These undergraduate programmes are designed for participants looking to enter the fashion world, and provide a complete education allowing participants to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue a career in the chosen field.
Accessories are the new fashion objects of desire and make the difference to a winning collection and brand name. This three year full time course forms multi-skilled designers, fully qualified in the latest fashion and accessories design techniques and approaches. Covering shoes, bags, and fashion collection design, the course nurtures creativity and individual style, while also responding to new demands and trends in the fashion and luxury market.
By studying the main contemporary artistic movements, and the latest styles and trends which influence accessories design, participants develop an aesthetic sensitivity, appreciating the intrinsic values and characteristics of an accessories product, namely the emotions and perceptions customers take from a fashion item to produce products that create desire. They learn how to research and contextualise ideas and are encouraged to experiment with new approaches in the industry that are evolving today, including renewable and sustainable resources, innovative materials and new technologies, building individual style and creative and professional abilities. Participants also explore how Italian manufacturing is exemplary in its identification and use of materials and manufacturing techniques, giving a focus on the excellence that is “Italianness”: craftsmanship, design and style. The use of traditional techniques and new technologies are well balanced to ensure participants gain comprehensive skills in all areas: from hand illustration, to the latest software packages, progressing through 2D into 3D design, and also 3D printing techniques. They understand the viability of accessory production and development, working and evaluating material requirements via full shape analysis. This dynamic course provides a solid base in the fashion system; a model that embraces many different aspects of todays fast changing and competitive fashion industry. The evolution of fashion, and fashion accessory design is also studied from its humble beginnings as a functional add-on, to the elevated status it has today as the signature piece in a fashion collection. A final graduation showcase event gives participants the opportunity to exhibit their work and achieve recognition through networking. Guided by an experienced faculty team of industry experts, the final year concludes with the creation of a professional portfolio and accessories design collection. This course is part of the fashion design study pathways. With fashion design as the core subject, participants specialise in the chosen area of interest (accessories), completing the course with a distinct professional profile. This course is also available as a BA (Hons) four-year course (including Sandwich Year Placement).
Become fully qualified in the latest fashion and accessories design techniques and expand your career options. Covering clothing and accessories design, these three-year full-time courses encourage individual style and creativity, while also offering the chance to become multi-skilled fashion designers. Participants begin by studying the language of ready to wear, progressing through all stages of the design process including hand sketching, fashion illustration and digital design, as well as pattern making, pattern cutting and construction, right through to the finished garment or product – through a deep study of all the steps in collection development.
Focusing on the contemporary fashion scenario, the course provides students the opportunity to investigate the intrinsic added values and characteristics of accessories, garments or fashion products, understanding how to design items that create desire. During the course participants are encouraged to experiment with new materials and technologies, learning at the same time the use of a flamboyant pairing of fabrics, renewable and sustainable resources, 3D printing or experimental cutting techniques, as well as evaluating fabric embellishment and details that make the ‘difference’ for a winning collection. Research into fashion history and culture and historic references in art and dress further enhance creative thinking, meanwhile communication skills provide a professional approach in the negotiation and presentation of final design ideas to companies and new clients.
The three-year Course in Fashion Design & Accessories is based on various learning and teaching methods including: seminars, tutorials, workshops, classroom lessons, ITC workshops, group projects and individual research.
Participants will learn about the techniques of design and, by the end of the first year, they will be capable of illustrating their ideas in a way that meets the standards of the contemporary style.
They can carry out a specific research project on a fashion theme, creating Research Books with photographs, drawings, collages, fabric samples and other elements needed to design their first creative ideas.
The students will also learn to use the most widely-used graphic software, digital design tools and visual communication techniques.