BA (HONS) Fashion Design, Branding and Entrepreneurship

The BA (Hons) Fashion: Design, Branding, and Entrepreneurship is a future-focused, design-led and highly practical course that has been carefully created to prepare ambitious students for entrepreneurial careers within the contemporary fashion industry. Designed with enterprise creation as a central distinctive feature, students on the course will establish themselves as freelancers or micro-SMEs and will be encouraged to develop their commercial ambitions from the outset.

Key to our approach is the delivery of practice-based education in which you will be professionally ‘incubated’ as an aspiring fashion entrepreneur and to develop your craft in our Mayfair professional studios. With a focus on contemporary and luxury fashion, this distinct and highly innovative programme takes a learner-centered approach that is grounded in professional design practice, delivered within a boutique specialist incubation environment to help you grow and succeed. Pioneering in its approach, the course seeks to prepare and transform motivated fashion students for entry into the global fashion industry as emerging, professional, designer-entrepreneurs.

What you’ll learn

This course will help you develop an in-depth understanding and practical application of design and garment construction, creating contemporary fashion collections, advances and future trends of the fashion industry, and a hands-on knowledge of what it takes to make a fashion brand a success. Practical studio-based craft, fashion design, and conceptual creativity is taught alongside entrepreneurship and enterprise skills. Course modules are designed to enable you to professionalise your learning, and assignments are geared towards identifying markets, developing suitable brand opportunities, and crafting beautiful collections. Assessment is contextual and applied and is intended to follow your personal area of continuing practice and subject specialism. Assessment is 100% through coursework. You will receive feedback throughout each module and will be awarded a grade. Depending on the module, you may be assessed through:

• 2D visual research and design development work
• 3D development, garment construction and fashion collection
• Practical and digital portfolio work
• Marketing reports, visual essays, and enterprise plans
• In person and visual presentations
• Exhibition and Catwalk.

What you’ll practice

There is a strong thread of practice-based and work-related learning throughout the course and our professional and higher education incubation environments are the vehicle for truly immersive learning, practical design development and entrepreneurial growth. Based in our professional design studios, you will study and develop your craft in the same place that you will practice and develop your career. This progressive engagement will include training in industry standard software, commercially sponsored ‘live’ project work, industrial visits, competition entries and professional practice-based reflection. Industry partners, experts and on-site practitioners will further help cement knowledge with real-world experiences.

What you’ll master

This course will cover fashion materials, technical drawing and pattern cutting, visual communication and brand development, fashion industry, enterprise and trend prediction. Your collections will be developed through the entrepreneurial and iterative lens of preparing to launch as a fully independent fashion professional.

What you’ll do next

BA (Hons) Fashion: Design, Brand and Entrepreneurship graduates will view their educational experience as a creative enterprise in which they were developing themselves as emerging, professional designer-entrepreneurs. In addition to fashion design, brand and enterprise skills, the Academy will prepare graduates with the tools they need to establish themselves as fully fledged fashion freelancers, small luxury brand operators, or even to pursue more global ambitions.

Course Structure

YEAR 1

• SEMESTER ONE

• FASHION IN CONTEXT ONE
• FASHION FUNDAMENTALS
• FASHION MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGIES

• CREATIVE FASHION INDUSTRIES
• FASHION DESIGN & MAKE
• FASHION COMMUNICATION & BRAND DEVELOPMENT

LEVEL 4: OVERVIEW: The Level 4 modules of the BA Fashion course are designed to establish the foundational skills and knowledge that will be built upon in later stages of the programme. In the first year, learners will engage with critical and contextual research, fashion design fundamentals, materials and technology, fashion design and production, communication and brand development, as well as explore the broader creative fashion industries. This year provides a comprehensive introduction to key concepts and practical skills essential for advancing in the course.

YEAR 2

• SEMESTER ONE

• FASHION IN CONTEXT TWO
• CONTEMPORARY FASHION COMMUNICATION
• FASHION INCUBATION

• ENTREPRENEURSHIP & CREATIVE PRACTICE
• FASHION COLLECTION
• FASHION INCUBATION

LEVEL 5: OVERVIEW: Building on the foundational skills acquired at Level 4, Level 5 focuses on providing an integrated, applied approach to fashion design and entrepreneurship. In the second year, learners further develop their skills in fashion design, branding, and business through industry-focused projects and work experience opportunities. Learners also enhance their fashion design, making and visual communications skills with the aid of CAD to develop appealing and effective visual reports, business plans and portfolio collection work. This includes creative reports, business planning, visual essays, mood boards, styling, promotion, and fashion artefacts. The modules are designed to focus on professional experience, encouraging learners to critically evaluate their practice and make informed decisions about their target market, brand, and design collections.

YEAR 3

• SEMESTER ONE

• CRITICAL RESEARCH FOR FASHION
• PRE COLLECTION
• NEGOTIATED FASHION PROJECT
• ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

• NEGOTIATED FASHION PROJECT
• ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

LEVEL 6: OVERVIEW: Designed to provide synthesis and context to the entire programme. In this final year, learners expand their skills and knowledge, culminating in a critical research report focused on their practice. This self-directed research allows learners to explore a topic of their choosing. All Level 6 modules are interconnected, leading to the development of a personal focus for the final negotiated fashion project, which showcases the culmination of their creative and academic journey.

Course Fees

POA

Other costs

Unlike many of the mainstream universities and specialist colleges, JCA will provide you with most of the things needed to undertake your fashion studies, including fair use access to basic materials, such as calico, some fabrics and trimmings where elsewhere you may need to purchase. At the start of your course you will be supplied with an introductory kit, which will include many of the art materials needed to undertake your general art and fashion illustration activities, in addition you will be provided with some key sewing and pattern making equipment for your practical fashion and make activities. Beyond the basics, you may then want to, as part of your wider portfolio development, select and use specialist materials and finishing’s, particularly for your final project. You will need to budget for this as this will be in addition to your fees, however in our experience we believe that material costs are unlikely to exceed £250 in year one, £300 in year 2 but depending on the materials you choose to work with, we would recommend budgeting £500 to £750 in year three (your final year) to cover the production costs associated with your course and the final collection. This will include things like fabrics, pattern cutting paper some toiling fabrics and printing (Optional).

Entry Requirements

The JCA seeks to support the best and most gifted designer to fulfil their ambitions. Recruitment will be selective and based on academic and creative potential assessed through prior qualifications, portfolio and academic interview. Motivation is essential. To be considered for the course, you will need:

• The equivalent ‘minimum’ of two A levels at grades BB or above
• Three GCSE passes at grade C or above (preferably in English and an Art / Design subject)
• To submit an appropriate portfolio of work
• To come to an interview which will be based on the quality of the creative and written work produced as part of the portfolio submission.

English language requirements for international students is an IELTS level 6.0 or above with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Applicants are requested to provide a portfolio of their own work in Art and Design, which will include a selection of work to demonstrate creative skills including evidence of how students use research and theory, and process and develop ideas. In addition, a sample of written work demonstrating some understanding and awareness of the fashion industry should also be included in the portfolio. Students do not need to necessarily have a background in fashion. However, will be important to demonstrate the following attributes upon application:

• A personal commitment and interest in fashion including an interest in design, making, visual communication and brand development
• Problem solving skills and the ability to communicate clearly in writing
• The ability to research and complete tasks
• Team work and independent practice
• Evidence of IT and CAD skills (e.g. basic use of Photoshop, etc.)
• Commitment to the subject area through a personal statement and interview
• Focused entrepreneurial career aspiration
• Awareness of current affairs and debates within the fashion industry.

International and UK based applicants who are unable to attend the interview process in person will be asked to submit a digital portfolio and will be asked to partake in a Skype, Zoom or equivalent interview.

Validation by the University of West London

This is a highly vocational course, and all learners are encouraged to commercially develop an enterprise from the outset. JCA aims to ensure all graduates establish themselves as freelancers and/or micro-SMEs after the course. As fully-prepared fashion practitioners with an entrepreneurial edge, graduates will also be well-positioned to begin a career in the fashion industry. Possible roles include in-house fashion designer, designer maker or designer studio manager. As the industry continues to evolve, graduates can also branch out into roles like design manager, fashion product developer, fashion communicator, or fashion brand developer.