Fashion Marketing BA Honours

This module introduces you to the broad historical, social, cultural and economic contexts for the development of fast fashion and lifestyle brands and acknowledge how and why fashion and related industries have been associated with exploitative models of production and consumption. Through analysis of historical case studies and contemporary brands, you will gain knowledge and understanding of how business ethics has emerged and evolved over the 20th century and how communication practices have evolved to market fashion in an era of post-consumerism and stakeholder capitalism. 

This module provides a theoretical and practical understanding of integrated marketing communications across retail, new media, and social media channels, both commercial and not-yet monetized. You will examine a range of marketing communication models used in traditional media and new media channels within an everchanging digital landscape. You will develop a deeper appreciation of the importance of brand message structure and content as it reaches diverse audiences. You will develop strategies for the creative use of media channels to devise persuasive message campaigns and develop relevant employment skills for the creative industry sector. 

This module will introduce you to different ways of looking at and thinking about fashion, providing an introduction to key themes, narratives and concepts, and considering their historical and theoretical underpinnings. The module draws connections between fashions from the past and the present to encourage you to understand the rich cultural and social meanings of clothing and adornment in global traditions. This approach teaches a broad range of visual and material research methodologies that encourage you to be resourceful and explore different objects, archives and historical collections, making context the centre of your creative practice.

This module provides you with an overview of key marketing concepts and apply them in a variety of organisations. The module provides you with an initial introduction to the fundamentals of marketing and will provide a key foundation that is relevant across a variety of business courses. You will develop knowledge and understanding of the core role of marketing, including the value of the marketing mix in ensuring successful marketing strategies, as well as the significance of external and internal environment for marketing practice.

This module develops your understanding of consumer behaviour and explore how brands can promote responsible consumption. Both psychological aspects of the consumer decision-making process (internal), and external influences on consumers will be examined. Contemporary consumer trends such as sustainable and green marketing will feature prominently when analysing consumer trends.

This module develops your specialist knowledge of critical concepts and issues in contemporary fashion cultures and industry, and skills to navigate in an ethically informed manner the production, consumption and mediation of fashion, as a global aspect of both culture and industry. It will also enable you to identify sources of employment opportunities and help you navigate job specification and make connections with potential employers, collaborators and networks. It will help you position your creative work in a responsible, culturally competent, and industry-savvy manner. Through alignment with Middlesex University’s strategic themes and UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, it will explore how contemporary cultures of fashion approach three interlocking themes:

(1) Equity and wellbeing

(2) Inclusive socio-economic and cultural development

(3) Sustainability of communities and the environment

These will represent the organising principle of the curriculum in three thematic blocks; these will find practical applications in industry through a range of activities that will help you build a professional portfolio and identify a job placement. The module will support your own research interests in contemporary fashion cultures and the industry, enabling you to understand how these relate to each other, and informing your critical awareness of professional contexts.

The module builds on previous knowledge and skills in identifying an appropriate career specialisation in the fashion, textiles, and fashion communication industries through a process which requires the exercise of cultural competence, personal ethics, responsibility and decision-making. It will empower you to acquire new competencies that will enable you to assume significant responsibility within organisations. Through a period of professional internship, you will gain an understanding of the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment in the fashion and textiles industries. The internship experience will provide you with lifelong skills for employability and self-employment.

This module reflects the fast pace of the fashion industry and further develops autonomy, professional confidence and collaborative management skills gained through the internship module. Its goal is to design and develop innovative fashion design, communication and marketing solutions targeted to a clearly identified market segment. It advances your exposure to new technologies in the fashion industry and opens up opportunities for exploring virtual fashion and textiles design. Via industry focused briefs and/or competitions you are encouraged to consider how your personal design/communication practice demonstrates an awareness of professional standards and client specific expectations and audience.

This module builds on learning from prior modules and provides further collaborative experience working on a live client-driven consultancy project. External clients will provide the project brief and students will work in teams to develop practical solutions. Applied theoretical knowledge to real organisations’ challenges will help you gain skills through effective team working, problem solving, reflective and presentation skills. You will also develop an understanding of the complexities relating to client management and project deliverables.

This module fosters entrepreneurial talent and develops your entrepreneurial new venture management skills in the fashion sector. Experiential marketing introduces you to the contemporary exploration of experiential marketing strategies and tactics facilitating authentic interaction between consumer and brands. Experiential marketing immerses consumers within the product or service by engaging them with as many human senses as possible. 

The module analyses the strategic approach of managing a sustainable fashion business. Fashion brands have unique challenges, dynamic opportunities and are relying hugely on creativity. You will understand what sustainable fashion is and how the established theoretical knowledge and concepts of strategic management can be applied and/or adapted to fashion-oriented companies, while gaining all the practical skills required for developing fashion brands in a diverse and competitive global environment. 

This module will help you develop the following skills and processes:

• To engage with the identification, organisation and development of a substantial, in-depth, self-directed Research Project (Dissertation) with a clear and sustained critical argument
• To encourage the pursuit of a research topic related to issues explored in students’ own practice in any area of fashion visual cultures
• To develop critical awareness and self-reflection of historical and/or contemporary contexts of students’ discipline and research topic
• To build on previously acquired knowledge and skills in primary and secondary research, developing your ability to identify, analyse and critically evaluate appropriate sources and research methods
• To support the production of clear, solid, independently researched outputs that can be taken forward into postgraduate study and/or professional practice in a variety of fashion and/or visual, aural and material culture contexts.

You'll learn through attendance, participation and engagement with interactive sessions, independent study, group debate and discussion. You also gain knowledge by attending industry practitioners talks and experts in the fields of marketing management. Such presentations will build on topics discussed in class and will improve understanding required for summative assessment.   

You'll develop skills through participation and engagement with, seminars, workshops, and individual and group activities by producing theoretical and practical work in response to assignment requirements. 

You will be studying at our north London campus in Hendon.

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and exams.

Here is an indication of how you will split your time each year: 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Coursework and assessments

Your learning will be assessed regularly and is made up of 100% coursework. Your coursework will reflect an authentic approach to working in the fashion marketing industries

Assessment methods include a variety of live projects, presentations, written reports, brand audits, pitch decks and digital dashboards.

Peer assessment and self-assessment may also be used throughout the course.

For your dissertation, you'll have the choice of presenting it as a visual essay, an oral presentation, or a written essay.

Assessments

We'll test your understanding and progress with informal and formal tests.

The informal tests usually take place at least once per module, from which you’ll receive feedback from your tutor. The grades from these tests don’t count towards your final marks.

There are formal assessments for each module, usually at the end, which will count towards your module and your final marks.

Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback or feedback from an external examiner.

Your learning will be assessed regularly and is made up of 100% coursework.

Assessments

Your  understanding is assessed by a range of methods such as reports, literature reviews, presentations, and a range of authentic practitioner focused assessments, such as pitch decks responding to client briefs.
 
Your skills are assessed by a range of methods such as reports, literature reviews, presentations, and a range of authentic practitioner focused assessments, such as reports and presentations to clients. Assessment is designed to develop your skills in critical thinking and application. An integral feature of the programme is its emphasis on experiential learning and practically applied assessments, designed to improve your understanding of the ‘real world’ and develop transferrable and industry-focused skills. 

Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback or feedback from an external examiner.

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.