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.

Entry Criteria
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Opportunities and careers
Take your next steps
Contact us

Overview

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 have been recognised as one of the most sustainable fashion and textiles schools in the country as winners of the Next Generation Learning and Skills Award in the Green Gown Awards 2021.
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.

Student brochure Graduate showcase

The Green Gown Award puts DMU at the forefront of sustainable fashion and textiles education in the UK. Our comprehensive approach to sustainability is empowering our students to be agents of change within the industry.

Professor Carolyn Hardaker, Head of School of Fashion and Textiles

More courses like this

Fashion Design BA (Hons)

Contour Fashion BA (Hons)

Fashion Textile Design BA (Hons)

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.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

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

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

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

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

Applicants with relevant qualifications will be invited to submit a portfolio of work. Please see our portfolio advice page for full details.

Non-standard applicants may be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams with a portfolio.

Structure and assessment

First year

Fashion Styling
Photography and Video for Fashion
Visuals and Illustration
Communication Creation
Design Cultures 1

Second year

Professional and Promotional Practice
Concept to Consumer
Image and Moving Image
Fashion Event Styling
Design Cultures 2

Optional Placement Year

Third year

Fashion Communication and Styling Consultancy
Personal Employability Portfolio
Major Project: Communication and Styling
Design Cultures 3

Click here for more 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.

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

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.

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.

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.