Fashion MA
Subject and course type
- Design
- Postgraduate
Take your fashion design skills to the next level with the Fashion MA at Kingston University, combining creative exploration and professional practice. Join our academic community, ranked No.1 for Fashion studies in London and No.2 in the UK.
You are reading:
Begin your creative journey in the fashion world
Develop the skills and experience to excel in a dynamic, global fashion industry.
Join Kingston’s Fashion MA and explore new creative possibilities in fashion design.
The Fashion MA at Kingston University is designed for those looking to push the boundaries of fashion design. This creative degree offers a unique blend of creativity and critical thinking, providing you with the tools to innovate and excel within the fashion industry.
In this course, we’ll encourage you to explore new design concepts, refine your technical skills and develop a deep understanding of fashion as both a cultural and commercial force. You will engage with real-world fashion projects, collaborate with industry professionals and access world-class resources to develop your own portfolio and creative voice.
Importantly, you’ll join an industry of creatives striving to achieve the UN Sustainability Goals of responsible consumption, production, and climate action. You’ll seek to create elevated design outputs through innovation of manufacture, fabrication, responsible approaches to garment construction and slower small-scale production.
Whether you want to work in fashion design, marketing, or fashion communication, the Fashion MA will prepare you to stand out in an ever-changing industry.
With a challenging and stimulating course structure, the Kingston MA Fashion programme has helped me develop and strengthen my design practice. My lecturers were passionate and supportive, and I am grateful for the constant encouragement and guidance given.
Student work
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Zhengyang Zhao
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Ashnah Jones
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Ashnah Jones
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Sebastian Nissl
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Camilla Ceccardi
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Shimla Eliyas
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Shimla Eliyas
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Yusun Lee
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Magda Mikulicakova
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Rachel Page
Why choose this course
Kingston University’s Fashion MA is known for its emphasis on creativity, individuality and professional practice. Our postgraduate degrees offer access to cutting-edge facilities, an experienced teaching team and the opportunity to work on live fashion projects. You’ll be part of a vibrant, forward-thinking creative community that fosters collaboration and innovation.
The Fashion MA at Kingston University is a unique and innovative course. We combine the creative thinking of the Design School's core beliefs with a very solid and 'creative' fashion industry focus. Aligned with the Kingston School of Art philosophy of "thinking through making", the course celebrates craftsmanship and quality.
The Fashion MA emphasises skill-based practices, focusing on sustainable garment production. We also promote a global perspective on fashion, encouraging you to engage with trends and practices from around the world.
The strong studio culture within the Kingston School of Art ensures regular interaction between students and tutors. The course enables students to work independently and collaboratively without our state-of-the-art workshop facilities.
The teaching team brings a wealth of industry experience and academic expertise to support the development of fashion design talent. Whilst guest speakers from Kingston’s strong industry connections provide valuable insights, enhancing students' understanding of the fashion industry.
Our proximity to London’s leading museums, galleries and auction houses can inspire and inform your studies. We encourage Fashion MA students to engage closely with the diverse businesses that make London one of the most important centres for the creative industries.
Kingston is ranked No.1 in London for fashion (Guardian University League Tables 2023).
Kingston is ranked No.2 in the UK for fashion (Guardian University League Tables 2023).
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where we encourage collaborative working and critical practice.
Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
Fashion Showcase
Watch our Fashion MA students showcase their work at the annual end-of-year show.
Course content
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Optional placement year
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
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.
Career opportunities
Studying Fashion MA at Kingston University will give you the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a variety of fashion-related careers.
An elevated understanding of how clothes are made is essential for future professionals in roles such as:
- designer
- pattern cutter
- product developer
- Artisanal craftsperson within specialist ateliers.
Graduates have gone on to work with leading fashion brands, design houses and retailers. The course prepares you for roles in fashion design, fashion communication, trend forecasting and fashion marketing.
The course enables students to develop professional networks through engagement with industry projects and visiting professionals. Our goal is to prepare all students for professional placement, employment or further study.
Kingston’s strong links with industry professionals and companies will help you build a professional network and increase your career opportunities.
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.
Teaching and assessment
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.
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.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- 14% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
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
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
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.
Student work
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Nga Le Pham
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Nga Le Pham
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Sambi Ibanichuka
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Sambi Ibanichuka
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Alice Horsnell
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Alice Horsnell
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Seonghee Ha
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Cheng Cheng
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Jennifer Zhu
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Jennifer Zhu
Fees and funding
| Fee Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Full Time £13,500 |
| International | Full Time £27,000 |
| Fee Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Full Time £12,900 |
| International | Full Time £25,900 |
Funding support for postgraduate students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree on the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
Kingston School of Art offers a range of postgraduate scholarships, including:
This £2,500 bursary is awarded each year to a student in MA Fashion or MA Sustainable Fashion. The award supports 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.
Find out more about the Chelsea Arts Club Trust MA and Materials and Research Award.
The Inspire the Future Scholarship offers a 40% reduction in fees for taught masters or postgraduate diploma courses with September start dates. 20 scholarships are available for progressing Kingston University graduates.
For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the Inspire the Future Scholarship page.
International postgraduate students could receive up to £5,000 towards tuition in their first year of study.
For more information on how to apply for these scholarships, visit the International Scholarship page.
If you are a Kingston University 2024/25 undergraduate progressing to a 2025/26 postgraduate degree (taught or research), you could get a 15% reduction in tuition fees.
For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the Postgraduate Progression Scholarship page.
Kingston University offers a 10% discount on full and part-time postgraduate degree course tuition fees to our alumni.
For more information on how to apply for this discount, visit our alumni discount page.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
If you choose to do a placement year, travel costs will vary depending on your location. These costs could be up to £2,000.
How to apply
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Information required to confirm your place
If English is not your first language, we will require proof of your proficiency to allow us to confirm your place on the course. This will generally be either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate, which can be forwarded to us after you have submitted your application. If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, please indicate how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
After you have applied
For courses that select on application alone, applicants should normally receive an initial decision or a request for more information within four to six weeks of receipt of their application. Our admissions team will notify you of the decision by email.
Learn more about the postgraduate application process in detail.
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.
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.
I enjoyed how each project made me push my knowledge and skills as far as possible. 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. The masters is good preparation for 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.
The Fashion MA provides the perfect balance of independent exploration and expert guidance from excellent tutors. This meant I learnt how to develop my 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.
