with consideration to your professionalism and your future impact in the fashion world. The module content is further underpinned by theoretical studies delivered by the Design Cultures 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 - as well as research methods, visual literacy, and the skills for academic writing. Sessions will promote interaction and analytical thinking with an understanding of inclusive and ethical practice.

Assessment: 50% presentation and 50% 1500-word assignment

Year two (Level 5)

Block 1: Buying and Professional Practice

This module explores the buying process from trend and colour prediction, range planning, product development and the role of sustainable sourcing, through critical path management to sales analysis and trading. You will communicate and present ideas through Adobe Creative Suite to develop a range of garments, implementing knowledge gained on fabric identification. Adobe skills will be developed enabling students to become CAD proficient, while developing their own digital portfolio.

Assessment: 100% digital portfolio

Block 2: Design Innovation and Sustainable Futures

This module teaches the fundamental principles of sustainable design innovation and the future of fashion within a global context. The module will examine the key issues and considerations of sustainability from a design innovation perspective. The module will introduce the circular economy with consideration of the implications of cost versus planet. You will explore and apply relevant theoretical concepts in the areas of design innovation, sustainability, and fashion business.

Assessment: 50% 2000-word assignment and 50% 2500-word assignment

Block 3: Introduction to Global Sourcing Skills

This module will examine the fundamental principles of fashion buying within a global context. It will equip you with a sound knowledge of key tasks and considerations in buying fashion products from a global supply base. The module explores open costings, negotiation, key fabrics and fabric testing, garment production and the management of the buying process. The module will examine the day-to-day role and responsibilities of a buyer within the buying cycle and critical path. It will examine the global sourcing environment including logistics, legal implications, and supplier management.

Assessment: 100% coursework

Block 4: Fashion Merchandising

This module will teach the fundamental principles of fashion merchandising, the role of stock planning, management, and control to maximise profit - equipping you with a sound knowledge of key tasks and skills of a merchandising role in fashion today. The module will examine the day-to-day role and responsibilities of a merchandiser including how to read key reports, the use of Excel, formatting data for analysis and retail math.

Assessment: 70% coursework and 30% test

Year three (Level 6)

Block 1 and 2

Sustainable Sourcing and Supply Management

This module focuses on the sourcing of a textile product and examines some of the global supply issues faced by buyers and merchandisers. Set within a commercial context, you will select a textile product, together with a specific type of retail outlet in the UK. You will evaluate country-of-origin, and consider flexibility of supply, managing quality, international distribution and supply chains, international political legislation, and sustainability.

Assessment: 100% 5000-word assignment

And

Strategic Fashion Merchandising

This module is designed to develop your technical merchandising skills, as well as your analytical, critical, and strategic thinking. Economic and business theories relevant to merchandising will be discussed as part of the wider business context. The module focuses on the strategic planning of the range; principally how to build a budget, option planning, supplier strategy, spend and margin management. Excel experience and skills are developed through manipulating data and preparing various planning documents.

Assessment: 75% coursework and 25% presentation

Block 3 and 4: Major Research Project

This module will allow you to select a topic to research and create a piece of original work under supervision. The project will provide three options of research:

A dissertation of 12 – 15000 words.
An entrepreneurial project that identifies a product area for development and demands a business plan up to product launch.
A work-based project where you liaise with a company to develop an improvement project that focuses on a need, and through research and investigation can propose well justified solutions.

Assessment: 85% written and 15% presentation