What will I learn on this module?
This module will ask you to consider and design a hypothetical 3D fashion space, enabling you to contribute to the expansion of contemporary practices within the field of fashion curation and styling.
You will investigate a diverse range of spaces and places in local and global cultural and societal contexts. This will reflect contemporary commercial and disruptive practice in fashion and adjacent creative sectors, considering collaborations between artists, designers and brands. Using primary and secondary research sources, you will develop your knowledge and understanding of the communication of fashion narratives and concepts, evolving your innovative and creative thinking through conceptual investigation of the audience experience.
Through workshops and independent research you will consider how fashion is curated and styled in spaces such as installations, presentations, visual merchandising, brand activations, events and shows. You will apply your learning on the module through concept development, helping you to make creative connections in relation to a defined audience.
You will make use of traditional methods and emerging technologies in the visualisation of your fashion space concept, encouraging experimentation to build your repertoire of techniques, evolving your ability to realise your ideas in a professional and/or commercial context.
How will I learn on this module?
You will attend weekly sessions, where workshops will assist you in developing your practice and your understanding of spaces,methods of communication and audience engagement. You will fully immerse yourself in the brief and theme outlined at the start of the module. Traditional menthods and emerging technologies will be discussed and developed alongside staff within workshops, identifying and exploring a range of experimental techniques appropriate to executing your vision of a ‘fashion space’. Visual communication and styling techniques and methods including photography will be further supported by technical and academic staff. Peer discussion will inform tutorial sessions and allow best practice to be identified. Where possible, you will ‘pitch’ your concepts and ideas alongside small peer groups, where formative feedback will encourage development of work.
Focused support through tutorial sessions will assist in refining your final portfolio of work for submission, encouraging you to communicate your concept in depth.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
An initial briefing will outline the goals of the module, alongside the structure of the sessions to follow. Workshops will be delivered by knowledgeable staff, often reflecting their own research interests and professional experience linked to the Fashion Communication sector. Where applicable, technical skills will be delivered by expert staff, providing demonstrations and support for students across their process. Where possible, industry experts will provide further insight through guest lectures aligned to fashion space and styling practice Concepts of space and visualisation of spatial themes will be supported through the use of appropriate craft/technological processes. Tutorials will help you to further develop your final submission and identify areas for improvement Group work/peer discussion linked to the ongoing improvement of your practice will assist your development in terms of knowledge, understanding and communication skills.
Further support regarding academic writing will be provided via the University Library.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Independently source and engage with a broad range of research material, and demonstrate your ability to review, reflect on and evaluate findings.
2. Demonstrate through enquiry-based and creative practice, your advanced understanding of functional, psychological, and aesthetic principles of Fashion Communication styling and space.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Create concepts, proposals or solutions that appropriately respond to clearly identified needs or issues.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
4. Demonstrate a professional attitude to your studies through engagement with programme staff, peer interactivity; and through project management skills such as the investigation, organisation, curation, realisation and presentation of your activities.
5. Take an experimental approach when challenged to conceive and visualise fresh or innovative ideas.
How will I be assessed?
FORMATIVE: Formative feedback will be delivered across the module. This can be verbal and/or textual and will be aligned to workshop activities.
SUMMATIVE
Final Portfolio 100%:
inc. synopsis of concept, visualisation of space, and imagery denoting styling within the environment. A Research and Development file will also be included to demonstrate process and investigation of relevant topics, including reflective commentary. (LO1,2,3,4,5)
Pre-requisite(s)
N/A
Co-requisite(s)
N/A
Module abstract
This module combines theory, philosophy and craft, asking you to immerse yourself within contemporary concepts of fashion space and styling. You conceptualise and fabricate your own ‘fashion space’, considering notions of immersion and engagement of audiences alongside the relevance of fashion narratives within space. You will consider and visualise spaces linked to events, promotions, visual merchandising, installations, shows and more. You will consider styling through the aesthetic of the spaceas part of the overall narrative theme. The final outcome of the module is an articulation of the conceived space, utilising existing and emerging technologies to capture your vision in a manner in a professional format.
Course info
UCAS Code WP30
Credits 20
Level of Study Undergraduate
Mode of Study 3 years Full Time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department Northumbria School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries, Northumbria School of Design
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2025
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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