FA6022 - Fashion Concept Development

Learning and teaching strategies on Fashion encourage you to acquire a flexible and imaginative approach to creative problem solving, to think divergently and to develop your ability to articulate Fashion concepts and ideas through research-rich enquiry-based learning. Analytical and adductive thinking, experimentation, trial and error, are characteristics of the creative process and are embedded and supported throughout programme design and delivery. In this module, you will become an active participant in this learning process through project-based coursework and critical evaluation that integrate design practice, academic and intellectual skills that ultimately presents your fashion concept critical study and practical methodology to professional standards.

Your learning will feature workshops, combining hands-on practical activities, short lectures, and group discussions within a community of design practice. You will work alongside specialist tutors and technicians to develop meaningful, contextual and experimental research and sampling within your identified creative practice encouraging independent judgement and critical self-awareness.

There is focus reflective-practice and on the acquisition of technical skills and the use of materials and processes in identifying and solving problems. Traditional, new and emerging technologies are used in the delivery and realisation of these outcomes. Your learning will inform your interactive and reflective Career Readiness Plan (CRP) via Milanote, to align your learning process to your career path and demonstrating your autonomy.

Work produced in this module will form the foundation of the Block 3 modules.

At the start of the module, the creative brief, learning plan, learning outcomes, work requirements and assessment process will be presented verbally and visually by the module tutor.

Delivery of this module will be a mix of practical studio sessions, workshops, lectures, seminars, group and individual tutorials. Blended studio-based work will facilitate the development of introductory fashion thinking and practice. Directed Study will be set regularly with specific set tasks to underpin your learning and inspire independent enquiry or study.

Throughout the module, you will receive ongoing formative feedback in formal and informal tutorials. Feedback may be verbal or written.

To be successful in this module it is important to engage with all sessions and all forms of delivery.

After summative assessment, you will receive formal constructive written feedback and a grade indicating your achievement in relation to the learning outcomes. Additionally, you will be offered a tutorial with members of the academic team.

In addition to your module tutors, you will be supported by various other members of staff and university services including:

o Technicians aligned with your modules to provide technical instruction and demonstration of equipment and software required to complete your project work;

o Library staff to guide you in the ongoing development of essential study: IT skills, information retrieval skills and academic writing via Skills Plus;

o Academic Language Skills modules to help students at the Northumbria Campuses whose first language is not English or who
have no experience studying in English in the UK.

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)

Knowledge & Understanding:

4. Display evidence of self-reflection and employability skills in the development of your career readiness plan, and professional fashion portfolio that has relevance in cultural, aesthetic, technical and/or industrial and commercial contexts, in preparation for entry to the fashion workplace, enterprise of continuing education.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
1. Critically evaluate key cultural and critical fashion source materials, theories and experiences to research define problems, recognise opportunities, and propose a meaningful concept for development into a fashion collection aligned to personal values, defending your own practice and formulating reasoned responses to the critical judgment of others.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

1. Show expertise in the use of fashion materials, processes, technologies, and environments, demonstrating a clear grasp of quality standards and attention to detail.

2. Show judgment in taking calculated risks and developing new fashion design strategies when confronted with complex or unfamiliar challenges.

You will be formatively assessed using verbal feedback during timetabled sessions at key stages of the design development process.

You will be summatively assessed at the end of the module through the submission or exhibition of a portfolio that may include development work, design artefacts and writing. More detailed submission requirements will be supplied in your individual design brief.

At this summative stage you will receive initial verbal feedback during your exhibition or presentation, followed up by additional written feedback on your portfolio submission.

Component 1: Fashion Concept Theory 2 (50%) (Development to Realisation). Students will conclude and present their critical study.
1. 3000-word critical study

Component 2 (50%): Fashion Specialist Creative Practice 1 (development to resolution) Students will interpret Fashion Concept research to inspire a fully resolved first project.

Study Option 1: Fashion Digital Project 1 (Visual proposal + 2D + 3D Technical and Creative Process Journal)

Study Option 2: Fashion Atelier Project 1 (visual proposal + 3D sampling + Technical Specification + Creative Process Journal)

Study Option 3: Fashion Runway Project 1 (Visual Proposal + 3D Toiling + Technical Specification + Creative Process Journal)

You will be assessed against the following MLOs:
Component 1: IPSA 1, PVA 2
Component 2: KU 4, PVA 1, 2

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This module focuses on the interpretation and presentation of your personal Fashion Concept as a conclusive written contextual study and practical methodology that positions your work as impactful and culturally relevant, ready for realisation as a fashion collection in delivery Block 3. You will develop your contextual research skills in reference to the latest critical debates, evaluation methods, or design strategies for fashion, that will underpin your fashion concept integrity. You will also choose a study option that shapes your Specialist Creative Practice in an Atelier, Runway or Digital pathway in line with your Career Readiness Plan (CRP), that develops your expertise in the skilled use of fashion applications, tools, methods and production processes to professional standards.