MA Graduate Diploma Fashion

We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:

Evidence of research skills:

• You should provide evidence of your creative exploration of research (research sketchbooks, examples of materials/images that you collect for inspiration)
• Ability to develop ideas in visual form
• Please evidence your ability to produce design solutions which make an imaginative use of imagery, colour, materials and technical skills shown in sketchbooks, illustrations etc.

3D sense:

• Please provide examples of your ability to translate two-dimensional design into three-dimensions (actual garments are not required – photographs or digital images will be accepted).

Sensitivity to fabric and colour (including digital images of fabric samples where appropriate):

• Evidence of use of fabrics and colour application e.g. swatches either attached to design drawings or on a separate sheet.

Technical skills:

• Specification drawings to show in detail your understanding of garment construction e.g. seam placements, darts etc. and design details e.g. collar, cuff details.

In addition to the skills demonstrated in the portfolio, you should demonstrate by means of your personal statement in the application, your:

• Reason for choosing the course
• Motivation and commitment
• Awareness of contemporary fashion design
• Capacity for self-reflection
• Communication skills.

Student perspectives

Adam Andrascik, USA: MA Womenswear CSM

Looking back on my time on the Graduate Diploma in Fashion course, of all the things I gained, I feel that the most important was a sense of self-confidence in my work. Through various self-guided projects, I became more comfortable with making decisions about the direction I wanted my work to progress, along with identifying any faults along the way. It also helped me to look at the way I design in a more objective sense, where my aesthetic fit in amongst other labels, and how I could differentiate myself in that landscape.

For me, the course was not only about gaining self-confidence, but a better understanding of fashion on an international scale. Along with various projects, I had the opportunity to acclimatize myself to London through work experience with such labels Richard Nicoll and Jonathan Saunders, along with taking part in both London and Paris fashion week. I was also encouraged to integrate myself into the fashion and design culture of London, in an effort to open myself up to the idea that inspiration doesn’t always need to come from an obscure art book or magazine. Needless to say, most of the friends I have today I met within the first few months of that experience.

At the end of the course, I felt I had the right tools needed to create and construct a professional collection, which was new and directional, along with the confidence to build a personal design aesthetic. Soon afterwards, I was accepted on to MA Womenswear at Central St. Martins, graduated and debuted my collection during LFW 2010, and have since completed my first solo presentation for Spring Summer 2011. I’ve been featured in Dazed Digital, POP Magazine, Style.com, Fashion 156, and an upcoming book shot by Rankin.

Sol Ahn, China: MA Menswear RCA

The Graduate Diploma in Fashion consists of two units of study. We recognise that our students come to the course with different types and levels of prior learning and experience.  The curriculum builds on an integrated mode of learning where the knowledge acquired in the first unit provides the foundation for the learning in the second unit. It begins with projects that support you in identifying your design strengths. You will develop your work in consultation with staff on an ongoing basis.  

Unit 1 contains projects that diagnose individual strengths and needs. As you progress throughout the course, projects will be negotiated with course staff and become increasingly self-directed, allowing you to demonstrate independent learning in the context of your final projects.  

Unit 1: Diagnostic: Research and Creative Development   

Unit 1 has a diagnostic function, introducing you to the course team and the Fashion programme. You will be expected to create work and present your ideas to the tutors and your peers for discussion and critique. You will work on a number of projects, allowing your tutors to assess your practice and support your development. You will also be introduced to fashion within a global context and consider sustainability and social, racial, and climate justice in design.   

The unit culminates in a project which enhances and consolidates your skills in working creatively to a design brief.   
 

Unit 2: Final Project and Portfolio: Development and Resolution   

In this unit, you will define the rationale for your final design project. You will use the skills and knowledge developed in Unit 1 to realise design work that resolves a self-directed design challenge. The major part of this period is given over to the completion of a final project that effectively communicates what you have gained from the course. This unit comprises completed creative work, together with a portfolio of design work. This unit concludes with final assessment.  
 

Credit and award requirements   

The course is credit-rated at 120 credits at HE Level 6. All units must be passed in order to achieve the Graduate Diploma and there is a single exit point.   

Programme specification