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Fashion Communication and Styling

Fashion Communication and Styling BA (Hons)

Highly creative and practical, this degree will teach you how to think like a fashion stylist and communicator within the fast-moving and dynamic world of fashion.

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Overview

Take a look at this short clip of creations by our Fashion Communication and Styling students.

As part of 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. You’ll work collaboratively with peers and industry experts and foster a network of future career contacts and opportunities.

Key features

  • We are recognised as one of the country’s most sustainable fashion and textiles schools (Green Gown Awards, 2021) and one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022).
  • 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, storyboarding, 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.
  • Graduates can expect to flourish in careers within the fashion styling and communication industries as journalist contributors, media commentators, promoters, editors or stylists, and with big fashion brands and media groups.
  • The award-winning Vijay Patel Building provides both the space and the facilities to foster creative thinking, where ideas can develop and flourish for all our art and design students.
  • Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.

Follow us on Instagram to see inspiring work by our students.


Student work gallery

See our student work

Student brochure Graduate showcase

Student success:

DMU students touted as tomorrow's talent by influential fashion industry platform

Industry experts reward DMU talent at Graduate Fashion Week

 

More courses like this

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: W234

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

 

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out more about tuition fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement.

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

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.

Structure and assessment

Education 2030

We want to ensure you have the best learning experience possible and a supportive and nurturing learning community. That’s why we’re introducing a new block model for delivering the majority of our courses, known as Education 2030. This means a more simplified timetable where you will study one subject at a time instead of several at once. You will have more time to engage with your learning and get to know the teaching team and course mates. You will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, and have a better study-life balance to enjoy other important aspects of university life.

Read more about Education 2030
 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Awards and memberships

 

First year

Block 1: Fashion Styling

Block 2: Fashion Image Creation

Block 3: Communication Creation

Block 4: Fashion Film Cultures

 

Second year

Block 1: Concept to Consumer

Block 2: The Fashion Client: Campaign with Film

Block 3: Fashion Event Styling

Block 4: Futures: Professional and Promotional Identity

 

Third year

Block 1: Fashion Communication and Styling Consultancy

Block 2: Fashion Communication and Styling Portfolio

Block 3 and Block 4: Final Major Project

 

See detailed module information


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.

 

Structure

A variety of learning and teaching strategies are utilised within the degree programme. New concepts and methodologies are introduced via lecture and seminar discussion, technical processes and skills and 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.  At each of these, you will receive written feedback to support and guide your development before carrying out future work.  Part of this feedback will focus on areas to improve work already carried out and students are afforded the opportunity to address feedback and revisit of work to address current problem areas before the summative assessment. Both formative and summative feedback, will on your development and the achievement of the modules learning outcomes. 

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.

 

Ranked as one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022) 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

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

We are members of the UK Fashion and Textile 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.

green-gown
UKFT partner logo

Facilities and features

Art and design facilities

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. 

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. 

Take a look at our stunning showcase of the building at dmu.ac.uk/aad.


 

More flexible ways to learn

Our Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been recognised as leading the university sector. It builds upon our pledge to offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all of our students.

UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences. Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in the way which suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team. 

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
Placements

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.

#DMUglobal

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers. 

Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

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.

Careers

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.

Take your next steps

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