Fashion MA

Why choose this course?

We were ranked No.1 in London and No.2 in the UK for fashion in the Guardian University League Tables 2023.

The Fashion MA at Kingston University is a unique and innovative course combining the creative thinking of the Design School's core beliefs with a very solid and 'creative' fashion industry focus.

The course equips students with the skills and attributes to thrive in a professional environment shaped by rapid cultural and technological change. The role of the fashion designer is changing within a digital age that embraces current and emerging digital technologies and the pre-digital methodologies of designing through making that are associated with the craft of fashion. Fashion MA designers will respond to this shift by applying inventive, daring and responsible approaches to fashion practice, including a return to ‘pre-digital' crafts, experimenting with new digital crafts, and /or adopting a hybrid practice which explores the innovative potential of synthesising digital technologies within crafts-based practice. This aligns with Kingston University's Town House Strategy and the development of students' future skills where they are actively encouraged to explore new and unfamiliar processes and techniques and use these to experiment and innovate within their own disciplines and individual creative practices.

The ethos of Kingston School of Art is thinking through making and Fashion MA students will not only realise their 2D ideas in 3D but will also use the 3D process to generate ideas in 2D, establishing the craft of fashion in response to the broader environment of AI and digital technologies. Students will explore making for design through the production of samples and modelling on the stand as a methodology that produces innovation.

Fashion MA students will synthesise their individual design identities through a series of challenging projects that elevate the students' approach to research skills, their ability to critically reflect and analyse their work and the work of other practitioners. The projects hone the students' ability to design responsibly, their communication skills, and their ability to think through making as a methodology that enables thoroughly considered and industry-appropriate outcomes. As the students progress through the modules over the course of the academic year, they will also consider the professional application of their work and develop the professional skills needed for their future careers. This approach to PG fashion design education aligns with KU's Future Skills strategy.

Key features

The Fashion MA focuses on the craft of making enables skill-based making practices for elevated design outputs, which include exploration and innovation of manufacture, fabrication, responsible approaches to garment construction and slower small-scale production. This aligns with the UN Sustainability Goals of responsible consumption and production and climate action.

The craft of making aligns with the KSA philosophy of thinking through making, ensuring quality and skills are celebrated as professional attributes for future practitioners. An elevated understanding of how clothes are made is essential for many roles within the fashion industry; designer, pattern cutter, product developer, or artisanal crafts person working within a specialist atelier within a brand.

The course enables students to work independently and collaboratively, and to develop professional networks through engagement with industry projects and visiting professionals, preparing them for professional placement, employment, or further study.

The design team have diverse and relevant industry experience as well as the academic skills and experience needed to help nurture fashion design talent.

Guest speakers from our well-established industry links and partnerships are invited to talk directly to the students, sharing their knowledge, insight and experience, adding texture and depth to the students' understanding of the fashion machine.

Students have access to the wealth of high-tech workshops and facilities available at Kingston School of Art.

View the application portfolio advice.

Mode Duration Attendance Start date
Full time 1 year 2 days a week September 2024
Full time 2 years including professional placement 2 days a week, plus placement year September 2024
Part time 2 years 1 day a week September 2024
Main location Kingston School of Art, Knights Park

Reasons to choose Kingston University

  • In Kingston's broad design community, you can connect and interact with designers from a wide set of disciplines. There is a wealth of high-tech workshops and facilities.
  • Kingston has well-established industry links and partnerships, enabling you to work on live projects with collaborative partners.
  • There is the opportunity for work placements at prestigious design houses. Previous placements include Viktor & Rolf, McQ, Craig Green, JW Anderson, Paul Smith, Hugo Boss, COS, Roland Mouret, Julien Macdonald, Erdem, Roksanda, Orla Kiely and Mother of Pearl.

The Art School Experience

As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged.

Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.

Two students collaborate on a design project.

Gallery of student work

Fashion Showcase 2022

Our MA Fashion students showcase their work.

Fashion Showcase 2021

Our MA Fashion students showcase their work.

Fashion Show 2019

Our MA Fashion students showcase their work at the end-of-year show.

What you will study

The fashion-based modules will encourage you to think creatively and will challenge you to apply your ideas and concepts to a series of briefs, some of which will arrive directly from industry sources and practitioners. The outcomes are non-prescriptive and should be driven by your ambitions and approach to fashion.

You will identify design narratives to inspire extensive research culminating in exciting, considered and forward-thinking design developments, challenging you to create new responses for fashion design. Addressing the contemporary culture of fashion, you will engage within important areas of development – social politics, economics, environments, sciences and technology futures – creating a clearer understanding of fashion context.

Modules

Optional placement year

The Fashion MA course consists of three Teaching Blocks. In Teaching Blocks 1 and 2 you will take two 30-credit modules. In Teaching Block 3 you will take one 60-credit module.

Core Modules - Teaching Block 1

Studio: Building Fashion

30 credits

'Studio: Building Fashion' introduces students to a range of analytical tools with which to interrogate designed objects and artefacts to enable them to forge links between analytical and propositional methods underpinned by theoretical approaches to research – shaping a framework within which to structure self-initiated projects.

Practical research methods are explored, with an emphasis on the development of creative, rational, and effective approaches to visual experimentation. Students are encouraged to develop a critical approach to practice that considers responsible approaches
to existing and emerging issues within fashion and to critically reflect on practical design work within a logical and measurable framework. The module aims to build understanding of the wide-ranging methods and tools that are available to inform and support the development of students' practical study and to provide the basis of their further study on the course.

The integrative programme encourages students to develop a personal and critical point of view through recording, documentation, and evaluation of ideas and to apply those findings within project work and approaches to making.

As part of personal and professional development, collaboration is integrated into the curriculum alongside a supportive studio culture where knowledge is shared and creative and informed risk-taking is encouraged.

Process: Making Fashion

30 credits

Process: Making Fashion focuses on the realisation of 2D and 3D fashion practice. Students will enhance existing skills, applying thinking through making to the development and prototyping of physical fashion outcomes, and the fashion portfolio of project work developed in the Studio: Building Fashion module to a professional standard.

Within this module, students will produce a toile or series of toiles of their chosen designs. Students will demonstrate an understanding of garment construction through pattern cutting and/or 3D modelling to create a contemporary design or series of designs that evidence understanding of silhouette, detail, and fabrication. They will produce a body of work within a fashion portfolio informed by consideration of responsible practices and cultural and social contexts, that demonstrates an understanding of visual communication; how to articulate a design project process from research through to final outcomes within the confines of an industry-standard fashion portfolio.

Specialist workshops will provide opportunities to enhance existing skills. Workshops include fashion illustration skills, pattern cutting, draping, materiality, visual communication, fashion portfolio building, and responsible fashion practice.

This module encourages students to develop a personal and critical viewpoint through recording, documentation, and evaluation of ideas, applying those findings within project work and approaches to making.

Core Modules - Teaching Block 2

Presentation: Fashion in Practice

30 credits

This module focuses on the Future Skills strategy, professional practice, the synthesis of students' skills and graduate attributes needed for their future careers. This is done through engagement with collaborative projects and/or live projects and how communication skills can be used to articulate work with diverse stakeholders. The student will also present a self-initiated capstone project proposal for Studio: Performing Fashion which allows them to take ownership of their final outputs which are realised in Teaching Block 3. Students will gather visual research, develop a theme or concept, and state their interests and proposed outcomes for the Studio: Performing Fashion module which could take a variety of forms.

Future skills will be developed that are not only valuable to the creative industries, but to the global economy: creative problem-solving as well as adaptability, communication, critical and analytical skills.

Students are introduced to key industry bodies supporting fashion education such as the British Fashion Council and Denza Recruitment and encouraged to engage with competitions, resources, events and other related activities received from industry partners.

Process: Realising Fashion

30 credits

This module builds on skills developed in 'Process: Fashion Making' enabling students to apply them within a professional context.

The module furthers the realisation of 2D and 3D fashion practice. Students will enhance their skills by developing and prototyping physical fashion outcomes that are informed by consideration of responsible practices. The fashion portfolio will integrate prior learning by expanding upon fundamental concepts and methods, refining research methodologies and design outcomes in the production of a professional portfolio of project work.

Students will produce a garment or series of garments in the intended fabrics of their chosen design or designs. They will synthesise their understanding of garment construction through their use of pattern cutting and/or 3D modelling to create a contemporary design or series of designs to evidence elevated understanding of silhouette, detail, and fabrication.

Students will further develop the body of work within a fashion portfolio that demonstrates an enhanced understanding of visual communication; how to articulate the process of a series of design projects from research through to final outcomes within an industry-standard fashion portfolio.

Students will enhance their personal and critical viewpoint through the documentation and evaluation of ideas, applying those findings within project work and refined approaches to making.

Core Modules - Teaching Block 3

Studio: Performing Fashion

60 credits

'Studio: Performing Fashion' consolidates knowledge and skills gained so far on the course to produce an individually defined body of work that enables the next stage of students' professional development, whether placement or internship, application for roles within industry, or further study.

The module establishes an autonomous and situated fashion practice through enquiry-led learning and practice-based investigation. Students will be given creative agency to initiate and complete a project that demonstrates their advanced understanding of contemporary design practice. By assimilating the learning established on the course, students will bring an individual critical position to a substantial and resolved body of work that articulates the context of their practice, demonstrating in content and form their advanced understanding of contemporary fashion practice.

The research and documentation of the project is integral to the submission, reflecting on the process, critical analysis of the research methodology, and its conceptual integration within the practical work. The project will be summarised visually through the fashion portfolio. Project topics are expected to be wide-ranging, providing opportunity to fully investigate a practical solution, underpinned by a critical report on the work produced. Topics must demonstrate the potential required to achieve the level appropriate to the learning outcomes, positioning the work politically, socially, and culturally, identifying and applying appropriate technology within delivery.

Work placement scheme

Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.

Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.

Optional modules

Professional Placement

120 credits

The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a masters programme that incorporates professional placement learning, following completion of 120 credits. It provides you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject-specific professional skills in your chosen subject. You may wish to use the placement experience as a platform for your subsequent major project module, and would be expected to use it to help inform your decisions about future careers.

Entry requirements

Typical offer

In order to apply, you'll need:

  • A 2:2 honours degree in fashion design or textiles.
  • Applicants with academic qualifications in other subjects, or relevant work experience, will be considered on an individual basis.
  • A portfolio.

Portfolio guidance

We would like to understand more about you and your practice, as well as your aptitude and motivations for studying on this course. We will be reviewing your portfolio with four key values in mind: questioning, curiosity, technical ability, and enthusiasm. Your portfolio should demonstrate these values through your strengths, abilities, and experiences in visual research for fashion, design drawing, the visual communication of your ideas, the design process, 3D experimentation and 3D final outcomes which should include garments and outfits. We are looking for your potential to succeed on the course and welcome applications from those with diverse experiences or educational backgrounds.

Your portfolio should include:

  • Examples of visual research for fashion design.
  • Design drawing.
  • The process and development of ideas.
  • A contemporary use of fabric and colour.
  • References to contemporary fashion.
  • 3D experimentation.
  • 3D outcomes such a garments and outfits.

Digital portfolio format requirements

  • A portfolio of 15-20 pages, landscape orientation and saved/uploaded as a print-based or interactive PDF file.
  • Include project titles and a brief description of each project explaining your intentions and your individual involvement if presenting a group project.
  • Ensure that images are of a high quality and at least 72 dpi.

For help in preparing your portfolio see our short courses:

International

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirement, which is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall, with no element below 5.5. Make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements, which includes details of other qualifications we consider.

Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements could be eligible to join our pre-sessional English language course.

Applicants from recognised majority-English-speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

Gallery of student work

Teaching and assessment

Guided independent study (self-managed time)

When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically involves reading and analysing articles, regulations, policy documents and key texts, documenting individual projects, preparing coursework assignments and completing your PEDRs, etc.

Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the University's online virtual learning platform.

Support for postgraduate students

At Kingston University, we know that postgraduate students have particular needs and therefore we have a range of support available to help you during your time here.

Your workload

40–60% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching activity.

  • Scheduled learning and teaching: 270 hours
  • Guided independent study (self-managed time): 1,200 hours

Contact hours may vary depending on your modules.

How you will be assessed

Assessment typically comprises 100% practical coursework (e.g. portfolios, fashion artefacts such as toiles and fully-realised garments, reports and self-assessment).

You'll be assessed via:

  • design projects realised in 2D and 3D outcomes
  • written submissions supporting your studio practice
  • presentations to staff, your peers and creative stakeholders
  • a major project mastering your practice.

The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows:

  • 100% coursework

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 55 students and group sizes are normally 14–16. However this can vary by module and academic year.

Who teaches this course?

This course is delivered by Kingston School of Art, which has its roots in the studio-based approach of Britain's art school system (the original School of Art was founded in the 1890s).

Today, for most courses, learning still takes place in our specialist studios, each subject area having its own fully-equipped studio, where you take part in classes, tutorials and critical reviews with fellow students. This strong studio culture also ensures regular interaction between students and tutors.

For non-studio-based courses, learning takes place in classroom-based seminars, tutorials and lectures, alongside site visits to museums, galleries, auction houses and other creative professional environments.

Postgraduate students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Our students are encouraged to engage closely with the diverse businesses that make London one of the most important centres for the creative industries. Our industry connections mean we provide unique study opportunities, such as:

  • the chance to have your work seen by eminent members of your profession;
  • 'live' projects, site visits and placements in prestigious companies or institutions; and
  • project work and workshops with visiting lecturers and industry specialists.

Our excellent reputation means that industry leaders regularly visit our student shows to see the best of the new talent.

Fees for this course

2024/25 fees for this course

Home 2024/25

  • MA full time £12,900
  • MA part time £7,095

International 2024/25

  • MA full time £25,900
  • MA part time £14,245

2023/24 fees for this course

Home 2023/24

  • MA full time £10,900
  • MA part time £5,995

International 2023/24

  • MA full time £23,500
  • MA part time £12,925

Tuition fee information for future course years

If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.

If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.

Fees for the optional placement year

If you choose to take a placement as part of this course, you will be invoiced for the placement fee in Year 2. Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme and the costs for the placement year.

Postgraduate loans

If you are a UK student, resident in England and are aged under the age of 60, you will be able to apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree. For more information, read the postgraduate loan information on the government's website.

Scholarships and bursaries

Kingston University offers a range of postgraduate scholarships, including:

If you are an international student, find out more about scholarships and bursaries.

We also offer the following discounts for Kingston University alumni:

Chelsea Arts Club Trust MA Materials and Research Award

The Chelsea Arts Club Trust MA Materials and Research Award is awarded each year to a student in MA Fashion or MA Sustainable Fashion. The £2,500 bursary is given to support the development and production of work made during the recipient's final year of their masters leading up to the final presentation of work at the end of the academic year.

For more information, visit the Chelsea Arts Club Trust MA Materials and Research Award page.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks, this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Travel

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston upon Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

Facilities

There is a wide range of facilities at our Knights Park campus, where this course is based. The Fashion department has dedicated workshops of both digital and analogue machines to enable the production of high quality work. The Fashion archive houses an eclectic collection of historical and contemporary garments that you can use for reference and inspiration.

Kingston School of Art's workshops and studios are open for creative exploration and offer you plenty of opportunities to collaborate on projects and share ideas, whether you are studying or researching. Building on this open approach, there are many adaptable studio and workshop spaces, alongside active breakout spaces.

At the heart of Knights Park campus are new, professional-standard workshop facilities, which include:

  • 3D workshop, with ceramics, concrete, resin-casting, plastics, metalwork, woodwork and a bronze-casting foundry, as well as a Big Build space for Architecture, set design and large scale model making
  • Animation and post production studios
  • Digital Media workshop
  • Fashion (knitting and sewing workshops), with digital and analogue facilities, plus a working dress archive which includes pieces from 1750 to the present day
  • HackSpace (for collaborative, creative, solutions-focussed projects)
  • Letterpress and printmaking workshop, with digital and analogue facilities, to experiment creatively
  • Moving Image workshop, with studios, editing suite, and industry-standard equipment
  • Photography workshop, including studios, colour, and black and white darkrooms, processing facilities

All our facilities are open access, meaning you can use them whenever you want, and irrespective of what degree you're studying.

The University also has its own on-site galleries, including:

  • Dorich House - the former studio home of the sculptor Dora Gordine and her husband the Hon. Richard Hare, a scholar of Russian art and literature. Now Grade II listed, the building was completed in 1936, to Gordine's design, and is an exceptional example of a modern studio house created by and for a female artist.
  • Stanley Picker Gallery - one of the leading examples of a university gallery in the UK. Its public activities are dedicated to the research, commissioning and presentation of innovative new practice across the fields of art, design and architecture for general, academic and specialist audiences.
  • Project spaces at Knights Park campus, which you can book for the exhibition of large-scale work.

Resources in London

Kingston is just a 30-minute train journey from central London, where you can access world-famous museums and galleries.

After you graduate

Many of our recent graduates are setting up their own businesses internationally (China, Brazil, Korea), freelancing across the creative industries, and gaining positions in world leading design houses. 

Notable placement and graduate destinations include: Viktor & Rolf, Haider Ackermann, Proenza Schouler, Karl Lagerfeld, Matthew Williamson, Sonia Rykiel, The Row, Alexander McQueen, McQ, Burberry, Gareth Pugh, Craig Green, JW Anderson, Acne Studios, Adidas by Stella McCartney, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria Beckham, Allsaints, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Arket, COS, Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Reiss, Aquascutum London, Erdem, Roksanda, Richard Quinn, Halpern, Aadnevik, Eudon Choi, Martine Rose, Aitor Throup, Per Gotesson, Mother of Pearl, Roland Mouret, Paul Costelloe, Rejina Pyo, Palmer/Harding, David Koma, Preen, Osman London, Orla Kiely, Emilia Wickstead, Studio Nicholson, Berthold, Orlebar Brown, Av Vattev, Di Mainstone at Eye Beam New York, Sibling London, Clemency London, Holly Fulton,1801 London, Kei Kagami, Tatty Devine, Clio Peppiatt, Philips Design, Wright Design and WGSN.

Recent graduates Cheng Cheng and Yehua Fan have both established their own labels and show during Shanghai Fashion Week.

Recent graduates have also gone on to work as fashion lecturers at Kingston University, Westminster University, Middlesex University, De Montford University and Bucks New University.

We encourage design research practice during our Fashion MA programme and several of our students go on to develop their postgraduate practice at MPhil and PhD level.

Work placements and student competitions

Our strong industry links mean you will learn to apply creativity to the real-world and will be industry-ready on graduation. Professional Practice is a fundamental part of the course and employability is embedded into the curriculum.

There is the opportunity for work placements and graduate level roles at prestigious design houses and companies. Notable placement and graduate destinations include: Viktor & Rolf, Haider Ackermann, Proenza Schouler, Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel, The Row, Alexander McQueen, McQ, Burberry, Gareth Pugh, Craig Green, JW Anderson, Acne Studios, Adidas by Stella McCartney, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria Beckham, Allsaints, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Arket, COS, Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Reiss, Aquascutum London, Erdem, Roksanda, Richard Quinn, Halpern, Aadnevik, Eudon Choi, Martine Rose, Aitor Throup, Per Gotesson, Mother of Pearl, Roland Mouret, Paul Costelloe, Rejina Pyo, Palmer/Harding, David Koma, Preen, Osman London, Orla Kiely, Emilia Wickstead, Studio Nicholson, Berthold, Orlebar Brown, Av Vattev, Di Mainstone at Eye Beam New York, Sibling London, Clemency London, Holly Fulton,1801 London, Kei Kagami, Tatty Devine, Clio  Peppiatt, Philips Design, Wright Design and WGSN.

2022 China Fashion Week Film Sponsorship Winners Shimla Eliyas and Lili Sipeki.

2021 Lili Sipeki and Kristina Vyzaite Shortlisted for Redress Awards both featuring in the Redress Catwalk Show.

2021 Andrea Lopa and Nga Le Pham were both awarded Global Talent Visas by the British Fashion Council.

2019 MA Fashion student Camilla Ceccardi shortlisted for the ‘URBN Design Day 2019', resulting in her being offered a design position at Urban Outfitters, USA.

2017 MA Fashion student Dardana Djantio Etchike wins the international ZARA/Inditex ‘Shape the Invisible' competition with a prize of 20,000 Euros.

Hanbyeol Lee (Baylee), a Fashion MA student, worked as a fashion design intern at Craig Green, a menswear designer with accolades such as British menswear designer at the Fashion Awards 2016 and more. This was her integrated work placement as part of the two-year postgraduate course.

What our students and graduates say

I chose the MA Fashion at Kingston University because of the great facilities and experience of knitwear design research. All the technicians and tutors were super professional and helpful, and I always had my questions answered. Because of the well-structured learning outcomes, I could be very focused on my projects and be clear on how to improve. In general, I liked the efficiency and logistics of the course.

During the MA Fashion, I was always encouraged to research and develop more. For example, in the archive project, students were suggested to creatively dig up various archive resources, even though people were trapped indoors (because of Covid). In the end, I was able to utilise excellent, never-seen-before internet archives, which then benefited my placement works.

Jilei Zhu, class of 2021

I thoroughly enjoyed doing my MA! I like to be mentally stimulated and challenged, and the course provided this for me.

I enjoyed how each project made me push my knowledge and skills as far as I could go by the deadline. I learnt how to research like never before. I used to have a concept and my research efforts wouldn't go very far, which would leave my ideas being obvious and cliched. The course made me see how one idea could build into something more authentic and I now appreciate the research side of design on a whole new level. It helped me find myself and my aesthetic as a designer.

Working at the same time and having to travel to university were probably the hardest things I had to do physically alongside my masters. But the course flies so fast. It didn't even feel like it had been a year. So for anyone who is worried that they need to work or travel while doing the MA Fashion, I would say take the leap because it's worth it.

The masters is a good lead into working in the industry because it allows you to work on a much more independent level. You have to take a lot into your own hands, from sampling to sourcing, budgeting and so on. It gets you thinking what exactly you can offer the industry. But although you may be good at one aspect and your focus is perfecting that, you have to make sure you're attentive to all parts of the course because you'll feel more qualified knowing you have more to bring to the table.

Sambi Ibanichuka, class of 2021

With a challenging and stimulating course structure, the Kingston MA Fashion programme helped me develop and strengthen my design practice. My lecturers were passionate and supportive in encouraging me to meet my fullest capabilities. Looking back, I am grateful for the constant encouragement and guidance given to me in developing my skills to match the expected demands of the course, which I believe prepared me well for the fast-paced, dynamic fashion industry.

Having completed my final collection, I am now undertaking my placement year, which has opened up opportunities to experience first-hand how luxury fashion houses function.

As an international student, the course has enabled me to gain knowledge and experiences that are truly invaluable to my design career.

Shimla Eliyas, class of 2021

The experience at Kingston has significantly contributed to where I am today. The course provided me with the perfect balance between independent exploration of one's talent and vision, alongside expert guidance from excellent tutors on how to develop this potential into an industry relevant portfolio. An example of this would be securing the embroidery assistant role at Erdem for my Placement Year through the Industry Project organised by the course for the second term.

Whilst starting at Erdem towards the end of my academic year, I was also juggling to finish an additional four looks, attend fittings and develop extra material for the Graduation Show – the period I consider the most challenging but equally rewarding and exciting!

The pandemic happened soon afterwards, which thwarted my opportunities at being sponsored for a working visa, and led me into pursuing the Start-up and Global Talent visa. I also started working as a textiles assistant for Rejina Pyo and eventually ended up getting sponsorship for all applications, opting for the GT visa, which provides the most opportunities and freedom.

To anyone considering a graduate course in Fashion, I would highly recommend this one at Kingston.

Nga Le Pham Xuan, class of 2020

Throughout the course, I got the most professional and inspiring feedback on my works. The tutors kept encouraging me to be an excellent problem solver, resulting in a challenging yet fruitful and enjoyable experience.

The portfolio of work I have built on this course is the essence of being a good designer. My tutors made me keep considering practical and technical sides of the garments rather than just focusing on creating beautiful images.

Also, when I was having a hard time getting an internship opportunity during the lockdown, the tutors and staff were always willing to help me by advising on my portfolio and CV, and keeping me updated on opportunities that I could apply for.

I'm deeply grateful that one of the internships brought me a job offer and I could start my career as a designer.

Seonghee Ha, class of 2020

Links with business and industry

Students from our Fashion MA work on live projects with industry. Recently we have collaborated with denim expert Mohsin Sajid, owner and creative director of Endrime® and various international denim mills, culminating in Kingston students exhibiting work at Kingpins trade show in Amsterdam. In 2019, London-based design studio Raeburn provided the brief. We have previously partnered with Ede & Ravenscroft, the heritage tailors, and Givaudan, the world's largest company in the flavour and fragrance industries.

Guest speakers include the Vice Principle of Menswear, Versace; Design Director Tommy Hilfiger Menswear; the director and owner of Denza International recruitment agency; Raeburn; Caryn Franklin and Iain R. Webb.

Work placements and internships

Students on the course have interned and been placed at a variety of prestigious design houses. Recent highlights include:

  • Craig Green (Menswear Design Internship) – MA student Hanbyeol Lee has secured a paid placement with the company after a successful design internship. Roxy Shi has also secured a placement at Craig Green;
  • J.W. Anderson (Product Development Internship) – Students Charlotte Victoria Nichols and Andrea Lopa were placed in the product development department;
  • Cos (Womenswear Pattern Cutting Internship) – Paid pattern cutting placement for Haeun Jun;
  • Hugo Boss (Womenswear Design Internship) – Paid placement for Ardelle Fawehinmi based in Germany;
  • Paul Smith (Menswear Design Internship) – Student Yoon J Joo was placed with the menswear team;
  • Per Gotesson – Student Yusun Lee was invited to stay on part time as a pattern cutter, as well as working at design company Martine Rose;
  • Mother of Pearl (Womenswear Design Internship) (Sustainable Womenswear Label) – Yubing Han.

Research areas

Kingston School of Art has a well-established research culture that encourages activity across a wide range of visual, spatial and material practice and culture. This rich spectrum includes practitioners, theorists and historians engaged in the creative and performing arts, curating, design, architecture, fashion, film, and town planning.

Our aim is to foster a stimulating environment that encourages an exchange of ideas within and across the disciplines. Support from the public sector includes the Department of Trade and Industry, the Arts Council, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

There is also the option to study research-specific fashion and body themes through our Fashion MA by Research, MPhil in Fashion and PhD in Fashion.

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.