Kingston takes fashion to the next level

13/03/04

Kingston takes fashion to the next level

Kingston’s internationally-renowned Fashion Department will take centre stage again later this year when it launches a new postgraduate course. The MA in Fashion Design for Industry was validated last year and will accept its first intake of students in October.

Head of Department John McKitterick said the Kingston course was distinctive because, as well as giving students an in-depth knowledge of their specialist areas, it would provide them with a detailed understanding of the international fashion business. “Existing MA courses seemed to be totally preoccupied with the intuitive aspect of the creative process and only briefly skirted around the business management side of the fashion industry,” he said. Participants will prepare a business report directly related to their design work and, on completing the course, will be just as well equipped for a career in business management, public relations or international marketing as in fashion design.

Sector experts have been quick to applaud the new qualification. The validation committee, which included Jane Rapley, Dean of Fashion at Central St Martin’s College, congratulated the Department for designing a postgraduate course that would provide the exact skills required in the 21st Century fashion industry.