Fashion Design with Integrated Foundation Year

Develop your skills by entering the creative industries on an Integrated Foundation Year degree.

If you’re interested in taking on a new subject that you’ve not had the opportunity to study in depth before, or have been out of education for a while, then our Integrated Foundation Year courses might be for you. These four-year courses include an introductory year to help you build the core skills needed for specialist degree-level study.

This is a chance for you to let your imagination run wild and explore your creativity, expand your professional skills and develop enhanced subject knowledge in the domain you want to study. We’ll help nurture your expertise in problem solving, risk-taking, designing and making as you develop your abilities through five core modules.

After your foundation year, you’ll have a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, a developed practical and technical skill set and the confidence to excel in your chosen degree subject when you join other students for the rest of your course.

Turn heads and change minds as you steer the industry toward a more sustainable future. With a pressing need to reduce its environmental impact, the fashion industry is calling for designers who place sustainability and circularity at the forefront. This is your chance to help shape fashion’s future. You’ll explore the environmental, ethical and moral contexts of fashion design as you tackle real- world challenges, learning how to embed responsible practice throughout the process of garment concept and creation – from pattern cutting and construction to curating fashionable, functional and highly original collections that don’t cost the earth.

You will:
Develop technical, design thinking and production skills in your chosen specialism.
Learn teamwork, leadership and project management skills through a variety of learning environments.
Develop critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills through the development of unique and innovative projects.
Complete your chosen degree over a four-year period.
Learn design skills needed to make positive change at the forefront of the creative industries
Explore the environmental, ethical and moral challenges of our time in relation to the fashion design sector
Have access to resources ranging from specialist industrial sewing and knit machines and ultrasonic welding equipment to screen printing and a natural dye garden
Discover the sustainable ways of working in both traditional and digital pattern cutting – including CLO3D
Collaborate with likeminded students, expert staff and industry specialists to unlock new ideas, opportunities and networks
Tackle live briefs from leading brands with a focus on global sustainability
Investigate brands and business models to develop professional practice skills
Have the opportunity to explore all realms of fashion design, including streetwear, sportswear and functional clothing concepts
Graduate as a confident, innovative and responsible fashion designer, with a career-launching portfolio, look book and final collection