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Welcome to Fashion at Norwich

Welcome to the start of an exciting journey in fashion!

We are thrilled to welcome you to our creative community here at BA Fashion. Your journey with us begins during Welcome Week, starting Monday 15 September, when we’ll meet you on campus, introduce you to our spaces, and help you find your place within our vibrant community.

During the week, you’ll get to know the staff team, meet fellow students from across the course, and take part in introductory activities designed to help you feel at home while staying safe on campus. You’ll also be invited to collect your University ID card and have the chance to explore videos showcasing the diverse services and facilities available to support you throughout your studies.

Above all, Welcome Week is about connection — with each other, the campus, and the creative possibilities ahead. We’ve put together a lively programme of social events and activities, in collaboration with our fantastic Students’ Union team, so there are plenty of opportunities to have fun, make new friends, and start building your own creative network.

We can’t wait to meet you and begin this exciting journey together.

See you soon,
The BA Fashion Team

Meet the team

The course team comprises three groups of people who work together to support your time and development on the course:

  • Course leader: Oversees the overall course direction and your academic journey.
  • Lecturers: Deliver the taught sessions, guide you through theory and practice, and provide feedback.
  • Technicians: Demonstrate practical workshops, offer support with equipment and any technical aspects of your learning.

You will get to meet everyone properly during your induction.

First course induction session

Your induction session will be an important introduction to the course structure, expectations, and resources. You will learn about the facilities and start connecting with your peers and lecturers. There will also be a chance to ask questions and clarify anything you are unsure about.

Important dates and weekly structure

The first teaching day of your course is Monday, 22nd of September. You will have timetabled sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday mornings, and Fridays each week. Wednesday afternoons are non-taught, and Thursdays are independent study days for you to research and develop your projects at your own pace. Individual timetables will be provided at the start of the course.

In addition to on-campus sessions, there will also be digital teaching (such as lectures and industry talks). You will be introduced to all these elements during your induction, so there is no need to worry about the details just yet. On independent study days, and days when digital teaching is scheduled, you can still access campus facilities to continue your work or choose to work remotely if you prefer. We are here to support you in planning your time effectively to balance your projects and learning activities.

What to expect from your timetable

Your timetable will include a variety of sessions, such as:

  • Lectures to build your theoretical understanding
  • Academic and technical workshops to support the development of your skillset
  • Tutorials for personalised feedback and additional academic support
  • Group critiques to develop your presentation skills and peer review abilities

This blend is designed to offer you a rich, hands-on learning experience alongside critical thinking and reflective practice.

Our course culture and ethos

On BA Fashion, we believe fashion is much more than clothing; it is a language, a form of storytelling, and a way of questioning the world around us. Our course is built on a culture of creativity, experimentation, and critical care for materials, processes, people, and the planet.

We encourage you to push boundaries, explore your identity as a designer, and approach fashion as a space of inquiry, where both success and failure are essential to growth. This is a course where making is not just about the outcome but about understanding how and why we create.

Respect, inclusivity, and collaboration sit at the heart of our community. We actively celebrate diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and cultural contexts — creating a supportive and stimulating environment where every student can thrive, challenge themselves, and contribute to shaping a more thoughtful and responsible fashion culture.

Things to watch, read and do

We have included some suggestions of things you might like to read, watch, and do before you arrive…

Watch

The Gospel According to André (2018)

McQueen (2018)

Dior and I (2014)

Read

Do

Inspiration is all around you. As a designer, cultivating curiosity is part of your daily practice. Read widely, listen to music and podcasts, visit galleries and museums, watch films, observe people and places and when you can, travel. Creativity is not always linear; it ebbs and flows, so developing the habit of seeking inspiration in unexpected places is essential to sustaining your creative energy.

Begin building your own personal archive of inspiration — a collection as unique as you are. This could include sketches, photographs, exhibition materials, artefacts, fabrics, trims, textures, found objects — the possibilities are endless. Approach this like a curious and resourceful collector, always searching for creative sparks that provoke new thinking or perspectives.

Over time, this collection will grow into a personal library of references — a rich resource you can return to throughout your studies, and beyond. It will help you form connections between ideas, materials, and concepts, feeding directly into your design thinking and making.

Pro tip:

Invest in a ring binder or similar format to serve as your Research Process Book (RPB). This is more than just a sketchbook — it is your visual diary, a space to research, record, brainstorm, experiment, analyse, and refine your ideas. Think of it as a laboratory for your creative practice. Clear, thoughtful, and intentional communication of your visual thinking is a vital part of the design process — this is where your language of fashion begins to take shape.

Free resources

Recommended equipment

In preparation for starting the course, it will help you to gather some of the following equipment. You will not need all this equipment immediately, but try to build it up during the summer break and through the first term.

There will be drawing workshops during the first few weeks, and although we will be providing some materials, we will ask you to bring some of materials you are familiar with too. You can also purchase many of the items listed below from the University Shop when you start:

  • Paper scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Eraser
  • Ring binder
  • General drawing equipment

You will also need to build a supply of tools for pattern cutting and garment construction. You can purchase items at a student discount from suppliers such as Morplan. Some materials are also available from the university shop, or you may wish to explore alternative suppliers or second-hand options online:

  • Retractable technical 0.5mm drawing pencil with replacement leads
  • Fabric shears
  • Pattern Master
  • Snips
  • Metric tape measure
  • Masking tape
  • Tracing wheel
  • Carbon dressmaking pins
  • Selection of hand sewing needles
  • Stitch unpicker
  • Thimble (optional)
  • Rotary cutter (optional)
  • Tailors chalk (optional)
  • Tailors’ awl (optional)
  • Notcher (optional)

For information on IT recommendations, please refer to our general IT equipment guidance.

We look forward to seeing you in September and embarking on this creative journey together!

Best wishes,

River Chadprajong-Smith and the Fashion Team

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