The course promotes innovative, experimental and creative approaches to textile design within an interdisciplinary context.
The course philosophy emphasises the synthesis between ideas and making, concept and process. It allows you to specialise within the areas of printed, woven, knitted, stitched and digital textile design. The redefining of textile and material practices within the contexts of digital advancements, interdisciplinary approaches and environmental issues are key concerns. The interaction between new technologies and traditional craft processes is a dynamic aspect of the course and promotes an ethos of innovative and creative approaches to design.
During the first two years of the course you are given the opportunity to explore concepts and themes in response to project briefs through your own enquiry, developing an increasingly professional level in your work. In the final year you will embark on an individual negotiated project, establishing and defining your design identity through conceptual thinking. You will also be expected to have generated innovative approaches to textiles, whether applying a new process or applying an existing process within a new context. Global perspectives and culturally diverse contexts for textiles are introduced in both practice and theory through project themes, exchanges and theory lectures.
Live Projects with the cultural, creative and professional fashion and textile industries inform students’ learning experience and practice.
In the past these have included designing fabrics for Burberry, showcasing catwalk collections at Latitude festival, attending International trade fairs such as Indigo in Paris and working with Indesign textile agents and the online trend forecasting company WGSN.
Issues of sustainability feature strongly in the course and our ambition is to embed design thinking on environmental issues in all stages of the curriculum. The TED (Textile Environment Design) research group contributes to and enriches the programme and closely links teaching and research
There is an option to undertake an exchange placement for a term in Year 2 and we have agreements with design institutions in New York, France, Finland, Germany and Sweden.
The course prepares you for a career in textile design where career opportunities exist as:
• Knitted, woven, printed, stitched or digital textile designer for a fashion or interiors context;
• Independent designer/maker;
• Trend consultancy, fabric developer.
Graduates have gone on to work in international design studios for fashion and interiors. Some have set up businesses independently as designer makers or as part of design teams working from couture to high street production in many countries. Recent destinations include: Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Céline, Chloe, Dries van Noten, Jonathan Saunders, Julien MacDonald, Liberty, Stella McCartney, H&M, Zac Posen, WGSN and many more. Many of our graduates have also gone on to postgraduate study.
