MA Sustainable and Ethical Fashion

During the Proposal for Sustainable Innovation (DE7052) module, you will have the opportunity to explore the environmental and social impact of fashion products within the context of the global supply chain. From fiber to consumer, the garment lifecycle is a complex and integrated global system requiring extensive knowledge and understanding before innovative, more responsible solutions can be proposed and implemented. This module will use a deep and rigorous analytical approach to investigate alternative business models and lifecycles reflective of contemporary challenges in fashion including the circular, second-hand and sharing economy methodologies.

You will critically examine existing paradigms in fashion through their creative process, implementing transferable skills such as research principles and fashion context in a move towards becoming a reflective practitioner. Analysing the three key stages of the product lifecycle: design, manufacture and use, opportunities for change will be explored using appropriate design tools and methods.

This module reflects the changing landscape of the globally based fashion industry, moving forward from dated linear models of production and consumption, towards the adoption of circular principles to address ethical and sustainable challenges within the fashion system. Fashion has increasingly been associated with negative environmental and social impact, so this module facilitates you in your exploration of alternative innovation models, emerging technologies and progressive system solutions for sustainable innovation.

During Fashion Context and Relevance (DE7053) you will have the opportunity to explore Fashion Research Principles alongside Fashion Context: Past, Present and Future.

This module builds on two fields of knowledge, Fashion Research Principles and Fashion Context.

The first aims to explore design research methods and exploratory research techniques appropriate to the field of fashion. You will critically evaluate these principles and explore areas in which they can challenge the status quo. You will learn from specialist researchers, who will introduce a variety of explorative research methods, which you will interpret relative to your own practice and in line with your PDP. You will apply this knowledge in co-creative practice and will reflect on your experience to summarise the utility and limitations of methods employed.

Through fashion context you will learn to situate design in the contemporary world and identify the impact of external factors on your own design practice. We will explore and question the traditional structures that designers work within, creating a foundation to challenge fashion.

You will reflect upon the transferability of fashion research principles and fashion context and will be able to apply your knowledge to your personal projects in Fashion Research Proposal (DE7058) and Proposal for Sustainable Innovation (DE7052).

During Responsible Design Experimentation (DE7054) you will have the opportunity to utilise responsible design tools to create meaningful change for people and planet. You will develop an extensive understanding of the role design can play in creating systemic change across a globalized, linear fashion model (i.e. take, make, dispose) towards a more circular fashion system aiming to create a closed loop reducing waste and maximize the lifespan of garments in terms of how they are designed made and consumed. During critical analysis of alternative processes, including the circular, sharing and second-hand economies, the potential outcomes that these approaches could have to reduce negative environmental and social impact will be explored.

Through the application of innovative design strategies, you will begin to experiment with a series of innovative solutions to address the contemporary societal challenges currently facing the global fashion industry. These methods will include design for circularity, emotionally durable design, design for behaviour change and the implementation of product life-extension strategies (re-use, recycle, repair, recondition etc.).

Using this foundation, you will explore and test their project ideas throughout the semester. You will be working collaboratively, utilising approaches such as co-creation and participatory design in the development of multi-stakeholder cooperation by taking a human-centric approach aligned with the key principles of responsible design. Considering design as a critical tool for change, this module aims to embed knowledge and create informed, progressive change-makers, prepared to disrupt the way that fashion is made, consumed and disposed to extend its usage for as long as possible.

In Fashion Industry & Enterprise (DE7055) you will have the opportunity to apply and practice the fashion research principles gained in your Block 1 studies, and Block 2 modules - Fashion Research Experimentation (DE7059) or Responsible Design Experimentation DE7054, within innovative and collaborative, real-life design situations. Through projects with industry or other organisations and working in multi-cultural/multi-disciplinary teams, the underpinning knowledge and understanding applied here will help you learn effective ways of working as a reflective practitioner using action research processes within an industry context and relative to your own practice.



Through this pass/fail module and supported and informed by academic staff research specialisms, you will be able to interpret the utility and limitations of methods employed and appreciate the transferability of design thinking to different contexts and domains.

Sustainability in Action (DE7056) will explore emerging and exciting developments outside of the traditional fashion structure. There is not a one size fits all solution to fashion’s sustainable and ethical concerns. This module will explore the global history and value of traditional techniques, some lost to the past, as well as the modern, exploratory and nuanced approached to sustainable and ethical fashion.  

 

The world we design for is changing quickly and this module looks to examine how the role of a designer will change as its surroundings evolve, as well as lead the change. You will be able to examine how your projects fit within this and to work with the developing landscapes.  

 

Using the work developed over the previous modules, you will be in a position to delve into your research using the appropriate methods and practice. You will act upon your self-directed project to build new knowledge, and to develop new ideas and insights that can create change for good.  

 

The Sustainability in Action (DE7056) module is a platform to consolidates project methodology, through development of project related theory and practice. Bringing theory and practice together to rigour test how sustainable value and new knowledge can created.

In this module you will learn to advance your Research Through Design and take a directional approach to your personal design brief.
You will develop your reflective practice and reach insights and analytical conclusions in your chosen field of study as outlined in your year-long Personal Development Plan (PDP).

You will synthesise the learning from blocks 1, 2 and 3 to create your final Thesis and Portfolio. These will evidence an analysis of advanced academic research, debates, and exploratory practice in the production of theories that demonstrate real world discipline specific value within an industry context.

You will be expected to take an increasingly autonomous approach to your studies at this stage in developing, embedding and clarifying personally developed research themes theories and experiences that will be realised through either

Option 1: a design thesis of 6,000 works alongside a practical design project and portfolio.

Option 2: a design thesis of 15,000 words, and portfolio that demonstrates the student’s mastery of and contribution to new knowledge.

MA Fashion Design will enable you to take control of your design direction and align your own passion and motivation with the value you create for business and society. You will learn to hone your capabilities, refine the focus of your design contribution and create your ideal future professional self.

MA Sustainable and Ethical Fashion will give you the knowledge and tools to orchestrate design thinking and process at a strategic level in organisations. You will build a meta view of transferable design knowledge that will enable you to recognise the challenges of responsible practice within the fashion industry. You will learn to navigate complexity and develop your understanding of sustainable and ethical creative practice, product and service opportunities and strategic innovation.

On completion you will have the skills and abilities to make a positive impact in the design industry, and the knowledge and experience to be able to make purposeful contribution to the world.

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Effective reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.