Fashion Design

Key Facts

Staff

Programme Overview

How to Apply

Institution Name: GSA
Institution Code: G43
UCAS Code:
W230 (Fashion Design)

Award

BA (Hons) Fashion Design. All GSA degree programmes are validated by the University of Glasgow. Established in 1451, the University of Glasgow is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK research universities and a founder member of Universitas 21, an international grouping of universities dedicated to setting worldwide standards for higher education.

Assessment

Coursework, essays, practical design projects. Formative assessments take place at key points throughout the year with summative assessments at the end of each academic year.

Glasgow Clyde College Associate Student Scheme
This programme participates in the scheme supporting year 2 entry to selected programmes at the GSA - find out more here.

Facilities
Workshops for weave (including digital jacquard weave), print and dye knit, embroidery and CAD. Students in the Department also have access to the Centre for Advanced Textiles (CAT).

Indicative Additional Costs
Individual departments levy material fees as indicated on this page. You should budget for each year of your programme of study and should allow for costs over and above your fees and maintenance, particularly if expensive materials or projects are chosen.

Studio and Workshop Access
Studios are open from 8.00am - 10.00pm weekdays and 8.00am - 6.00pm at weekends.
Workshops are supervised from 9.00 am - 5.00 pm daily.

Graduate Destinations include:
Voyage Decoration, Richard Nicoll, Margaret Howell, Custo Barcelona, Philip Treacy, Diesel, Ford Motors, Hyundai, Alberta Ferretti, Morton Young and Borland, BBC Scotland Costume Department, Mark Fast, Diane Von Furstenberg, Cath Kidston, Celine, Speedo, Urban Outfitters, Maria Grachvogel, Ted Baker, All Saints, John Lewis Design Department.

Several graduates set up their own businesses, such as Bebaroque, Gillian Kyle and Bluebell Gray.

Head of Department and Programme Leader:
Jimmy Stephen-Cran

Academic staff:
Christie Alexander
Anthony Brotheridge

Fashion & Textiles
Technical Team Leader:
Lynsey Calder

Technical Staff:
Daniel Fradgley
Ashleigh Miller
Celia Phillips

Programme Overview

Programme Overview

In the Department of Fashion and Textiles at The Glasgow School of Art you will find an international community of around 150 students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Fashion Design is concerned with the design of clothing. Fashion Designers consider the shape, cut, silhouette and construction of clothing and tend to think more three dimensionally when designing.

The programme aims to create highly specialised subject experts in an ‘expert amongst experts’ environment which values the interactive, synergetic and ever evolving nature of Fashion Design.

Professor Jimmy Stephen-Cran BA (Hons) MA
Head of Department – Fashion and Textiles

Programme Structure and Characteristics

The programme has four stages:

Stage 1 (1^st Year) – Underpinning

Stage 2 (2^nd Year) – Grounding

Stage 3 (3^rd Year) – Contextualisation

Stage 4 (4^th year) – Expertise

The curriculum of each pathway and stage provides a sequential learning experience to ensure continual development from Stage 1 through to Programme completion.

The curriculum of each stage is structured in to courses which are project based. Projects and courses vary in length within and across the three academic terms of each stage. Project based enquiry is core to the curriculum.

A range of core competencies essential to Fashion Design inform the curriculum content, structure and organization as well as the learning and teaching approaches and assessment criteria.

The programme promotes a culture that recognizes teamwork and interdisciplinary peer learning as well as independence as essential elements in the effective practice of Fashion Design.

Students will be supported to:

Acquire a thorough understanding of the Fashion Design process and develop nin-depth drawing and colour expertise alongside technical prowess.
Honour and learn from Fashion Design traditions and look to the future at the same time.
Balance originality of concept with design viability.
Stretch, challenge and integrate digital technologies alongside labour intensive handwork and limited production.
Engage in critical reflection in response to individual Fashion Design interests.

Design History and Theory

An element of the programme is delivered by the department of Design History and Theory. For most of the four years of undergraduate programmes in design, one day per week of the student timetable is allocated to Design History and Theory. It is an externally linked critical mass of diverse research expertise in broad-based critical studies for contemporary creative practices in design. More information on the department and staff profiles can be found here.