BSc Fashion Marketing / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Fashion Buying

Course unit fact file
Unit code MATS11301
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 4
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Offered by Department of Materials
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This unit develops skills in order to both understand trends, design and products considering various methods of communication utilised within fashion industry.

Aims

The unit aims to: 

  • Develop an understanding of the structure and dynamics of the global fashion and textiles industry and the processes involved in the fashion marketplace. 
  • Introduce the concept of fashion trends – research, identification, development, utilisation, analysis and application. 
  • Develop skills in visual communication.

 

Learning outcomes

A greater depth of the learning outcomes are covered in the following sections:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Intellectual skills
  • Practical skills
  • Transferable skills and personal qualities

Teaching and learning methods

This unit makes use of a variety of learning and teaching processes including: videos, problem based learning, live sessions, case studies and discussions. Blackboard will be used to present videos, presentation slides and supporting materials for the unit. The online activities will develop the theoretical subject knowledge, whilst the case studies and discussions will evaluate the importance and application of techniques, with live sessions visualising these findings. The unit will include practical sessions in a specialist CAD cluster.

 

Students are expected to download all online activity videos and attend all the live sessions (academic and CAD). You are expected to work independently to complete the requirements for the unit, during which you are expected to carry out fieldwork to gain insight into the fashion marketplace and reading to supplement your theoretical knowledge and understanding. You will also need to carry out practical work on your project. The independent self-study session will be directly linked to the coursework and be followed up in the live sessions therefore students that attend all the sessions will find the assessments more straightforward: those who do not attend will find it more difficult! 

 

General assistance throughout the unit includes:

  • The provision of reading lists for each topic covered: where possible copies or links will be available on the blackboard site for the unit;  
  • An opportunity for you to speak briefly to the unit tutors in the online workshop live sessions or in dedicated online drop in sessions. 
  • Formative feedback at key states of the unit to help you gauge your progress and understanding you will be informed of this during the unit. 

 

Knowledge and understanding

  1. Analyse and identify the processes that take place in the fashion industry in relation to product development
  2. Demonstrate a broad understanding of fashion trend development
  3. Interpret various methods of communication within design and trends, including digital multi-media, with particular focus on communication in fashion product development

Intellectual skills

  1. Describe the relevant theories related to fashion and trends and explain how they are applied in the fashion and textiles industry
  2. Collect and evaluate market and trend information to make relevant decisions related to trends and product development in a commercial fashion context.

 

Practical skills

A. Use appropriate software tools and techniques to produce written and visual communications tools relevant for the fashion industry

B. Identify, collect and synthesise market and trend data through planning, conducting and evaluating research

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  1. Identify and use appropriate presentation and communication methods, with due consideration for the context and the audience
  2. Use design tools including digital multimedia effectively in all communication tools

       C. Organise research findings into a written format

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Portfolio 100%

Feedback methods

Feedback given written and oral.

 

Recommended reading

Main texts: 

Dillon, S. (2011) The Fundamentals of Fashion Management, AVA Books, Lausanne, Switzerland 

Edited – www.edited.com

Fiore, A. M. and Kimle, P. A., (1997) Understanding Aesthetics for the Merchandising and Design Professional, Fairchild Publications, New York 

Frings, G. S. (2010) Fashion: From Concept to Consumer, (School Edition), Prentice Hall, London,UK 

Jenss, H., (2017) Fashioning Memory: Vintage Style and Youth Culture, Bloomsbury

Scheider, R. (2013) Adobe for Fashion: Illustrator cs6’ the ultimate guide to drawing flats, New York

Seivewright, S. (2012) Basics Fashion Design 01: Research and Design (2nd Edition), AVA Books, Lausanne, Switzerland 

Studd, R. and Parker-Strak, R. (2019) ‘The Fashion Industry - Strategies and Product Development’ a Compilation text by Pearson Publishers.

Udale, J., (2008) Textiles and Fashion, AVA books, Lausanne, Switzerland WGSN – www.wgsn.com

 

Recommended reading: 

Brannon, E. L. (2010) Fashion Forecasting: Research, Analysis & Presentation (3rd Edition), Fairchild Books, New York, USA 

Easey, M. (Ed.) (2009) Fashion Marketing (3rd edition), Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 40
Independent study hours
Independent study 160

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Rachel Studd Unit coordinator

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