Fashion Textiles

Fashion is a dynamic and challenging discipline that is a powerful expression of what people feel and think, and what they care about. It’s about evolution and change through design, influenced by cultural, social, historical, economic and political change.  

On this Fashion Textiles course you’ll cover all aspects of the design process: from research and design development; understanding historical and critical contexts and influences – with the opportunity to use one of the world’s leading fashion collections at the Fashion Museum Bath as a key resource for research; drawing and illustration, colour and fabric development, as well as the ability to translate ideas from 2D to 3D.  

We foster active, experiential learning; encouraging you to become a critically engaged, independent, ethical and responsible designer. 

Year one

Year one covers the core fundamentals of fashion design disciplines including 2D and 3D practice; design, drawing, fashion illustration, CAD, construction, pattern cutting, ideas research and trend research as well as fabric sourcing and development; the relationship between fabric and design.  

You’ll develop two-dimensional presentation skills investigating ideas through drawing within a sketchbook to inform your three- dimensional work. Textiles for fashion design is introduced at this level for all students.  

Year two

In your second year you’ll be encouraged to develop a more personal design style and to develop ideas through research, design development, and design translation using drape and modelling on the stand.  

You’ll develop your drawing and fashion illustration skills and learn to communicate your ideas and design process within a fashion portfolio. You’ll also undertake an external brief. In addition, you’ll continue to develop your knowledge and skills in textiles fabrication for fashion design. 

Year three

In your third and final year you’ll develop a more strategic perspective and negotiate a body of work that reflects your personal practice as a fashion textiles designer, drawing together your academic experiences and personal interests to develop a highly professional contemporary fashion textiles collection.  

You’ll also have the opportunity to enter national design competitions, develop a strong fashion portfolio and self-promotional materials. You’ll also gain a greater understanding of the various roles within the fashion industry to help you develop your professional practice and employment strategy.  

You’ll have opportunities to showcase your work in Bath and at the Bath Spa University Undergraduate Degree Show. In addition, you’ll have the fantastic opportunity to have a presence at Graduate Fashion Week in London – an annual student showcase event attended by industry and press from across the UK and overseas.

The main approach to assessment used in Fashion Textiles is through submission of a portfolio of work. Fashion students learn through design projects, following the stages of the design process usually comprising research, development of ideas, analysis, reflection and outcome. This reflects professional fashion textile design practice.  

You’ll communicate your design ideas through your portfolio of work. There’ll be specific projects and design briefs that will require you to communicate your work to external audiences, such as clients or designers, but also to your lecturers and peers through informal reviews and presentations. There are no written exams.

Tutorials
The most individual form of teaching you’ll receive outside of one-to-one help in the studio.

Lectures
Lecturers may be members of the course academic team or visiting specialists.

Group discussion/seminars
These provide a platform to debate and examine implications, influences and demands of a project as well as issues of interest to ensure that you're well informed. Active participation in an exchange of ideas is important to help you develop articulate and confident attitudes to your work.

Practical demonstrations
A specialist will demonstrate techniques, skills, equipment and a variety of technical procedures that you’ll need to know to successfully complete modules.

Group reviews
Work in progress and resolved outcomes are evaluated in group reviews. This gives you the opportunity to analyse and evaluate your work in a group context and learn to explain your ideas coherently. These reviews provide the opportunity to evaluate criticism, how to accept it and how to give it. 

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

We organise visits to Trade Fairs nationally and internationally as well as visit a manufacturing unit in the UK. Please note that you’ll have to pay for these study visits.

Live projects are incorporated into the course. Previous projects have been set by companies such as Hobbs, Old Navy, Jaeger, Nicole Farhi, Karen Millen and Griffin Menswear.

You’ll be expected to undertake a work placement or internship during the summer vacations, however these aren't assessed and can be undertaken nationally or internationally (finance permitting). Work placements have been undertaken at Erdem, Issa, Adidas, Nicole Farhi, Alexander McQueen, Karen Millen, Griffin, Pentland Group, New Look, Matthew Williamson, Tom Ford, Betty Jackson, Whistles, Stella McCartney, Chloe, Boudicca, Vivienne Westwood, Roland Mouret, Warehouse, Ted Baker, River Island and Twenty8Twelve.

• British Fashion Council
• Graduate Fashion Foundation
• Association of Fashion and Textiles Courses
• UK Fashion and Textiles Association

• Sustainable Fashion Week UK (South West Regional Hub)
• Bath Fashion Festival

Fashion Graduates have been employed at Zara (Spain), Chinti & Parker, Osman, Peter Pilotto, Old Navy (San Francisco), Erdem, Berghaus, Issa, Toast,  Dune, Mulberry, Roland Mouret, Boudicca, Coast, Karen Millen, Giles Deacon, Gieves and Hawkes, Esprit (Cologne), French Connection, Sharon Wauchob (Paris), Joseph, Zara (Spain) and Nicole Farhi. Other graduates have progressed to study Master's degrees or set up their own businesses.

Careers could include:

• Textile designer
• In-house designer
• Freelance designer
• Design consultancy
• Creative pattern cutter
• Freelance pattern cutter
• Designing/pattern cutting for manufacturers
• Forecasting
• Styling
• Buying
• Product developer
• Technical designer

You have the opportunity to enter national and international design competitions including those set through the British Fashion Council and the Graduate Fashion Foundation.

Students have won the overall Womenswear and Gold Awards at Graduate Fashion Week, along with the national design competition, Fashion Awareness Direct, showcasing outfits at the start of London Fashion Week and the Textiles Institute award for a final collection as showcased at the Foreign Office in London.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

As a BA Fashion Textiles student, you’ll benefit from access to comprehensive digital workshops and specialist art and design facilities, including:

• Our student service point at Locksbrook where you can purchase subsidised art and design materials, hire out equipment for free and collect Library resources
• Access to our well-stocked Library at Newton Park
• Specialist technical workshops across all of art and design
• Access to studio space where you can work on projects and refine your practice

Fashion Textiles students benefit from access to great resources including:

• Individual studio space
• Machinery and specialist equipment
• Mannequin
• Printing facilities
• Access to specialist art and design workshops including embroidery, digital embroidery, screen printing, digital print, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, 3D print, and plastics.