BA (Hons) Fashion (Top-up) (Full Time)

The one year BA (Hons) Fashion top-up course allows you the freedom to develop skills in a range of areas, depending on your own interests and intended career pathway. You can focus on one of two specialist pathways:

• Fashion Design and Development
  This pathway covers garment construction and design. You will be encouraged to consider the whole process, from the generation of creative concepts to the realisation of wearable fashion products. Teaching will include pattern-cutting and relevant IT skills.
• Fashion Promotion and Communication
  This pathway concentrates on communicating and promoting fashion design through illustration, fashion forecasting, styling, fashion writing, buying and merchandising. Teaching will include digital photographic technique and relevant IT skills (including In Design, Illustrator and Photoshop).

Students on both pathways will consider both designer and high street markets and will develop an awareness of fashion industry practice.

Industrial focus

The emphasis of all Solent fashion courses is on employability, encouraging students in all years to take part in work experience and live projects with fashion industry partners. This year students are working on live projects in conjunction with Mudpie, Addict, Top Man, Fat Face, All Walks Beyond the Catwalk and Good Fibres.

Guest speakers are invited on a regular basis to discuss their own experiences of working in fashion and to give students advice on how to forge their own career pathway. Recent guest speakers have included Caryn Franklin (TV presenter and i-D editor), Debra Bourne (PR consultant and campaigner), Alex Brownless (Artsthread), Paddy Hartley (artist and designer for Nick Knight and Lady Gaga), design boutique ‘I Love Dust’ and National Magazines’ CEO Terry Mansfield.

Course content

Year 1

Two core units:

• Major Project: Research Proposal
• Major Project: Production and Evaluation.
• Options:
• Conceptual Practice or Fashion Industry Work-based Industry
• Dissertation or Fashion Practice Dissertation.

Assessment

Students receive regular feedback in seminar sessions and one-to-one tutorials. Practical skills and creative-thinking are assessed through the submission of design projects, sketchbook research and written assignments.

During the final year students write a dissertation and produce a self-directed final major project, allowing them to explore their interests, strengths and career aims.

Projects/work experience

Past work-experience placements have included a variety of PR, styling and design roles at organisations such as Agent Provocateur, Jenny Packham, FHM Magazine and the Daily Mail fashion desk. A formal fashion industry work-based learning option is available in the final year.

Key career skills

Creative thinking, writing, professional presentation, project management, visual communication, evaluation and problem solving.

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Graduate quote

Lucesca Holmes

"Challenging yet satisfying, this degree offers something for everyone. Be prepared to laugh, to cry, to jump with excitement, to tremble from nerves but most of all be prepared for the most amazing three years of university life.

"The first two years consist of learning new skills, experiencing different areas, from design and retail to photography and PR. You will then know your talents and weaknesses, so the third year is basically up to you. With great support and guidance from your lecturers, you can be as creative and free as you like. I’ve spent several days in London on research trips (a good excuse for doing a spot of shopping too!), quite a contrast to the hours I spent experimenting in Photoshop and Illustrator. I love the design/graphic aspects and mastery of graphics software packages; it’s also a great skill to have.

"There are organised trips to major cities like Paris and New York and speaker days from experts in the industry. I succeeded in achieving things I never thought possible and received a great degree from a great course."