Fashion, Textiles, Footwear & Accessories BA (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  Our degree in Fashion, Textiles, Footwear & Accessories aims to equip you with the skills to succeed and thrive in this exciting and fast paced multi-billion pound industry. Fashion, Textiles, Footwear & Accessories BA (Hons) at Northampton is a multi-faceted subject and you will be exposed to a range of topics including illustration & portfolio skills, CAD, computer aided design & manufacture, design research & contextual studies, technical skills in garment production alongside, presentation skills & communication to help you identify your strengths and future career path. Through your research and development we will encourage you to respond to environmental, political and the wider global issues to put your work into context.

  Integral to our fashion design degree programme is our strong creative industry links within the footwear, fashion, textiles and accessories sector who offer live projects, competitions, work experience and contribute to our outstanding guest lecture series, which exposes you to leading brands and high profile speakers.  These opportunities enable you to develop and practice your emerging academic, creative, commercial and entrepreneurial skills within a professional setting.

  Year one introduces you to the design development cycle from concept through to production. Building on these skills, group project work, live briefs and in-depth research and portfolio development form year two, in preparation for year three. In your final year you are given the opportunity to develop your own briefs and create a final collection of work to showcase your individual concept and design aesthetic.

  Our second year students hosted an exhibition of their latest concepts, at Waterside campus.

  National and International competitions, awards and opportunities are embedded into the three years of study.

  There are also a number of prestigious awards during the event, and our students are regularly recognised – either as nominees or overall winners.

  That’s not all – our students have also seen their collections displayed at Asian Pacific Leather Fair in Hong Kong, Ningbo Fashion Week in China, Lineapelle in Italy, PV in Paris and The Wing at Silverstone Racecourse right here in Northampton.

  Graduate Fashion Show and Degree Show

  As a final year student, you’ll put together a major collection and display your designs exclusively in front of a host of the University’s industry partners and VIP guests.

  There are also several prestigious awards during the year, and our students are regularly recognised – either as nominees or overall winners.

  Final year students display their work at the annual Degree Show at Waterside campus. Our Fashion Design students deliver some stunning designs. You can browse many of their fashion creations on our Flikr account.

  This Fashion, Textiles, Footwear & Accessories course has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

  SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

  • Stage 3
    • Digital Positioning (20 Credits)
      Module code: FSH3120

      Status: Compulsory
      This module will enable fashion students to showcase their digital, aesthetic, technical and specialist skills. This module will support students to create a refined digital platform enables them to position themselves as industry-ready fashion creatives. The online professional profile they create will articulate their ethics and values and serve as a springboard to launch their post-graduation careers. In addition, it will showcase various creative outcomes developed over the duration of their programme within a digital fashion related context. Students will use a specialist multi-media platform of their choice.
    • Creative Futures; Planning, Practice and Positioning (40 Credits)
      Module code: FSH3121

      Status: Compulsory
      The module offers students the opportunity to identify their individual strengths and future area of specialism in preparation for industry through the integration of theory and practice. Students will produce a project proposal outlining research areas, the wider context of question or investigation, sustainability, ethics, market level, materials and resources required.
    • Final Creative Collection (60 Credits)
      Module code: FSH4105

      Status: Compulsory
      This cumulative module builds on the project proposal and practical development work produced within the Creative Futures module, exploring individual professional potential and career progression. This Final Creative Collection requires students to undertake a sustained, in-depth and informed approach to a design project aligned to own specialism and career aspirations.

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• Student Perks

  At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join this full time Fashion Design degree at Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

  *UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

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• Integrated Foundation Year (IFY)

  The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

  If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

  Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

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• FAQs

  How will I be taught?

  We take a range of approaches to teaching throughout our fashion design degree at UON, to help you learn in the best way for you. This is a creative course that aims to nurture creative and innovative designers for the future.

  Our BA Fashion, Textiles, Footwear & Accessories course will enable you to realise your full potential through a varied programme of studio-based projects, specialist practical workshops, group critiques, one-to-one tutorials, study visits and regular personal tutorial support. You will get feedback throughout the year, verbally, written and online.

  How will I be assessed?

  Theory is assessed through essay writing, blogs, assignments and presentations. Practical work is judged through studio presentations, portfolio and product realisation.

  Will there be opportunities for work experience?

  During your second year you might want to choose to do a co-ordinated work experience placement and there will be other opportunities for placements throughout your course. We encourage you to make the most of these opportunities.

  Are there are any opportunities for study trips abroad?

  We are keen that our students see themselves as global citizens and embed opportunities to broaden your horizons into the programme. In previous years, our students have had the opportunity to visit fashion capitals of the world such as Milan, Tokyo and New York. British Council supported trips have funded opportunities for students to visit India, China and Turkey for specific projects often working in collaboration with international students.

  Exhibitions show casing students work have taken place at The Indian International Leather Fair in Chennai, India, Asian Pacific Leather Fair in Hong Kong. The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers has supported student travel to international trade fairs such as Le Cuir in Paris, Micam and Lineapelle in Italy. The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers has supported student travel to Paris, Italy to international trade fairs and exhibitions.

  All the study trips are optional and the costs vary year on year. Typically, this is approximately £800 for New York, and £400 for European trips (Milan, Amsterdam, Sweden).

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