Fashion Business and Promotion with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

In this module you will explore the connections between the creative fashion and textile industries in the past, and how this informs present and future trends. You will be introduced to the way individuals have influenced culture, freedom of expression and experimentation, and how this pushes boundaries and explores identity.

Through reflection you will analyse your research and the connections that you discover, developing core skills and communicating your findings and ideas through the use of industry-standard software.

Shared content is delivered via blended learning, this is underpinned by your course-specific content which is delivered on campus.

This module serves as exploration for the fashion industry providing a comprehensive overview of the diverse sectors within the fashion industry and introducing the critical analysis business model of P.E.S.T.L.E factors: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental and these external forces shape the industry. You will explore the industry sectors of the fashion industry from luxury to budget and metaverse.

You will explore how global and local shifts impact fashion so by the end of this module, you will possess a solid foundation in understanding the business context of the fashion industry.

Fashion Activism: A Catalyst for Change, allows you to explore the powerful intersection of fashion and activism. This module seeks to empower you with the knowledge and skills to actively contribute to the role of fashion in societal and environmental shifts. From historical movements to contemporary campaigns, you will research into the ways fashion can be a catalyst for positive change, addressing issues such as ethical practices, sustainability, diversity, and body positivity.

This module will introduce you to the buying and merchandising principles, the roles and responsibilities of the product team, and the buying cycle in relation to the fashion industry and different retail formats.

You will be working on a live industry project.

You will be required to develop a strategy for a new range concept, which will have a focus on key on-going trading climate issues. Understanding what represents real value and where consumers will be prepared to spend. The product must be commercially viable, and appropriate for the brand and their consumer.

You will conduct research into the brand and the product area and conduct a comparative shop in order to inform the range for a new season.

The Global Fashion Spaces module aims to explore new and emerging formats for retail across fashion and lifestyle brands on a global scale.

This module delves into the evolution of retail spaces, consumer driven demand, technological advancements and the impact of socio-cultural factors on the retail landscape.

You will develop skills necessary to generate concepts for future opportunities in the global marketplace.

This level 5 undergraduate module is designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge necessary for a successful transition into the industry work placement and beyond. The module focuses on cultivating a deep understanding of professional practices, industry expectations, and personal development strategies.

Through a combination of theoretical knowledge, practical exercises, case studies, and industry guest lectures, this module provides students with a solid foundation for their future careers empowering them to thrive in a competitive and dynamic industry landscape.

This Level 5 module immerses you in the dynamic world of promoting and positioning fashion brands within the industry. Students explore the fundamental principles of marketing and public relations tailored to the unique characteristics of the fashion business. From strategic planning to creative execution, the module equips you with the skills needed to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of fashion marketing and effectively communicate brand stories.

This Level 5 module delves into the transformative realm of the experience economy, emphasising the creation and delivery of compelling and immersive consumer experiences. Positioned at the intersection of marketing, business strategy, and consumer behaviour, this module equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the evolving landscape of modern commerce, where experiences are valued as much as products and services.

The purpose of the work placement module is to enable you to develop professional attributes and subject skills through experience in the work place, and to critically reflect upon your learning in that context. You will normally be expected to arrange your own placement, with support from academic staff and BCU Careers.

Creative careers can take people to a wide variety of, sometimes, unexpected destinations. Learning to see and exploit opportunities can be the key to a rewarding portfolio career making good use of your creative skills whilst earning a living from doing what you love, whether it's producing creative artefacts, performing, offering a service or consultancy. Learning to promote and ‘pitch’ those ideas to others is core to developing a successful independent, creative and entrepreneurial career. This module will build your skillset to enable you to talk confidently about you and your work. It will also help you to find or create opportunities, some may even come as a surprise to you!

This module provides an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and skills to an external, professional brief. The brief will be set by or in discussion with an external client/agency/community and could be a ‘real life’ problem to be solved, or a simulation. The resulting project should consider sustainability and address relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals as a key aspect of contemporary creative industries work. The module provides an opportunity for you to engage in a responsive, imaginative and professional manner with an aspect of your subject area, which contributes to the development of employability skills within the supportive infrastructure of the University. You will collaborate with students, and where relevant with other stakeholders, and will be supported to approach the project with curiosity, openness, critical thinking, innovation and practical and technical skills, in order to produce project outcomes and/or solutions which meet the required brief.

This Level 6 undergraduate module is designed to further develop your research and inquiry skills within the context of the fashion and textile industry.

You will undertake a range of research methods on a topic of personal interest. You will investigate and critically analyse the findings. You will be applying a reflective comment to the evidence to deepen your understanding of your field and considering real-world challenges in the industry.

You will present conclusions and recommendations in a proposal that feed into an independent project.

The Major Project Design module is an opportunity to showcase your knowledge, critical thinking, and practical skills acquired throughout your academic journey. This module centres around the development and execution of a major project that reflects your individual interests, and aspirations within the landscape of fashion business.

You are encouraged to explore innovative and forward-thinking concepts, addressing contemporary challenges and opportunities within the fashion industry. The module embraces a holistic approach, incorporating elements of fashion design, business strategy, marketing, sustainability, and experiential concepts. It must respond to a gap in the market and offer something new for industry. Through a combination of research, strategic planning, you will conceptualize and implement a project that demonstrates solution for a professional world.

This module focuses on the execution of the creative outcomes from the previous Major Project business plan.

You will conceptualize and implement a project that demonstrates a solution for a professional world. It will apply innovation, sustainability, market relevance to address relevant, real-world challenges and opportunities. Using appropriate methods of communication, message outcomes for a targeted consumer or audience.

The project outcome should look beyond what is happening in industry now, to develop a concept that will be future ready, within a fashion or lifestyle sector. This will be grounded in research both primary and secondary, with industry insight and justification.

The Level 6 module will enable you to transition from academic study to the professional arena. You will reflect on your academic study and work experiences skills and develop self-promotion skills appropriate for a chosen career path set out an action plan for the future.

You will research the current market and the important changes that are affecting your chosen field, impacts of current issues within this career field and future drivers. You will identify key contacts and players and develop an action plan for the next 6-18 months - 3 years.

You will be optimizing your promotion through relevant digital platforms.