BA (HONOURS) Fashion Design at Sheffield Hallam University

• Learn through a variety of industry projects, seminars and placements.
• Develop creative thinking and practical design skills.
• Embed ethical and sustainable practices at every level.

This course is designed to build your confidence and help you take the creative risks needed to succeed in fashion design. You’ll work on projects that reinforce core industry skills such as illustration, CAD/CAM, garment manufacturing and more. You’ll reflect on your career direction as we challenge you to work ethically and to communicate your personal view of the world through your work.

You’re supported to choose learning opportunities that reflect your personal interests and professional aspirations. We take an experimental approach, grounded in contemporary fashion theory and focusing on design processes that push both industry and personal boundaries.

You’ll learn through

• group and individual tutorials
• interactive lectures
• seminars
• practical activity-based sessions
• demonstrations
• applied industry (live) projects
• creative thinking workshops
• studio-based project work
• work review sessions
• study trips
• peer group activities
• Blackboard online learning portal
• self-directed study

Work placements

You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years. Previous students have worked with Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Reiss and ASOS. You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding (subject to the UK’s continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme following the Brexit transition period). 

Enterprise year

If you have a business idea, you will have the opportunity to develop this between the second and third years. During this time, you can take advantage of the university's business support network, the Hallam i-Lab (a business incubator), an allocated start-up advisor, workshops and opportunities to apply for funding.

Live projects

Students have worked on commercial briefs with the design and marketing departments at Ted Baker, Amanda Wakeley, Adidas and Vivienne Westwood, with awards such as cash prizes or work placements within the industry.

Students can also take part in renowned graduate events such as the British Fashion Council and Graduate Fashion Week.

Field trips

We endeavour to go on study trips both in the UK and abroad – with free travel and accommodation for all mandatory field trips. These could include workshops, design conferences or visits to practitioners’ studios, museums and special collections. You can also further enhance your studies with optional field trips, though these will incur additional costs. Previous trips have involved a behind-the-scenes visit to Burberry's headquarters and flagship store, exclusive talks from world-leading companies such as Tommy Hilfiger, as well as visiting leading fashion, textile and design museums.

Competitions

Students are supported to enter national and international competitions such as British Fashion Council design competitions and the RSA Student Design Awards. Our students are frequent finalists and winners of international competitions, enabling them to showcase their work online and at prestigious events such as Graduate Fashion Week.

Future careers

This course prepares you for future study and careers in

• womenswear design
• menswear design
• print design
• production management
• fashion illustration
• styling
• creative pattern cutting
• garment technology
• product development

Many of our graduates are either self-employed or working in a variety of roles for some of the biggest names in the fashion industry – such as Barbour, Adidas, H&M, Topshop, Amanda Wakeley and Zara.