Fashion designers combine creative, conceptual and technical skills to create imaginative collections of clothing and accessories consistent with established fashion trends or those that create new trends. Through the fashion program students develop creative and intellectual thinking and inventive design skills in modules that offer practical expertise necessary to succeed in careers in the global fashion market.

 

The Fashion  programme at the Academy of Design encourages students to build their work on innovative concepts and work through concept development, design execution and to product development. This involves Fashion industry essentials such as Drawing, Illustration and computer aided CAD and other rendering skills along with pattern making and sewing techniques. Apart from these fundamentals, the programme trains students to be prepared with additional skills that would help them to become proficient designers within the competitive design world; these special skills and practices include training in presentation skills, strict preparation to meet deadlines, fashion styling and group exercises to mould students in to effective team players. The Fashion  programme at AOD is not only the best way to become a fashion designer, but also the foundation education to many exciting careers in the glamorous world of fashion.

 

Entry Requirements: O/Ls or A/Ls

 

Modules:

Drawing Techniques and Portfolio

Visual Communication

Fashion and textile materials understanding

CAD/CAM for Fashion and Textiles

Design Exploration in Fashion

Design Application in Fashion

Techniques and processes in Fashion

Design research in Textiles

Research and development for garment design

Realising a Fashion Collection

Garment Manufacture

Pattern Construction

Professional Studies

Historical and contextual referencing

Professional practice and development

Critical study

 

Award: BA (hons) Degree Fashion Design from Northumbria University

We take both a realistic & creative path within the fashion course.

During their studies, students are taught by an experienced team of professionals. We cover the fundamentals of design and technique, progressively developing the students’ individual design language and finalising the course with a capsule fashion collection show casing their talent.

We believe in live project collaborations with industry, connecting the work to the real world and finding creative solutions to the business of design.

One thing that we promote through the course structure during studies is closing the gap between the design conscious consumer and our local craftsmen and textile weavers. Through project work, students are encouraged to develop contemporary and exciting fabrics and clothes using traditional skills and methods.

Through hard work and creativity we endeavour to create a group of well rounded professionals that will excel in our competitive business, whether within industry or independently, at home or abroad.

 

Timeline: Year 1. Term 1; Mini Foundation in design and specialist field: Term 2 and 3: Introduction to design, clothing and fabrics;  written journals. Field trips.

Year 2. Term 4-5:  CAD/CAM; design development; garment manufacture; professional practices: Term 6: HND final collections

Year 3. Semester 1 -2 BA (hons) Fashion Design final year: Final Collections: Subject specialisations; Pattern cutting or textiles: Dissertations & Portfolio

 

 

‘Clothes come first. Fashion is just an interpretation of clothing, but without an understanding of the components, we cannot expect industries trust and respect’.  

 

-Stuart MacLeod – Programme Head : Fashion

 

2011 Graduate Fashion Show