BAFashion Accessory Design

Study location	United Kingdom, Nottingham
Type	Bachelor courses, full-time
Nominal duration	3 years
Study language	English
Awards	BA
Course code	W231

Entry qualification	High school / secondary education (or higher) The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original.

Language requirements	English Accepted proof of proficiency: Cambridge English, IELTS, TOEFL or other equivalent IELTS: 6.0; CAE (Cambridge English Advanced): 169 points or above

Other requirements

At least 1 reference(s) should be provided. A motivation letter must be added to your application. A relevant portfolio is required. • Aim to bring approximately 15 pieces of work. Work needs to be professionally presented and we are happy for the work to be float-mounted onto plain white cartridge paper or thin white board. • Please select a range of work which shows us your creative skills and what areas of fashion you are particularly interested in and passionate about. • We are interested in looking at a variety of creative work, including design, photography, life drawing, mixed media work, digital work, textiles, sculpture, and any 2D/3D experiments in order to evaluate your potential for the course. Due to the fact that some applicants have worked on design projects and others may have come from previous courses with an art or textiles bias, your focus may vary. What matters most is your potential, enthusiasm and passion for this challenging subject. • We like to see evidence of your personal working process, so bring your two most relevant sketchbooks and any development drawings which relate to specific projects in your portfolio. • Bring a piece of writing in the form of an essay or report, completed as part of your studies in order for us to ensure your level of critical thinking and ability to evaluate meets our standard. • If you keep a visual diary or scrapbook of Art, Design and Fashion interests please bring that along too. • If you have 3D work which you wish to show at interview, it is often useful to bring photographs rather than the actual piece, unless it is easily transportable.

More information	ntu.ac.uk/..17-18/fashion-accessory-design

Overview

Interested? To learn more about this study programme, entry requirements and application process, please contact one of our consultants in a country nearest to you.

Programme structure

What you study
Year One: these two year-long modules run side by side.

Design Principles: Form, Function and Application (100 credit points)
During this module you will focus on developing skills and knowledge to manage the design process. Lectures will introduce you to key ideas in fashion accessory design which will inform your practical studio work, concept initiation and research.

Manufacture workshops in leather, textiles and 3D resistant materials will help you to translate 2D work into 3D prototypes and products. You’ll develop your skills in visual presentation with workshops and projects in Computer Aided Design, portfolio presentation and communication. You’ll also receive support and guidance in job and placement search skills and CV development.

Design, Culture and Context 1 (20 credit points)
This module will encourage you to test your research, presentation and written skills, and to be socially and culturally aware when considering your own environment and design decisions. You will be introduced to the power of images, objects and materials in visual and material culture, and see how these are central to the way fashion accessory designers represent, making meaning and communicate.

Year Two: these two year-long modules run side by side.

Design Context: Product, Technology and Innovation (100 credit points)
During this module you will produce an extensive body of 2D and 3D work which will focus on professional practice through live industry briefs, team working activities and design skills. You’ll develop a better understanding of commerce, market awareness and the industry, and team working will develop your communication, time management an organisational skills. Advanced workshops and master classes will continue to develop your skills in technical problem solving and design technologies.

Workshops in Computer-Aided Design will enable you to develop a professional portfolio. You will choose electives, exploring other areas of the industry such as ethical fashion, journalism and web design.

Design, Culture and Context 2 (20 credit points)
In the first half of the year you will focus on how the commercial contact affects design culture. You’ll consider the role played by design in the creation of desire in a trend-driven consumer culture, in an era of mass production and consumption, and the need of responsibility and sustainability to make design a force for positive change. In the second half of the year you’ll focus on creating a negotiated, individual brief in preparation for your final-year project.

Final Year

Negotiated Fashion Accessory Design Portfolio and Research Projects (120 credit points)
This year-long module is split into two strands, a fashion accessory design project and a research project. For the fashion accessory design project you will develop a collection of 3D products and an extensive body of 2D work. This will include an accessory collection of fashion products aimed at a specific market or career goal. You will also complete at two external briefs which could include a competition brief or a collaborative project working with students from our other Fashion, Textiles and Knitwear Design courses. For the research project you will explore and research a relevant area relevant to your collection, completing either a dissertation or a visual product. You will have the opportunity to exhibit your work at our Degree Show in Nottingham and at Graduate Fashion Week in London.

Career opportunities

The School of Art & Design at NTU has an excellent graduate employment rate, with 91% of our graduates in employment or further study within six months. (DLHE survey 2012-13)

Employability is high in this continually growing market with a huge demand for expertly trained graduates with a thorough understanding of the broad range of products, principles and techniques involved in this field.

Employability is a key focus of this course, with many of the compulsory modules including initiatives to help make you more employable.

Examples of these include:

Live projects with industry
Visiting professionals
Flexible arrangements for work experience placements
Specialist careers guidance
The opportunity to enter national and international competitions.
We work directly with industry and a variety of brands on core projects, which result in a range of available internships that students can access to further develop their skills within a professional design team. This allows students to see their ideas develop from a paper sketch through to production and retail, providing an invaluable insight into the fashion accessory design industry.

This course leads to a range of different careers, including:

accessory designer
assistant / junior designer
freelance designer / maker
buying, sourcing and merchandising roles in fashion accessories
product management for fashion and fashion accessories
product development
associated industry roles such as styling, journalism and trend prediction
retailing
teaching
marketing.