BA (Hons) Textile Design: Retail, Business and Marketing with Foundation Year

This four-year programme has been specifically designed to allow you to undertake additional level three study, to ensure you are successful on your chosen degree programme. The foundation course is an exciting step towards your chosen degree. It encompasses elements of fashion design, fashion business and textile design degree routes and provides a platform for you to share with and learn from others. It will help you in building confidence and independence and we aim to excite, engage and challenge you, pushing you to develop into a capable student with a great fashion and textiles aesthetic as well as an enthusiasm to learn. Our stunning Parkside Building is a dynamic and creative open environment and our students thrive on the creative buzz of being based within the heart of Birmingham. After successful completion of the year, you will have the flexibility to switch (should you wish to change direction) onto a number of related undergraduate degree programmes within the School of Fashion and Textiles. If you find you are passionate about textiles, but you have a business mind as much as a creative one, our Retail, Business and Marketing option will help you to develop skills in both the practical aspects of textile design but also the business side of the creative industries.You will gain a broad and practical understanding of textile design and complement this with specific knowledge and experience of research, report-writing, range-planning, team-working and visual communication. Our students secure placements within buying, marketing and visual merchandising departments within the retail sector, as well as work at magazines, with arts organisations and for trend prediction agencies. Our graduates find employment as Buyers, Visual Merchandisers, Design Directors and Journalists –finding that the combination of having both practical and business skills is invaluable.As a course we value diversity, nurture curiosity and place sustainability at the heart of decision making. Students develop their creativity, personal talents and professional awareness in a stimulating and supportive environment. All students are introduced to print, weave, embroidery and knit processes in the first year, enabling you to experiment with different methods to identify strengths and interests. In second year, we teach in career-focused groups, reflecting the nature of contemporary employment needs within the industry. This provides you with further opportunity to tailor your learning experience and fulfil your personal and professional aspirations. These reflect the breadth of professional paths that our graduates go on to pursue: • Styling and Trend Forecasting• Contemporary Culture and Craft• Surface Pattern and Technologies• Bespoke Fashion Textiles• Retail and PromotionYou will be taught by passionate and experienced tutors and supported by highly skilled technicians; many of whom have their own practice in Textile Design. Guest speakers and visiting tutors enrich the learning experience and provide additional industry insights. Employability is at the heart of our course and collaborative work, live projects, competitions and work placements help you to develop professional experience. Students have undertaken work experience in the UK and abroad at companies such as Mary Katrantzou, John Lewis, Trend Bible and Zara. Our strong links with industries including trend agencies, design studios, museums and galleries, provide opportunities that equip students with the skills for increasingly diverse career paths.Our final year students get the opportunity to showcase their collections via a range of platforms, including BCU’s Inspired Festival and New Designers in London. The diverse and innovative range of work on show exemplifie