Fashion Design BA (Hons)

Immerse yourself in the creative, dynamic and ever-evolving world of fashion and develop skills to turn your ideas and designs into original and innovative garments.

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

Overview

Caroline Gurnett our Lecturer in Fashion Design BA (Hons) discusses why you should study Fashion Design at DMU.

On this course, you can specialise in menswear, womenswear and or fashion knitwear, and will study a range of topics including fashion illustration, innovative concept development, pattern cutting and computer-aided design (CAD) for fashion and design development - preparing you for a career in a creative multibillion-pound industry where you can benefit from countless opportunities to develop, progress and learn new skills.

You will be introduced to the academic, professional, industrial and commercial challenges of design practice. There are opportunities to work with leading brands on live projects, work placements and competition awards, thanks to the course’s unparalleled links with the UK and global apparel industry.

The first year provides grounding in fashion and design through practical, creative and technical classes and projects, while the second year is more focused, with emphasis on experimentation, in-depth project research and 3D development.

You will gain skills such as tailoring and fashion prediction, thanks to the major project in the third year giving you the opportunity to set your own briefs and create a final collection of work to showcase your unique vision and talent, as well as entering national and international competitions.

We are delighted DMU was named best in learning experience in 2019 by The Business of Fashion, the internationally renowned website which assesses the world’s top programmes.

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.
Enjoy opportunities to work on live industry projects with a focus on sustainability. Students have recently collaborated with research teams on zero waste pattern cutting and repurposing and have also worked on briefs set by the British Fashion Council, Burberry, Warehouse and New Look.
Benefit from opportunities to enter prestigious national and international competitions to boost your industry exposure, with previous graduates winning a number of accolades including the Christopher Bailey Gold Award at 25^th anniversary of Graduate Fashion Week.
Talented graduates have recently showcased their collections as part of various fashion weeks and events across the UK and worldwide in destinations such as Shanghai, Mumbai and Hong Kong.
Gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our DMU Global programme. Previous trips have taken students overseas to visit global brands including GAP, Burberry, Coach and Joules in New York.
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 of our art and design students.
We provide core workshop materials at no cost, and give cash awards – £150, £200 and £300 in years one, two and three respectively – to support personal materials/printing costs*.

Student work 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 Communication and Styling BA (Hons)

Contour Fashion BA (Hons)

Fashion Textile Design BA (Hons)

UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: W230

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.

green-gown

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: International students can apply to study at DMU directly using the DMU Online Portal.

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

Exploring Creative Contexts
Process, Interpretation and Development
Consolidated Fashion Skills
Design Cultures 1

Second year

Directional Outerwear
Fashion Design in Practice
Professional and Promotional Practice
Design Cultures 2
Fashion Portfolio ‘LIVE’
Pattern Cutting with Lectra ®

Third year

Professional Portfolio and Pre Collection
Major Project
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

Throughout the three years of study on Fashion Design BA (Hons) degree you will receive formative feedback on projects, either from tutor led, group stage reviews or from individual formative assessment. At each of these, students will receive written feedback which is to be considered 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 alter individual time plans in order to allow for the re-visiting of work and address current problem areas before the summative assessment. Peer evaluation is often utilised as a successful assessment tool this will be accompanied by tutor led formative feedback, focussing on student 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 assignment again will be accompanied by written and verbal feedback. Assessment can be varied, but generally will take the form of a visual presentation either as a catwalk, or static display.

You will regularly take part in national and international design competitions. Previous students have been finalists and winners in the ASBCI annual competition, the Fashion Awareness Direct Competition, British Fashion Council competitions and Graduate Fashion Week awards.

Contact hours

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and reports) Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, in your first year you will normally attend around 18 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 18 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

Facilities and features

Art and design facilities

The award-winning Vijay Patel Building brings all of our art and design courses together providing inspiring, flexible spaces, studios and facilities which invite creativity and innovation.

The creative industries require imaginative graduates who can develop new ideas and products. Students use our state-of-the-art 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 supports students to be both ready for industry and 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

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. 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 a way that 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.

Our students have completed a variety of work placements with high-end designers ranging from and including Peter Pilotto in London and Hugo Boss in the Netherlands, through to high street retailers such as ASOS.

Tara Dickson undertook placements with Hugo Boss in Germany and high-end fashion label Peter Pilotto in London.

DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Students on this course have recently experienced the culture and beauty that Paris has to offer and gained inspiration for their own work. They visited the Première Vision Designs Trade Show and experienced the scale and nature of the international fashion market.

Graduate careers

Our graduates go on to careers in a variety of areas in the fashion and textile industry as fashion designers, illustrators, pattern cutters, stylists and trend forecasters. Many launch their own businesses. Recent employers include Burberry, River Island, Alexander McQueen, Nicole Farhi, Reiss and French Connection.

Mariah Esa winner of the Shein People’s Choice Award for GFW19, will see her winning collection turned into a SHEIN womenswear capsule collection to be sold online in SS20, as well as a trip to China in Winter 2019 to see the collection go into production.