BA (Hons) Fashion Design

Welcome to UCAStarting university is a big moment – congratulations! By joining UCA, you’ve chosen an exciting and rewarding path.

As you join our community of students, artists and academics, you’ll explore how you can use your talent to shape the future of the world around you, and design a career that inspires you.

Our university is a place for the bold, the curious, the extraordinary - as you’ll see for yourself when you meet your lecturers, technicians and classmates. On your course, you can expect to learn from practicing artists, innovators and researchers, collaborate with students across different creative disciplines, and make connections with industry leaders.

At the end of it all, you’ll graduate with the skills and experience you need to build a successful career doing what you love, in a way that makes a difference.

We believe the world needs more people like you, and we’re delighted to have you with us.

Make your mark. Make it here.

students who can demonstrate they have the potential to work with a passion and exceed their expectations. The course has an excellent reputation within the fashion industry and has had many successes in national competitions.

Over the summer, please make sure you complete your holiday project, read the suggested reading material and prepare yourself for the start of the semester.

We look forward to seeing you!

Donna Ives

Course Welcome

Congratulations on successfully achieving a place on the BA Fashion Design course at the University for the Creative Arts at Rochester. We are delighted you have been accepted onto one of our fashion courses with a long established reputation for developing talented and creative fashion graduates. You will be part of a renowned course known for producing individual, skilled and creative practitioners capable of working within all levels of the fashion industry.

The course you are about to begin your professional journey on is designed to augment and develop your individual potential. This course provides the perfect platform for the most dedicated and driven

Your Team

Donna IvesProgramme Director, Fashion Design

dives@uca.ac.uk

Jemma WillisFirst year co-ordinator

01634 888 755

jwillis@uca.ac.uk

Hayley ScalesCampus Registry

01634 888 710

Hscales2@uca.ac.uk

Donna IvesProgramme Director

– Entwistle, Joanne (2015) The Fashioned Body: Fashion, Dress, and Modern Social Theory 2nd Edition. Cambridge; Malden: Polity

– English, Bonnie (2013), 2nd Edition: ACultural History of Fashion in the 20th and21st Centuries: From Catwalk to Sidewalk, Oxford/New York: Berg.

Trips and Visits

Trips to London are an important part of the course and students are expected to make several visits during projects to visit exhibitions and undertake Fashion trails.

Sourcing fabric and trims is also a vital part of each project. You will be expected to cover the travel costs of such visits.

Reading List

Contextual studies will play an important part of your degree and it’s essential you continuously research the past, presentand future of your subject. To start the programme, we’d like you to read the following publications:

You can also order equipment at: eastman.co.uk

– Embroidery scissors

– Clickers awl

– Paper scissors, Mundial (24cm)

– Pattern notcher

– Tape measure (metric)

– Dressmaking pins (30mm)

– Pattern master (metric)

– Soft handled fabric making Kai scissors(25cm)

– Tracing wheel

– Small perspex ruler

– 2H pencils, red pen, biros and ‘Frixion’ pen

– Set of bright highlighters

– Scotch tape (magic tape)

– Pencil sharpener and eraser

– Equipment bag for Pattern Equipment

Equipment List

CollectFor the first project of the term, please source the following:

– Please start collecting old shirts (preferably woven and long sleeve) that you don’t mind cutting up. These should be mainly plain, neutral colours, but some with patterns or colour will work too.

Equipment & MaterialsYou will need to have your own pattern cutting/garment construction equipment. If you don’t have the items on the following list then you will need to order them, ready for the first week of your course. We also have a lot of this equipment available at the University Shop.

Morplan is one of the largest stockists of goods for the fashion trade. Students are eligible for a discount when buying goods from Morplan. A Morplan catalogue is available online: morplan.com

If you want to visit Morplan, you can find them at:

Great Titchfield Street (off Oxford Street), London W1W 7DF

Tel: 020 7636 1887 morplan.com/students

Summer project

Aims

•To initiate and explore research methods

•To develop ideas through the exploration of detail, colour and textiles.

Content

You have chosen a career in Fashion. This project introduces students to the importance of creative development for ideas generation.

Task

Choose 1 of the following words: Precise, peculiar, robust, poignant, exuberant, tiny, abstract

Now put into a fashion context. What does the word mean to you? How could you explore it further? Think Silhouette, Fabric, Colour, Detail. How would you interpret the word? We would like to see Primary and Secondary research, so please think about the world around you, not just the internet. Then, how can you interpret this research? Consider fastenings, styling, embellishment, colour, design details, fabric manipulation, restyling, adding, taking away, mash up.

Research your ideas and then create 4 pages:

1. Inspiration page

2. THREE x Development pages (which expands on the ideas in your Inspiration Board).

With this research, take an existing garment and change it to reflect your word. Think about how you can alter your garment. e.g. through deconstructing, dying, embellishing, draping, fabric manipulation, adding/take away design details etc.

Finally, we would like you to create a fashion illustration of the final garment in the style of your choosing.

Learning outcomes

•An ability to document primary and secondary research.

•An ability to communicate coherent design ideas.

Components

• Inspiration page

• 3 x Development pages

• Reworked garment (feel free to wear it at the Summer Project presentation!)

• Fashion Illustration

Explore UCA Rochester

Meet our campus community

I love UCA Rochester because... “I enjoy being part of such a creative environment at Rochester, and getting to see work that opens my eyes to new ways of seeing the world.”

I love UCA Rochester because... “I’m really enjoying my time at UCA. My favourite things about Rochester are the print room and sewing facilities, and also the amazing tutors (who are also practicing artists), and being able to socialise with the 2nd and 3rd years; I seem to learn a lot from them too!”

Matthew Andrew – Programme Director, Photography

Megan Rogers – BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles

Rochester campus is friendly, warm, relaxed and welcoming, which makes for a good place to learn.

The balcony and the library are great spots to hang out with friends – whether you want to grab lunch, study together, or just get some fresh air and a drink.

Rochester High Street has a lot of independent shops, including quite a few vintage ones, and you’re really close to Chatham and Gillingham for high street stores. Christmas here is really special, too – there’s a Dickens festival and a Christmas market.

“ In spring the scenery looks beautiful in full bloom, with the castle in the background.”

by Paris Lucke

My top spots

A student’s guide to… Rochester Tony Lorenzo’s

This is the café me and my friends go to. They do nice milkshakes, smoothies, cakes and loads of different things for lunch, like paninis and pastries.

Crêpe & CoThis is a pancake and waffle place near Rochester Castle – I’ve been there with friends on Pancake Day. They have an outdoor eating area sheltered with blossom trees, so in spring the scenery looks beautiful in full bloom, with the castle in the background.

The Golden Lion (Wetherspoons)Who doesn’t love a trip to ‘Spoons for a night out? At the end of every term we’ve had a course night out there and it’s become our tradition.

Rochester Cathedral The cathedral is a cool place to visit and, like the church, it’s free to go into. They held a mini-golf event there a while ago – I went with some friends and had a great time.

NightlifeI’m not big on nightclubs but my friends are, and they love both the Casino Rooms in Rochester, and Tap 'N’ Tin in Chatham.

Pentagon Shopping CentreThis is a shopping centre in the middle of Chatham High Street, which is about a 15-minute walk from campus and has loads of handy shops where you can pick up all your essentials.

Rochester Cathedral

The Candy Bar

Baggins Book Bazaar

Rochester Castle

What could you create?

During your time with us, you’ll build your skills and hone your talents to produce some incredible work. Here are a few highlights created by recent graduates…

Malik Nieto ArtsIssey Hennessy

Sophie Lou

Becky Stapley

Anastasija Strelcova

Our graduates are forging stellar careers in fields from Fashion to Film, Architecture to Craft, Business to Games Design. We caught up with a few to find out more about their successes, and how they made the most the most of the UCA experience…

Phoebe Fox

BA (Hons) Music Marketing and Promotion, 2019Soon after completing her degree, Phoebe was touring the world photographing the likes of The Amazons and Anne Marie – a journey that began while she was still a student.

“I contacted small bands I liked to ask for photo passes to their London gigs, and used the UCA equipment to build a portfolio,” she explains.

“I spent three years balancing touring, festivals, shows and portraits with university commitments. The UCA lecturers were incredibly supportive. After I handed in my final major project, I went home to pack and got straight on a tour bus with Anne Marie.”

Tihara Smith

BA (Hons) Fashion, 2018Fashion graduate Tihara Smith’s final degree project - a collection inspired by her grandparents’ experiences as part of the Windrush Generation – set her up for career success.

“I wanted to highlight the positive contribution of the Windrush Generation and celebrate the islands of the Caribbean,” she says.

After graduating, Tihara widened her range and started selling it online and at festivals, markets and wedding fairs, and it proved so popular that she now runs her business full-time. “It’s been really exciting to see it grow,” she says. “I think some of the best collections are created from real stories that are personal to the creator.”

Where could your talent take you?

Phoebe Fox, photographed by Vendy Palkovicova. Tihara Smith. Picture by Kayleigh Pace.

Will McGregor

BA (Hons) Film & Digital Art, 2010Will has amassed credits directing episodes of cult drama Misfits, period saga Poldark, his first feature film, Gwen, and an episode of His Dark Materials.

“Space, time and support to make my own work was the greatest gift UCA gave me,” he says. “The campus felt like an incubator for creativity; all these creative individuals in one place, with access to kit and exposure to new ideas.”

“Make the most of that opportunity to make work and meet people, and make sure you get your work out there – enter all the student festivals and competitions you can!”

Hannah Bamgbala

BA (Hons) Fashion, Media and Promotion, 2020Hannah Bamgbala’s final degree work was inspired by her sister, Mercy, who has Down’s Syndrome and a serious eye for fashion.

Hannah’s Young, Kool and African website focused on bringing greater diversity to fashion and the media, and she’s gone on to work with the Down’s Syndrome Association to make sure that people of all ethnicities are better represented in their campaigns.

“If you have Down’s Syndrome and are Black — or from another ethnic minority background — there is no one visible for you and your family to relate to,” says Hannah. “That has to change.”

Will McGregor on set

Hannah Bamgbala and her sister, Mercy.

Jamie Windust

Lucy Noble

World Health Sanitation Box ©George Stoneham

Lucy Noble

BA (Hons) Film Production, 2014Lucy has worked as a script supervisor on films including Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, hit series Devs, Elton John musical Rocketman and Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

“I dabbled with script supervision throughout my degree,” says Lucy. “I reached out to script supervisors working professionally, asking for the chance to shadow them on set. All that time in the UCA film studio was useful, too – definitely get in there and practice in that arena, where you have a huge amount of control; it’s something you won’t always get when working on location.”

George Stoneham

BA (Hons) Architecture (ARB/RIBA part 1), 2020George caught the eye of the RIBA Rethink 2025 judges, securing a place on the prestigious award’s longlist with an idea to turn former telephone and police boxes into “sanitation stations” that allow people to sanitise themselves on the go.

“While designing the Sanitation Box, I realised how much our world will have to change to design clean and healthy architecture,” he says. “We need to break down compact cities like London and design new, expansive cities with more green spaces, fewer cars, and buildings that flow better.”

Jamie Windust

BA (Hons) Fashion Management and Marketing, 2018Since graduating, Jamie Windust has become a champion for LGBTQIA+ issues in the fashion industry and beyond. They are a magazine editor, a writer for Gay Times and Metro UK, a signed model and a consultant helping brands such as UGG and ASOS to better represent and impact queer identities.

“I discovered my sense of self at university, and I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that in such an affirming and positive way if I wasn’t at UCA,” says Jamie.

“In my final year, I got to apply everything I’d learned to starting a business I feel passionate about. It’s a great space for people to launch real, tangible brands.”

Need to knows

Getting hereOur address is:

UCA RochesterFort PittRochesterKentME1 1DZTel: +44 (0)1634 888 702

Television Production students will be predominantly based at:

The Maidstone Studios Vinters ParkMaidstoneKentME14 5NZ

How to get hereFor information on parking, directions and how to reach us by car, rail, air, or sea, please visit: uca.ac.uk/contact-us

Planning your journey - Useful links

thetrainline.com (rail travel)

tfl.gov.uk (London underground)

nationalexpress.com (coach travel)

COVID security We want you to have the best university experience possible, and part of that is about feeling safe while you’re here. For more information about the safety measures we’ve put in place, visit uca.ac.uk/coronavirus

Key contactsIf you have any queries, you can contact our reception team on: +44(0) 1634 888702

IT, Library & student servicesOur library is home to a wide range of resources to help support you in your studies, and a team of expert advisers. For more information, visit students.uca.ac.uk/library

For IT support, please pop in to see the IT advisers in the Library during opening hours, or contact:

Tel. +44 (0)1634 888 650

Online: students.uca.ac.uk/it-help

Our student services hub, the Gateway, is also based in the library. Its specialist advisers can help you with anything from careers to counselling, accommodation, managing your money or support with disabilities or learning differences.

Info: students.uca.ac.uk/library/academic-support

Contact: gatewayrochester@uca.ac.uk

Students’ UnionThe UCA Students union, or UCASU, is here to make your time at UCA amazing. They run social events, clubs and societies, and campaign on the issues that UCA students care about most. To learn more, visit ucasu.com or follow:

@ucasu

@ucasu

/ucasu

UCA SocialsTo stay up to date with all things UCA, why not follow us on social media?

@UniCreativeArts

@unicreativearts

/ucreativearts

unicreativearts

We have begun an exciting project and a new chapter in our 160-year history. From 2022, we’ll be establishing world-leading Centres of Excellence to bring like-minded students and academics together around their shared passion for creative subjects.

This will see our Rochester campus close in September 2023. Students joining us for three or four-year courses in 2021 will be transferred to another campus from September 2023.

We will do everything we can to make the transition as smooth as possible and ensure you have an excellent learning experience throughout your time at UCA.

As we focus on growing as a global creative university, we will also be stepping back from Further Education from September 2023. However, all Further Education students joining us in 2021 will finish their courses with us, as usual.

A new chapter for UCA

Course Enrolment & Induction Teaching begins

BA, BSc and MArch 20 - 24 September 27 September

Postgraduate 20 - 24 September 27 September

International Foundation (Autumn start) 20 September – 1 October 4 October

Christmas Break 2021 Easter Break 2022 2021-2022 year ends

20 Dec 2021 - 7 Jan 2022 4 Apr 2022 - 22 Apr 2022

10 Jun 2022 (BA, BSc & MArch)

13 May 2022 (International Foundation)

Enrolment and inductionEnrolment officially makes you a UCA student, and induction covers how to make the most of our facilities, libraries, IT and student services. You’ll receive an email with details of how to take part.

Vacation dates

Key dates

International student task list

If you’re an international student and you’re coming to the UK to study with us, then there are a few things you need to do along the way.

Follow the steps below – not all of them will apply to you, but make sure you check them all, just in case.

1) Before you leave home:

□ Arrange your visa to study in the UK (if required)

□ Arrange your accommodation.

□ Book your airport pick up to take you to your accommodation.

□ Complete your online enrolment. You will be notified by Admissions when this is available to complete.

□ Pack all of the original documents that you have used when completing your online enrolment in your carry-on luggage (including academic and English qualifications). These may be requested at Immigration.

□ Read this information on the cost of living in the UK (if you need any further information, please contact your campus Specialist Adviser).

2) When you arrive in the UK:

□ Collect your BRP card (only if you require a visa).

□ Register at the local police station (not all nationalities are required to do this – please click here for additional information).

□ Register with a local Doctor (GP).

□ You will need to provide all of the original documents that you brought to the UK with you at your physical enrolment. You will not be able to fully enrol on your course without them.

3) Once you have completed your physical enrolment:

□ Apply for your council tax letter (available via MyUCA once you are fully enrolled).

□ Apply for your Bank letter to open your local UK bank account (available via MyUCA once you are fully enrolled).

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Join us at #UCAliveWe run live Q&A sessions where you can ask us anything you like about what it’s like to live and study here at UCA. Visit our website and follow us on social media to find out about our next #UCAlive session.

Chat with our studentsIf you’re looking to find out more about student life at UCA, our Unibuddy scheme gives you the chance to chat with people who are studying here right now. To chat with a student in your subject area, visit: uca.ac.uk/ask-our-students

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Course Title: BA Fashion Design

Programme Director: Donna Ives

Delivery for 2021/22 academic year

We would like to reassure our students that we are committed to delivering a face to face experience for 2021/22 and we are hoping that 2021/22 will be a year when our students can return to all of our campuses. However, we are aware that changes to our delivery may continue to be required in response to public health advice and as a result of any ongoing Coronavirus measures. We have prepared this information to let you know how your course may be adapted based on changes that were implemented during 2020/21, as a result of Government advice.

We are not planning on making any changes to your course or unit aims, learning outcomes, or assessment methods, under any of our delivery scenarios.

Scenario 1 – Social Distancing rules are continued/re-introduced as a result of public health advice for the 2021/22 academic year:

Changes to learning spaces

• Our priority as a university is to deliver our teaching on campus. This may be in sociallydistanced face-to-face tutorials, group seminars and workshops.

• We will adapt the layouts of our classrooms, workshops and studios so you can have safeaccess to these and other specialist facilities, taking social distancing measures intoaccount. The timetabling of activities will take into consideration numbers of students toensure that we observe the recommended social distancing guidelines and create safelearning environments. We will provide additional online learning resources to support theface to face delivery.

Timetabling • We will adapt the scheduling of classes to limit the number of students on campus at any

one time• We will adopt the ‘bubble’ principle: meaning you will be taught in smaller groups to enable

social distancing, and have as little physical contact with other groups as possible• We will plan the scheduling of your classes so you can transition between them safely and

make the lowest possible number of trips to and from campus each week.• The majority of our teaching will continue to be face to face, however we will deliver large

group teaching of lectures and briefings predominantly online.

Contact time

• We will not change our approach to contact time and scheduled delivery, this will still takeplace as published in our Programme Specifications and unit descriptors. However, some ofthis contact time may take place in a different way in order to enable social distancing to beimplemented and to prioritise students’ access to facilities and workshops. This will meanmoving some of the larger scale activities such as lectures and seminars online. Additionallyopen access will have to be booked in advance on myUCA in order that we can managenumbers safely.

Online learning

Teaching during COVID-19

• Where practical, we’ll also put our lectures, classes and seminars online so that you can still access them if you are self-isolating, shielding, or unable to come to the UK.

• Online resources will be made available and we will continue to support face to face learning to assist students who may have missed classes due to illness. We have found that online learning favours some activities such as lectures and seminars involving industry or external speakers and we would continue to timetable events accordingly.

Wellbeing & support

• You’ll have one-to-one Personal Development Tutorials with an academic tutor, where they’ll talk through your progress and check on your wellbeing. They will also offer online sessions when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible. You will be introduced to your year tutor at the start of the academic year and they will offer you pastoral support.

• You’ll have access to a full range of specialist advisors who will offer online sessions when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible.

• All our plans take vulnerable learners and students with additional learning requirements into account – we’re making sure we can deliver learning safely to all our students, whether that means accessing teaching on campus, or online.

Industry links • We will continue to host visiting lectures, industry projects, and networking events either

face-to-face or through online learning.• We will make plans to deliver work placements safely – even if that means you working for

your placement organisation remotely. Where that’s not possible, we’ll offer alternatives to make sure you still get plenty of industry interaction. The year 2 placement unit is optional and if you choose not to go on a placement you can opt for the Industry Case Study unit instead, which requires you to do an investigative research project into the fashion industry.

Assessments • There would be a mix of digital and physical assessment. As your course has a strong

product element we think it is important that you are able to submit garments to be assessed physically where it is realistically possible. The portfolio elements may be assessed digitally.

Equipment & resources • We’ve developed new library systems and cleaning processes for loans and equipment hire

to make sure you can borrow what you need safely.• We’ll offer IT equipment loans to our students who need them most.• As soon as Government advice permits, we will provide as much physical access to our

libraries as we can to ensure that you have access to our physical and digital collections, but are able to observe social distancing for you own safety and that of others.

Scenario 2 – a further lockdown is implemented by Government

During the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years we introduced a number of emergency measures that included:

• Moving learning and assessment online• Looking at prior activity with a view to ensuring that learning outcomes are covered

somewhere within the year of study and adjusting assessment tasks accordingly• Providing alternative assessment where the original assessment is not deliverable

• Providing extensions for units where necessary for the learning and for individual students if their circumstances require it

• Where the University is not the awarding body, following the validators’ exacting requirements for predicted and other grades so that students receive a final outcome commensurate with effort and aptitude

These measures would be re-introduced if necessary, but only for the period covered by the lockdown, with a return to scenario 1 as soon as is safe and practical to do so.

Adapting to your feedback • We’ll continue to work with you to find out how you’re feeling about the new measures.• You’ll have the opportunity to work with teaching staff to adapt and improve the way we

deliver your course in line with public health guidelines.