Fashion Design BA Honours

Graduates of the course are incredibly successful in the international fashion industry, with many of our students going directly into fashion design roles, predominantly as designers or assistant designers working within established companies in Paris, Milan, New York or further afield.

With a growing global network of 3,000 employers, our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you in achieving your full potential.

• Industry links
  Our Fashion Design BA Honours course has long-standing industry connections to support you with your career.
• Taught by professionals
  You’ll be taught by professionals who have previously been designers for leading international fashion companies such as Alexander McQueen.
• Employers around the world
  The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Graduate employment

Graduates from the past 3 years are working as designers at companies including:

• Alexander McQueen
• Anya Hindmarch
• ASOS
• Balmain
• Burberry
• Calvin Klein
• Carven
• Celine
• Cherevichkiotvichki
• Emma Wickstead
• H&M
• Lanvin
• Louis Vuitton
• Margiela
• MaxMara
• McQ
• North Sea Clothing
• Paul Smith
• Roksanda
• Smythson
• Stone Island

Internships

Our Fashion Design BA Honours course has exceptional industry connections and an excellent track record of successful internships that have benefited both the students and the fashion companies. Students gain an enormous amount of specific and transferable knowledge during this period of study.

Previous internships have taken place at companies including:

• Alexander McQueen | Ashley Williams | A Cold Wall
• Balmain | Burberry
• Chalayan | Charles Jeffrey Loverboy | Charlotte Knowles | Christopher Kane | Cottweiller | Craig Green
• Eckhaus Latta | Erdem | Eudon Choi
• Gareth Pugh | Givenchy
• Haider Ackermann | Halpern
• JW Anderson
• Kenzo, | Kilgour
• Lanvin | Louis Vuitton
• Maison Margiela | Marine Serre | Marques Almeida | Molly Goddard
• Nazir Nasar | Norse Projects
• Peter Pilotto | Phoebe English | Preen
• Raf Simons | Richard Quinn | Roksanda
• Self Portrait | Simone Rocha | Stefan Cooke | Supriya Lele
• Thom Browne
• Underage
• Viktor & Rolf
• Walter van Bierendonck

We use several different teaching and learning methods to enable students to develop an imaginative and creative approach to their discipline based on increasing knowledge of practice and transferable skills.

Learning takes place through a combination of face-to-face teaching and independent study, including lectures, seminars and practical workshops.

The following subjects are indicative of what you will study in this course.

Year 1

This level covers the core fundamentals of the fashion design discipline, including 2D and 3D design practice, CAD, construction, design, illustration, pattern cutting, print, research, and trend analysis.

The first year of the fashion degree course at Westminster concentrates on introducing the student to a variety of skills and techniques related to all areas of 2D and 3D fashion practice. Design, research, illustration, cut, construction, print, and CAD are all covered.

Research is fostered through a variety of methods, including visits to London Fashion Week, fashion shows, exhibitions, sketchbooks, and industry visits.

There are lessons in life drawing and illustration so that students understand proportion in 2D as well as 3D. Students undertake a range of design work that includes menswear and womenswear, spanning both conceptual and commercial.

Subjects of study include:

• Design Project 1: Skills
• Design Project 2: Sportswear
• Design Project 3: Outerwear
• Design Project 4: Modernity

Credit Level 4

Year 2

The second year of the Fashion Design BA Honours course focuses on understanding and addressing the demands and needs of the fashion design industry through design assignments.

Guest industry speakers and lecturers allow you to understand your personal design practice within the context of the wider international design industry. Recent guest lecturers and visitors to the course include Julian Ganio from Fantastic Man, Lou Stoppard from SHOWstudio, Cozette McCreery from Sibling, Natasha Booth from Fashion East, Meadham Kirchhoff, Liam Hodges, and Charlie Porter.

A sustained period of internship takes place over eight consecutive weeks, starting at the end of December until the end of Paris Fashion Week in March. The timing enables you to have the opportunity, if you wish, to work with a designer on their collection from its conception through to the runway show presentation.

Subjects of study include:

• Collection 1: Cutting
• Collection 2: Surface
• Collection 3: Internship
• Collection 4: Portfolio
• Collection 5: Historical

Credit Level 5

Year 3

At this level, you are expected to develop a more strategic perspective and draw together your academic and work experience. You will study subjects that further develop your design skills, and you will also have the opportunity to specialise in areas of particular interest. You will develop an A/W runway collection and, following this, an S/S pre-collection alongside a portfolio of design work to enable you to apply for design positions on graduation.

Additionally, the Fashion Design BA Honours course at Westminster was the first undergraduate course to be invited to show a selection of its students on the official London Fashion Week schedule in 2018.

Subjects of study include:

• Final Collection 1
• Final Collection 2
• Portfolio
• Thesis

Credit Level 6