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The BTEC National Diploma is an exciting 2 year course ideal for students aiming to progress towards Higher Education and careers in the fashion industry. You will be taught by a range of experienced tutors, developing your skills in units selected alongside sustained project work. During the first year of the course, projects will address a range of career opportunities that you can follow.
As the course progresses your tutors will help you compile a portfolio for application to specialist degrees in Fashion. The course concludes with a final major project in which you will have the freedom to explore your own creative interests in depth. Throughout the course there are opportunities to enhance your understanding by visiting London galleries.
A BTEC National Diploma is equivalent to 3 full 'A' levels, and is a well established qualification respected by Universities and Colleges of Art. The focus of this course is to offer the prospective student the opportunity to study in a stimulating fashion industry environment. One of the unique characteristics of the course is the strong links with the fashion industry around the country, which enables students to gain first hand knowledge and experience of the industry. The course is aimed at students with a great enthusiasm for fashion and some previous experience in fashion or art and design subjects. Dedication & commitment is desirable in order to achieve the diploma.
For entry to the National Diploma in Art & Design (Fashion Clothing), you should:
And have any of the following:
2 years
To assess your suitability for the National Diploma in Art and Design (Fashion Clothing), the selection process will include an application. If this is successful an interview will follow, where one or more members of the course team will see you. You will be required to bring with you at least one or more pieces of artwork which demonstrates your creative ability and how you approach ideas. This can be in the form of photos, drawings, 3D models or collage paintings. This will allow us to gain a good idea of your self-motivation and commitment, as well as interest in the fashion industry. It will also give you an opportunity to ask questions about the course.
The course is 100% coursework assessed, concluding with a final major project where you can explore your own creative interests. Often assessments are combined into projects to enable links between units, this ensures projects are exciting and stimulating and can be individual or group work. The course covers both theoretical and practical approaches relevant to current practice in the fashion industry.
The subjects covered will be:
Typically BTEC National Diploma students go on to higher education in a range of areas of Art and Design. Alternatively you may choose to go directly into employment in the fashion industry.
The pattern cutter is an essential link between the design and manufacturing stages in clothing production and must have the ability to interpret the designer’s sketches and drawings to create working patterns. From the working drawings they create pattern templates graded to suit the range of sizes and type of fit required and work with machinists to make up samples.
Fashion designers may specialise in designing men’s, women’s children’s wear or accessories, they need to be well informed as to the current trends in fashion. Designers are responsible for initiating the design concepts, producing the visual representations, selecting the material type, patterns and colours and overseeing the designs through to the final product. They must understand pattern cutting and clothing construction in order to design wearable garments and provide all the necessary information for the creation of the garment. They may be employed by a wide range of stores, from everyday high-street chains to exclusive design houses, an independent design contractor or as an freelance individual.
Sample machinists are a key part of the clothing design team. They work closely with designers, garment technologists and pattern cutters to create the first made-up sample of a garment design. The sample machinist will work with the designer to achieve the desired end product. Once the construction has been agreed they provide feedback of the specific production details that will be given to the manufacturer.
A Sample Room Assistant will assist the designers to produce sample garments for presentation to suppliers and buyers.
