Contour Fashion
De Montfort University
UCAS Code: W235 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
in Art and Design
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
including Art and Design
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in an Art and Design related subject
UCAS Tariff
- From at least 2 A Levels and including grade C in Art and Design - Five GCSEs grades A*-C (9-4) including English Language or Literature
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Present a portfolio
About this course
Established in 1947, our course has unparalleled links with the UK and global intimate apparel industry, providing opportunities to work with national and international companies on live projects, work placements, competitions and awards.
Specialise in lingerie, athleisure, swimwear, loungewear, nightwear, corsetry or menswear, and study a range of topics that will develop specialist skills. These include skills in conceptual design and application, pattern cutting, grading, fit methodologies, technical excellence and manufacturing, and presentation formats to equip you for industry roles in the UK and worldwide. In your final year, you will choose to specialise in either an aesthetic or a technical route.
Our industry-led curriculum will prepare you to innovate and adapt to changes within this dynamic sector. You will develop skills in athleisure products - now in high demand following the global shift to remote working which has led to a growth in comfort-inspired, fashion-driven work attire. Your base will be the award-winning Vijay Patel Building, home to all of our art and design students, which provides both the space and facilities to foster creative thinking.
**Key features:**
* Develop the technical skills, market proficiency, design expertise and understanding of 2-3D creative development needed to innovate in this fast-evolving sector.
* Work on live projects with industry experts to gain valuable skills and insight into the industrial and commercial challenges of design practice. Recent briefs have been set by global brands such as ASOS, Gymshark, H&M and Lycra.
* Benefit from opportunities to enter prestigious national and international competitions to boost your industry exposure. Previous graduates have won a number of accolades, including Boux Avenue’s Lingerie Designer of the Year and the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers award.
* This course has a global reputation with industry experts in the intimate apparel industry, with recent graduates employed by ASOS, Gymshark, Agent Provocateur, Triumph, H&M, Clover International, Heidi Klein and Nichole de Carle.
* Gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our DMU Global programme. Previous trips have taken students overseas to visit global brands including Victoria’s Secret, Aerie and Adore Me in New York.
* We provide core workshop materials?at no cost, and give cash awards – £150, £200 and £300 in years one, two and three respectively – to support personal materials/printing costs*.
* Contour Fashion (Communication) BA (Hons) is a related course aimed at those who wish to pursue a career in marketing and promotion within the intimate apparel industry.
Modules
First year:
• Contour Technology
• Pattern Cutting & Construction
• Visual Communication
• Design Cultures
• Trend & Product Development
Second year:
• Contour Applications
• Progressive Pattern Cutting & Construction
• Visual Communication
• Design Cultures
• Progressive Trend & Product Development
Third year:
• Advanced Pattern Cutting & Construction
• Final Collection – Aesthetic / Technical
• Design Cultures
• Professional Practise and Portfolio
Assessment methods
Structure:
Teaching is a broad based mix of formal lectures, group seminars, tutorials, practical workshops, studio-based activities and visual and verbal presentations, often to external industry representatives. Assessment occurs generally at the close of each teaching module but may be broken down into smaller sections to deliver verbal critique of elements of the module and to acclimatise the student to public presentations.
Students are expected to engage in self-directed learning when not in scheduled lessons developing work and encouraged to maintain a level of drawn work in sketch books to support practical sessions.
Learning through practical application and manufacture are key components. The course is directed by highly experienced staff who have all worked in industry and advise and train intimate apparel and the wider fashion industry globally. The course benefits from visiting lecturers from the wider fashion/intimates industry and often staff from other courses to support teaching and learning e.g. graphic, typology and presentation skills.
Students engage with international design competitions such as The Leathersellers Award, The Hand & Lock Prize and have won awards including New Lingerie Designer of the Year. External client projects with industry are a feature of the course and have included: Luxury French label Aubade, Stretchline Innovation Prize, Gossard Game Changing Competition, Lepel Swimwear Competition, Miraclesuit Swimwear USA, and H&M Lingerie competition Sweden.
Gillian Proctor Programme Leader for Contour Fashion received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the UK Lingerie Awards in 2013 in recognition of her career spanning the past 30 years. Gillian chairs the IIIA and staff team have received numerous teaching awards.
Contact hours:
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through coursework (presentations, essays and reports). Your precise timetable will depend on the optional modules you choose to take, however, in your first year you will normally attend around 14 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 25 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Leicester Campus
Arts, Design and Humanities
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