Undergraduate BA (Hons) Art Direction for Fashion

ART DIRECTION FOR FASHION

Learn how to create innovative and engaging imagery with our BA (Hons) Art Direction for Fashion degree. 

Designed to equip you with the latest skills and knowledge of fashion imagery, this course will teach you the technical and aesthetic knowledge needed for industry. You’ll develop an understanding of the historic and contemporary theories and practice in photography and visual communication. 

Our awarding partner for all our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees is Falmouth University, who received silver in the TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) 2023.

Throughout your BA (Hons) Art Direction for Fashion degree, you’ll experiment in areas such as photography, moving image/film, 3D design, digital platforms, illustration, art direction and graphic design. You’ll master a wide range of technical, digital and design skills to build a fashion portfolio and develop a deep understanding of the historic and contemporary theories in photography and visual communications.  

This course takes a multi-modal approach to fashion imaging. You’ll immerse yourself in creative practice and develop skills to create compelling and visually interesting images. Emerging technologies will be combined with traditional skills to ensure you are at the forefront of contemporary commercial practice. 

You’ll have access to a professional photography studio and state-of-the-art facilities, as well as opportunities for networking, collaboration and work experience through industry projects, talks, mentoring and work experience placements. You’ll also work collaboratively with our BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Styling degree on projects and shared modules. 

Our accelerated degrees are taught over three teaching semesters a year instead of the traditional two. This means you'll learn the same academic content as a three-year course, whilst saving on tuition fees and living costs. You can also start your career a year earlier than your peers. 

BA (Hons) Art Direction for Fashion Modules

Our BA (Hons) Art Direction for Fashion course includes six specialist modules: 

YEAR 1 

• Fashion Image (40 Credits): Examine storytelling through the lens of fashion imagery and understand the connotations, responsibilities and influences of creating imagery in a global context. Learn to analyse the storytelling of a fashion image, and discover the meanings, responsibilities and influences that fashion image-making has. Understand how to draw on cultural influences to create inspiring visual media and complete a collaborative group project. 
• The Culture Now (40 Credits): Gain the wide interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary cultural and theoretical awareness necessary to inform the research and development of a project brief.  Develop critical thinking skills through the evaluation of fashion and contemporary culture by looking at past and present micro and macro trends.  
• The Art & Fashion (40 Credits): Widen your understanding of fashion and the way it intersects with art and commerce. Take inspiration from art fairs and develop a creative project in an image media of your choice that will form part of a group exhibition.  

YEAR 2 

• Zine Generation (40 Credits): Delve into the zeitgeist of independent publishing with the creative freedom to create a zine (a self-published printed photographic or illustrative book). Visit independent magazine shops and learn about all aspects of self-publishing, from audience proliferation to promotion and distribution. The interdisciplinary nature of the module is designed to provide a microcosm of the professional fashion world. 
• Live Project & Industry Experience – Concept Development (40 Credits): Complete a live project, working with a brand and gain industry experience. Explore a range of business problems relating to concept development for a brand. Gain knowledge and insights from industry enrichment throughout your project.    
• Personal Professional Project (40 Credits): Complete an individual project that represents the knowledge and skills you have learnt during the degree. This is a self-directed project and you will receive guidance from your tutor. 

For each 40 credit module, you'll receive 100 hours of teaching time and complete 400 hours of independent study.

CORE MODULES

You’ll complete 6 core modules as part of your undergraduate degree. These can be modules specifically designed for your course or modules taught in collaboration with other courses*.

YEAR 1 

• Study and Research Skills (20 Credits): Develop the knowledge and skills necessary for studying fashion at undergraduate level. Complete a research project that allows you to practice creative research techniques in your specialist area. Explore theories on decolonisation, equity, diversity, and inclusion. 
• The Fashion Industry (20 Credits): Learn about the contemporary fashion industry in all aspects and discover the relationship between marketing and brand management. Explore the business structures across luxury, mid-market, and high street brands to the identify differences and commonalities in how brands operate. 
• Fashion Storytelling (20 Credits): Learn how to research, curate and evaluate visual references and develop an awareness of contemporary platforms and spaces. Understand the components you need for a strong, persuasive message and discover the five steps of design thinking: empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test. Discover the role of stylists and art directors at a conceptual level. 

YEAR 2 

• The Client (20 Credits): Develop a considered understanding of audience, market context, and how to interpret a brief. Work to a professional brief to extend your network of professional contacts and prepare you for professional practice.
• Global Markets (20 Credits): Develop your understanding of global markets and the international business landscape. Learn about the impact of globalisation on businesses and consumers, and how business models are changing in reaction to social and political change. Learn about the diversity, complexity, and vibrancy of the international business landscape for fashion, and how each element of the industry is connected. 
• Entrepreneurial Practice (20 Credits): Discover the core elements that make a business entrepreneurial and how the business ecosystem can drive change. Explore the theoretical and practical entrepreneurial capabilities for start-ups and established businesses. 

For each 20 credit module, you'll receive 50 hours of teaching time and complete 200 hours of independent study.

*This course is subject to validation. Modules may change during the approvals process. 

We work with over 250 brands at the FRA. Each of our degree courses includes practical, industry-focused content taught by some of fashion’s biggest names to give you valuable skills and work experience.

INDUSTRY MENTOR*

We match every qualifying undergraduate student with their own dedicated industry mentor. You’ll meet a minimum of once a term, and they’ll be there to support and guide you, and give you insight into working life. They’ll share their professional experience and personal connections to top names in fashion. Current students are working with mentors from brands like Jigsaw, Whistles, Burberry and Lipsy.

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE*

As part of our undergraduate programmes, you’ll have industry experience with one of our partner brands each year. You’ll be assigned to an industry manager either individually or as a small group, and you’ll work remotely or in the office. You’ll be given tasks to complete, providing you with an understanding of a specific job role and its place within an organisation. You could be working in a single team, or across multiple areas of the business.

In your first year, you’ll complete three weeks of experience. In your second year, your work placement will be either 3 weeks full time or two days a week over 3 months. You’ll earn practical, professional skills that give a valuable boost to your CV.

YOU 2.0 ASSESSMENT CENTRE BOOTCAMP 

All graduating students will pass through our unique assessment centre bootcamp, designed to give you experience of industry interviews and assessment days. You’ll learn what to expect and how to prepare for interviews. We’ll teach you how to stand out from the crowd, so you'll know exactly what talent acquisition teams are looking for and feel confident applying for industry roles.

• Over 75% attendance (discounting authorised absence and sickness)
• Submission of a completed Student Profile form for each programme

When you graduate from one of our accelerated undergraduate degree programmes, you'll be ready to progress straight into employment in the fashion industry.

Graduates of the BA (Hons) Art Direction for Fashion course could work in a wide variety of job roles, including:

• Fashion Photographer
• Fashion Editor
• Art Director 
• Fashion Retoucher
• Fashion Illustrator
• Fashion Blogger/Influencer
• Fashion Brand Creative Team Member
• Fashion Marketing Specialist
• Fashion Retail Visual Merchandiser

All applications are processed through UCAS.

UCAS Code: ADF1

Our offers are usually between 104 and 120 UCAS points for our undergraduate courses, from Level 3 equivalent qualifications such as:

• A levels
• a BTEC Extended Diploma
• a Foundation Diploma

You can check how many points your qualifications are worth using the online UCAS Tariff Calculator.

For more details on applying for our undergraduate degrees, please see our Undergraduate Application Process.

Due to the creative nature of our courses, you'll be considered on your own individual merit and potential to succeed. We encourage you to get in touch if you're predicted fewer than 104 UCAS points, thinking about transferring from another institution, or if you have other qualifications or relevant experience.

Delivery 

Course duration
2 years, delivered over 2 days per week

You’ll attend the Fashion Retail Academy for 2 full days per week (Monday to Friday), totalling an average of 16 hours per week and leaving the remaining days free for part-time work or independent study. You’ll be expected to complete 150 hours independent work per 20 credit module, and 300 hours independent work per 40 credit module. 

International Students

We are currently unable to accept international applications for our undergraduate degree courses. If you'd like to study at the Fashion Retail Academy, please apply for one of our Level 4 diploma programmes. 

Course fees

• 2026 entry: £11,750 per year*
• Student tuition and maintenance loans are available

*If you started in 2025, your course fees will remain at £11,100 per year.

The UK Government has announced that tuition fees for undergraduate on-campus home students will increase for the academic year beginning in September 2026, rising to £11,750 per year for full-time accelerated courses. Find out how this change impacts how much you are required to pay.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. Therefore, tuition fees may rise in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

Fees & Funding

Extra Course Costs  

As part of your studies, you may need to occasionally pay extra costs. This could include: 

• Between £400 and £600 in one-off payments over your entire course for printing and photocopying, personal stationery, final portfolios etc
• Between £500–£1,000 for optional international trips during your course (where available, participation is not compulsory and costs will be advertised in advance)
• Around £75 for graduation tickets and gown hire in your second year

Students undertaking placements may incur additional costs for travel and meals. You will also need a suitable laptop or computer throughout your course – day loan laptops are available.

Our fashion communications and styling undergraduate degree programme has been exclusively developed in partnership with Falmouth University.

All our undergraduate courses are taught at our Central London campus by our team of leading academics and industry professionals. Throughout your studies, you will be part of Falmouth University's Student Union and have access to their library facilities alongside our own. Once you have graduated your degree, you will be awarded by Falmouth University at a Fashion Retail Academy graduation ceremony.

2025-2026

AUTUMN TERM

• Induction Week - Week Commencing 15th September 2025
• Term starts - Week Commencing 22nd September 2025
• Term ends - Week Commencing 8th December 2025
• Winter break - Week Commencing 15th December 2025

SPRING TERM

• Term starts - Week Commencing 19th January 2026
• Early Spring break - Week commencing 30th March 2026
• Term resumes - Week commencing 13th April 2026
• Term ends - Week commencing 20th April 2026
• Late Spring break - Week commencing 27th April 2026

SUMMER TERM

• Term starts - Week commencing 25th May 2026
• Term ends - Week commencing 10th August 2026

2026-2027

• Freshers week – Week Commencing 14th September 2026  

Study Block 1 

• Study Block starts – Week Commencing 21st September 2026  
• Study Block ends – Week Commencing 7th December 2026  

Study Block 2 

• Study Block starts – Week Commencing 18th January 2027 
• Study Block break – Week Commencing 19th April 2027  

Study Block 3 

• Study Block starts – Week Commencing 24th May 2027 
• Study Block ends – Week Commencing 9th August 2027  

Holidays  

• Winter Break: Weeks Commencing 21 & 28 December 2026
• Spring Break: Weeks Commencing 22 & 29 March 2027

The Fashion Retail Academy is located at Electra House near Liverpool Street, central London. 

The listed building has undergone a £50 million refurbishment to give our students the facilities and spaces they need. Liverpool Street has excellent transport links to the rest of London and beyond, and Electra House is situated directly across from Moorgate tube station. 

There are: 

• 8 floors (Electra House is double the size of our old campus)
• A bigger library and more workspaces
• 35 classrooms
• Bespoke studio spaces
• 6 lecture theatres
• Dedicated fashion design wing
• IT hub and self-service laptop lockers
• "Speakeasy" student common room and on-site cafe
• 2 specialist exhibition and event spaces
• Wellness spaces and communal areas
• Discovery nook

Click here for more information about Electra House.