Fashion BA (Hons)

This first unit establishes the foundations of your design practice through experimentation, exploration and critical enquiry. You will question what fashion is, what it does and where you sit within it, unpacking craft, culture, materiality and identity as part of contemporary practice. Through studio-led projects, you will explore historical and current approaches, examining how social, cultural, sustainable and ethical contexts inform creative work. Research becomes an active tool for thinking and making. You will develop core technical skills in fibres and fabrics, life drawing, digital design software, flat pattern cutting, 3D form development and garment construction. Alongside this, you will begin to define your creative position, building confidence in both process and execution. The unit also supports your transition into independent study, establishing the curiosity and discipline required for degree-level practice.

40 credits

This unit pushes you to test, stretch and redefine your creative practice. Through sustained experimentation with materials, processes and form, you will develop an iterative way of working that values risk, reflection and refinement. You will expand your research process into deeper textile and fabric exploration, advancing from concept to 3D prototypes. Technical development continues through innovative pattern cutting, draping, garment manufacture and digital practice, including Clo3D. Craft and technology are positioned as equal tools for thinking and making. You will explore how ideas translate across 2D and 3D outcomes, considering responsible and sustainable approaches at every stage. Collaboration is central to the unit, strengthening teamwork, presentation and project management skills. Working alongside final-year students, you will contribute to live studio environments, gaining insight into different roles and pathways while shaping your own direction within contemporary fashion practice.

80 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

This unit situates your practice within a wider global landscape. You will examine how fashion is constructed, produced and understood across different cultures, economies and social contexts, developing a more critical and informed approach to making. Through ambitious studio and externally focused projects, you will test your design identity beyond the classroom. Advanced experimentation in materials and form strengthens your skills in construction, finishing, innovative pattern cutting, draping and digital development, including Clo3D. You will also explore non-traditional approaches to research and making, broadening your creative references and challenging established systems. Iterative prototyping remains central, with ethical and sustainable decision-making embedded throughout. Alongside creative development, you will gain insight into different fashion sectors and career trajectories. Collaboration, presentation and project planning become more rigorous, preparing you to operate with increasing independence and clarity.

80 credits

This unit positions your practice within collaborative contexts, working across disciplines and with external partners on live briefs and shared challenges. You will develop solutions through collective research, experimentation and problem-solving, learning to navigate different perspectives, roles and working methods. The unit strengthens your ability to communicate ideas clearly, respond to client needs and take creative risks within team environments. Through cooperative practice, you expand both your creative thinking and your understanding of how fashion operates beyond individual authorship.

40 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

This unit sets the intellectual and creative foundation for your final year. You will define your design philosophy, refine your research direction and establish the critical framework that underpins your final major project. Through advanced research, concept development and focused making, you will clarify your creative position and test ideas with rigour. Technical refreshers in pattern cutting, craftsmanship, digital processes and workshop practice support increasingly ambitious outcomes. Alongside studio development, you will produce a research report that articulates your methodology, influences and future direction. This unit is about focus, depth and intention. It sharpens your thinking and prepares you to move forward with authority.

40 credits

This unit is the culmination of your degree and the full realisation of your creative ambition. You will conceive and produce a self-directed major project that embodies your design philosophy, technical capability and evolving identity as a designer. Working with autonomy and precision, you will push experimentation, material exploration and construction to a resolved and distinctive body of work. Live and professionally aligned projects provide opportunities to test your ideas in real contexts and strengthen your strategic awareness. The unit culminates in a public showcase of your collection or portfolio, positioning your work within the wider creative landscape. This is your launch point a moment to present your voice with clarity, confidence and momentum as you step into your next chapter.

80 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.