Fashion Design - BA (Hons) 

The award winning Fashion Design programme at the University of South Wales provides fashion students with the essential skills, knowledge and experience necessary to work within the dynamic and ever-changing fashion industry. Here at the University we understand that creativity, development, pattern cutting, garment construction, visual communication skills, and market awareness are at the very heart of contemporary fashion design. You will be introduced to a diverse range of skills and influences in order to effectively design and realise your ideas into directional, wearable and ultimately highly desirable fashion.

The Fashion course encompasses the diversity that exists in today’s fashion industry. Our new studios are alive with industrious students realising their ideas in form, shape, texture and colour across both physical and digital worlds. Students think, make, debate and display, while conversing and collaborating between subject areas within a highly creative environment.

With an excellent and dedicated team of lecturers and colleagues, our lively BA (Hons) Fashion Design encourages research, sourcing, sampling, pattern drafting, construction, illustration and industry awareness, and our Graduate Fashion Week stand is testament to the contagious energy, passion and inspiration of the students and staff involved.

Over the three years we aim to provide an exciting and fulfilling educational experience that will build your creative ability and develop self-confidence.

Year 1
Fashion design is a complex subject, with a whole range of new skills to learn and become proficient in. It is essential therefore to taste everything the programme has to offer in year one. Research and idea development skills are fostered alongside a packed programme of CAD, pattern cutting/garment construction and contextual studies – designed to unlock your potential and inspire your fashion designs. We regularly organise European and international study trips to key fashion calendar events, and students will gain an excellent working knowledge of the London fashion industry via frequent buying trips. 

Year 2
Your talent will be nurtured and you are regularly encouraged to develop fresh approaches to real industry design challenges via live briefs, short internship options or enterprise opportunities. You will design for specific markets, identifying design opportunities and resolving them in an increasingly professional manner. You will work on ‘real life’ simulated projects, working alone and in teams to apply the knowledge and skills learnt in year one to develop your contextual understanding of fashion design. Year two also provides the opportunity to participate in our ERASMUS European exchange programme.

Year 3
In the final year of the programme, students develop a graduate portfolio of work and a professional collection in preparation for employment. This portfolio should be developed to a quality expected within the professional fashion design industry. The very best of the work produced is exhibited at key UK recruitment opportunities such as British Fashion Council Portfolio Preview Day and also at London Graduate Fashion Week.

A programme specification for this course is available.

Assessment

Throughout the course you will be assessed in practice based modules and written assignments. You will receive clear and detailed feedback that will help you reflect on, and further develop your strengths.

Teaching Team Stacey Grant Stacey holds a first class honours degree in Fashion (Womenswear) from Limerick School of Art and Design in the Republic of Ireland as well as a Masters Degree (with distinction) from Kingston University. She is currently undertaking a PGCE. Irene Dee Irene has worked extensively throughout the fashion industryas fashion designer and design directorof her own designer brand label. Christian Hutter Lecturing full time into the BA (Hons) Fashion Design at University of Wales, Newport, where his specialism is pattern making and design development. Mark Jackson As the Academic Subject Leader in Design and Fashion, Mark oversees the management of the courses with the Design department, and teaches directly into both the BA(Hons) Advertising Design and BA(Hons) Fashion Design programmes.

Jayne Hall Bethan Willicombe

Additional Course Costs Students have the opportunity to attend a trip as part of their studies, which may cost around £200-£300. In addition, the cost of materials during their studies will vary according to their projects but an approximate cost is around £200 in their first and second year of study and £500+ in their 3rd year investing in their final collections.

What can students expect from studying fashion at the University of South Wales?
The fashion course enables students to experience working practices beyond the normal learning environment of the university, and to develop useful skills for life after graduating. The programme aims to prepare students for employment within the contemporary fashion industry by responding directly to the needs of employers. The aim is to balance commercial success with a strong creative vision, reflecting the duality of always questioning and pushing ideas forward. It is crucial that designers understand the whole process of fashion design as well as the finished product.

Students learn that they are operating within a commercial world, one in which their creative work will always be placed within a business context with realistic constraints of cost, time and market. Students apply their academic learning to real-life design situations and learn to project manage, helping them acquire the skills for life after graduation, whether employed or self-employed.

How does the course translate to student’s employability?
In this rapidly changing economic climate, employers from the industry are increasingly vocal about the need for graduates to be creative, but to also have the technical skills needed to realise their ideas within a pressurized work setting. Consequently, our skilled graduates are highly desirable within this famously competitive job market. Our students engage in entrepreneurial activity by identifying and exploiting creative opportunities within the fashion industry. 

How does the course deal with the issues relating to sustainable fashion?
 The environmental impact of clothing is a crucial consideration in a responsible fashion industry. We introduce sustainable fashion to our first year students from day one… We annually run exciting zero waste, recycled, up-cycled collaborative projects with Oxfam UK, Wastesavers Newport and most recently our students have gained international recognition for their low impact designs at the `Best of British Design Awards’ and at the World Alpaca Conference.

Student Successes Fashion Design graduate lands top job in New York Antonella Commatteo, who graduated from the BA (Hons) Fashion Design in September, has already secured her dream job across the pond. Fashion & photography freshers collaborate with business for recycled clothes project New students on the Fashion design and Photography for Fashion & Advertising programmes kicked the year off to a spectacular start once again with another successful up-cycling project with two local clothing companies Newport’s Design students scoop three top awards Graduates and staff from the University of Wales, Newport’s Design courses are celebrating after winning three top awards at this year’s Cardiff Design Festival. Beth has designs on following Julien Fashion Design student Beth Jones is drawing to comparisons to Julien Macdonald after being asked to join fashion house Karen Millen as a "design protege". Newport’s international student work goes on display International Students studying a range of different courses at the University of Wales, Newport have come together to launch an exhibition showcasing their work to a range of industry professionals, fellow students and local people. Newport graduates feature in London Fashion Week Three graduates of Newport’s Fashion Design course showed in London Fashion week last week. Rachel's Work Experience with Donna Middleton Final year Fashion student Rachel Ingram had an amazing work experience over the summer with Donna Middleton, at The Shirt Company London. Newport Foundation student honoured at exhibition 'Former Newport Foundation Student Michelle Leeder has recently been recognised for the quality of the work after it was displayed alongside the work of two other former Newport Foundation students in a prestigious National exhibition'. Antonella’s in Fashion Antonella Arndell has just completed her second year in BA Fashion Design here at the University of Wales, Newport. She has been offered a graduate placement with world famous fashion designer, Julien Macdonald. Newport Fashion Designs wow the crowds at London Graduate Fashion Week Final year fashion students from Newport’s University have wowed the crowds at the prestigious London Graduate Fashion Week, where the University is exhibiting the students final collections to top industry professionals and designers. Newport’s Best Fashion Designs Showcased in Graduate Show 2011 The work of Fashion students at the University of Wales, Newport has been showcased at the Riverfront Theatre in a stunning fashion show as part of Newport’s Graduate Shows 2011. Fashion Students Show Off Inspirational Creations A dazzling display of designs, from haute couture to the high street, were all on show at Newport's style event of the year- the annual Fashion Show staged by students at the University of Wales, Newport.

Student Profiles Imtayaz Qassim Imtayaz Qassim is a final year Fashion Design student at City campus, Newport, who will be graduating this summer (2013) and will be part of Graduate Fashion week in London,

Course News Newport Students launch Newport Fashion collaboration A collaboration between Newport students on a number of programmes and two local organisations to highlight environmental issues and showcase some incredible fashion designs launched this week. Enterprising students shine in fashion design challenge Budding fashion designers have been put through their paces on a live business project as part of the University of Wales, Newport’s Bright Ideas Graduate Programme. Collaboration at its best As most of Wales was being battered by wild weather, students and staff from the Fashion Design and Photography for Fashion and Advertising courses spent their weekend working on one of the largest collaborations in the history of the department. Collaboration at its best Students and staff from the Fashion and Photography for Fashion and Advertising courses at the University have successfully worked on one of the largest collaborations in the history of the department. From Newport to New York – and back! Fashion Design and Photography for Fashion & Advertising students had the trip of a lifetime when they went to New York for 5 days earlier this month. Newport students returning from New York Fashion Week A group of Fashion Design and Photography for Fashion and Advertising Students from the University of Wales, Newport are heading back to Wales on Sunday after spending a week soaking up the sights of New York Fashion Week.

Where next?

Fashion design graduates have become designers for a diverse range of companies across the whole industry from supplier level through to esteemed international luxury brands, or have gone on to become self-employed through the support of the University Graduate Enterprise scheme.

The dynamic nature of fashion design, along with the transferable skills learnt during the course, allows our graduates to have excellent employment potential not only in fashion but many other creative industries. Graduates may also progress to postgraduate study including MA/MFA courses at Newport.

Graduate Profiles Rachel George - Fashion Design Fashion Graduate Rachel George - life after Graduate Fashion Week.

Career News Fashion graduate moves in to entrepreneurial centre One of Newport’s most successful Fashion Design graduates has become the first tenant entrepreneur at The Bright Ideas Centre – an enterprise hub to help University of Wales, Newport students and graduates to start their own business. Latest Fashion Design Graduate Successes Read about some of the latest successes from our Fashion Design students Fashion Design graduates are putting Newport on the world map Two of this year’s Fashion Design graduates are already making waves in the fashion industry, with interest from design companies across the UK and beyond. Talented students' work turns heads at Graduate Fashion Week The talent of Newport’s Fashion Design graduates shone in this year’s Graduate Fashion Week – the biggest event of its kind in the world. Business savvy fashion students awarded for entrepreneurial ideas Fashion students from the University of Wales, Newport have been recognised for their focus on business skills and entrepreneurial abilities following a ceremony at the award winning City Campus. Bright Ideas for Business Win Awards at University’s ‘Dragon’s Den’ Students from the University of Wales, Newport showed their entrepreneurial side when they rose to the challenge of developing their own business concepts inspired by the 2010 Ryder Cup for a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition.