London College of Fashion enjoys a global reputation for its unique, specialist fashion design and product courses that challenge design preconceptions, trends and consumer’s needs. The Study Abroad programme reflects LCF's commitment to developing individual’s design ethos, and creativity, underpinned with contemporary cultures. Working across a variety of dynamic projects in 2D / 3D formats, students are empowered to apply skills and develop innovative ideas while fostering sustainability and ethical practices.
You will enrol on 3 mandatory units and then may select elective units. You must take a minimum of 12 credits and a maximum of 16 credits.
Credit value: 2 credits
Tutor contact: 20 hours
Self-directed study: 20 hours
Lead Tutor: Samantha Kemmy
The aim of Understanding Contemporary Cultures (UCC) is to introduce you to key concepts, debates and ideas present in contemporary culture today. We will do this together through in-class discussion, group activities and independent research. All of these activities will support your learning and prepare you to work independently on your assignments.
During this unit you will research key concepts, debates and terminology related to cultural and social theory, focused around three key critical themes:
You will be introduced you to a range of knowledges, perspectives and ideas surrounding:
As a group, we will approach these themes in an active and participatory way that will involve undertaking independent preparation each week and engaging with in class group activities. You are encouraged to maintain a questioning mindset and engage with each other and your tutor during each session.
By engaging with scholarly perspectives from critical and social theory you will be supported to think through fashion in a critical and evidenced way. This unit will help you to make critical connections in your own professional practice and experience of the fashion industry. Most importantly, you will develop key analytical and research skills that will support you to critically engage with the fashion and creative industries.
Lead Tutor: Michael Czerwinski
The aim of London Cultural Studies (LCS) is to orientate yourself, and explore aspects of London’s diverse culture, and creative landscape. As one of three mandatory units, you will meet and engage with all students across the UAL Study Abroad programme from CSM, LCC and LCF to build networks, and creative communities.
With LCS you will take creative risks, start conversations with people to find out about their lives, form new opinions, and energise your research methods with these newfound skills acting as city explorers and investigators.
We encourage you to explore all London has to offer from inspirational, historical, knowledgeable, and ‘alternative’ perspectives. You will learn about subcultures, genres, trends, as well as safely navigating yourself within a cultural capital city.
Lectures and conversations with your tutor and classmates will discuss the idiosyncratic behaviours, cultural attitudes and curious customs that make a city unique. As well as London, you’ll learn and draw wider inspiration from the sense of ‘Britishness’, always encouraged to think, listen, and speak critically.
Most LCS classes are predominantly field trips. You will do several visits, guided walks, and tours, going behind-the-scenes of unfamiliar spaces and areas to gain personal and fresh insight of this historically complex, challenging, creative city.
You will develop a personal body of research and experiences, which you will take forward as a memento of your time in London, to embed new ideas, values, and disruptive actions into your own creative practice, and beyond.
Lead Tutor: Laura Lightbody
The aim of Creative Histories (CH) will focus on how you can make a change for social purpose*, by examining creative outputs and practice from historical, sociological, and cultural perspectives. As one of three mandatory units, you will meet and engage with all students across the UAL Study Abroad programme from CSM, LCC and LCF to build networks, and creative communities.
In this project you will orientate yourselves in small teams, to collaborate and develop your proposition and presentation skills. In pairs you will pitch a speculative exhibition proposal delivered as a Pecha Kucha visual presentation.
By being an active researcher, acknowledging what has come before you, you will explore and examine a wide cross section of relevant and / or unexpected areas of interest. This will eventually act as the foundation of this unit, to make positive and impactful social change.
You will participate in a series of online lectures as well as guided visits, exhibitions in museums and art galleries around London, cultural centres and dynamic geographic landmarks each week. You will note take, annotate, and sketch in a research journal to document ideas and contextualise what creativity and culture means to you. This sketchbook will also connect to your London Cultural Studies research. Being critical is key.
Knowledge of the past allows for a considered understanding of why things are the way they are today, which in turn informs an intuition with which to predict future trends, cultural awareness and zeitgeist.
*Read more here about how UAL defines social purpose within creative practice.
Credit value: 4 credits
Tutor contact: 40 hours
Self-directed study: 40 hours
Lead Tutor: Dean Bright
Draping, often called modelling, is an innovative and creative method of pattern making used as an important element in the design process. Calico or muslin is manipulated on a garment stand until the design is perfected to the designer’s satisfaction. The shape in fabric is then transferred onto paper to obtain a pattern. This three-dimensional approach to creating a pattern helps designers quickly see the evolution and visual effect of a specific style.
In your Draping unit you will be introduced to the fundamentals of draping to realise your own unique designs in three-dimensional form as a toile*.
You will have the opportunity to develop your own creative project, modelling your own design based on skills and techniques learnt. With a strong emphasis on research, you will produce a file of inspirational images and material to support your own creative ideas. You will be encouraged to photograph each stage of the draping process to help you evaluate your progress and to create your own personal resource to refer to when undertaking related projects in the future.
This unit is particularly suitable for students who have struggled with flat pattern cutting methods. It is also suitable for complete beginners as well as a refresher for those with basic draping skills.
* an early version of a finished garment or technical detail made up in inexpensive fabric so that the design can be tested and resolved.
Dean Bright’s purple velvet menswear collection at St Martins School of Art in 1984 attracted the attention of international press and buyers. He went on throughout the 80’s to sell limited edition collections to exclusive boutiques in London, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. He loved and worked in Miami, and New York. His hand embroidered, exotic and flamboyant designs were bought and commissioned by music business icons of the times, David Bowie, Boy George, Grace Jones, Pete Burns and Dead or Alive Holly Johnson and more. Film work includes the 1995 film Hackers and the 1996 film 101 Dalmatians starring Glenn Close. Dean has designed stage costumes and styled videos for electro pop band Erasure since 1986. Dean is a lecturer of draping/pattern cutting for the Study Abroad department of London college of Fashion.
Credit value: 4 credit
Lead Tutor: Sybil Rouge
The corset epitomises fashion's relationship between what can be seen and that, which is concealed. The cultural significance of this garment shifts with changes in style and social attitudes. From standardisation of silhouette to body distortion, from ‘enslavement’ to empowerment through self-expression, the corset manages to survive through reinterpretation pertinent to the zeitgeist.
In this Corsetry course you will research and analyse the contemporary corset, defined here as post war, to present day. There are many examples that will be layered into research and your discoveries, from Christian Dior, Charles James, Thierry Mugler, Fakir Musafar, Mr. Pearl, John Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, Galliano for Margiela 2024.
What never changes however is the necessity for construction process and attention to detail. In this Corsetry unit you will create and construct a Victorian corset, with the option to fit on yourself.
This is an opportunity to construct the ultimate foundation garment. You will learn appropriate construction methods, using boning, binding, a busk and eyelets. On completion, through lacing you will understand how this garment may change body shape. Recording the making process in a technical file will create your own personal resource to refer to when undertaking related projects in the future.
Credit value: 3 credit
Tutor contact: 30 hours
Self-directed study: 30 hours
Lead Tutor: Kiran Gobin
This unit will see you explore the archetypal garments and narratives that define contemporary Menswear Design. You will immerse yourself into the rich subcultures of London and beyond, and find creative inspiration from the garments, histories and people that define them.
Informed by primary and secondary research and contextual knowledge, you will deepen your understanding of how menswear has developed into the vibrant landscape we see today.
This unit is suitable for beginners, centering around desk-based, and field-work research and development. You are not expected to sample cloth, make 3D products, or develop toiles (garment mock-ups).
Instead, you will develop a personal approach to research methods, hone your analytical skills through investigation and develop your design handwriting resulting in a final range plan of products with a muse (consumer) in mind.
Through lectures, workshops, individual tutorials, group discussions, research visits and on-location teaching throughout the course, you will discover different ways of drawing from inspiration to develop your own original ideas, and concepts. Utilising the resources at LCF, East Bank you will develop your research methods, enhance presentation skills and be taught technical skills in garment and product design.
Your investigation and creative body of work will result in a range of designs and a body of work which could include:
You will develop creative skills by experimenting with an interdisciplinary / mixed media and composition to achieve impactful and innovative content. You will reflect and present finished work to your peers and tutor throughout the course.
Kiran Gobin is Senior Lecturer for BA Fashion Sportswear at London College of Fashion, and was previously Senior Lecturer in Fashion at Manchester School of Art. As alumni of LCF studying FDT Womenswear (2009 UG) & Creative Pattern cutting (2012 PG) he has twinned his academic career and industry practice in tandem.
In industry Kiran was Head of Atelier and business shareholder for the cult and much revered London brand Martine Rose. Alongside this, he has designed and developed catwalk collections for Charlotte Olympia, Emilio De La Morena, LAAIN, Rapha Cycling and Le Col Cycling. His community projects include SPINNA and USAid.
Kiran is the author of the 2nd edition of ‘Construction for Fashion Design’ (Bloomsbury, 2017) and is also a member of FACE (Fashion Academics Creating Equality). He is also a mentor for London based LGBTQ+ youth charity, MOSAIC.
Lead Tutor: Eelko Moorer
In Footwear Design you will creatively explore design methods to produce striking / extreme shoes for the catwalk, as well as ways to practically, and commercially translate these ideas into wearable shoe proposals.
Footwear designers are multi-disciplinary. They can have backgrounds from across the creative industries in fashion, product, tech, art and more recently material science and biometric fields. A lot goes into making a single pair of shoes to support performance, function, desirability, and foot health.
As you develop, consider your own design ethos, and how that may support planet positivity and climate awareness by developing processes of reuse, upcycling, and recycling materials through your experimentation and innovation.
In this unit you will cover:
Be bold, creative, authentic and have clear intentions!
Eelko Moorer is an independent practice-based researcher, and an artist-designer with his own studio practice crafting ideas into artefacts, he is also Course Leader for MA Footwear at London College Fashion. Eelko’s work investigates the interplay between the (trans-) personal experience, methodologies and processes of making, and their relations to the meanings that these designed objects evoke and invoke.
Eelko lectures, gives workshops and offers consultancy for education programs on the creative process, conceptual and critical thinking. His practice and output include designs for industry, bespoke and catwalk pieces, interior design objects for galleries, installation, performance and short film.
His work has been exhibited internationally in places such as The Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, MAD Paris, FIT New York, Saatchi Gallery London and with the British Council and Design Museum London.
In Creative Visual Communication (CVC) you will learn the principals behind creating mood boards, fashion visuals and photography to express, explain, excite, and/or sell an approach, new product, or promote skillset.
A well-constructed visual board can be a powerful tool and impactful, non-verbal form of communication used across all levels of the fashion, and creative industries.
In CVC you will work both physically and digitally combining traditional image making techniques such as collage, alongside digital media resources.
You will combine found images with your own photography and find effective ways of using a camera. As a vital communication tool, photography is an effective way of introducing self-generated content into a presentation to communicate your own unique vision. This course is as much about your process, as it is about result.
As your project develops, you will also explore typography, and font, colour, and texture, imagery, and layout, style, tone, and mood, composition, and placement, and basic graphic design.
Compiling impactful presentations is an acquired skill that can greatly influence the creative process and give you a competitive edge when communicating and pitching an idea(s).
Lead Tutor: Rebekah Roy
The aim of Fashion Styling will help you gain first-hand practical knowledge and insider industry insight. You will work with research methods, and in collaboration to experience the diverse roles and responsibilities that stylists have within creative teams.
You will learn about the differences between two professional areas: editorial styling (editorial test shoot), and brand ‘mindset’ commercial styling (campaign shoot).
You will research fashion editorial, catwalk, E-Commerce, advertising, celebrity / influencer, and the entertainment industry.
Practical workshops, lectures and conversations will hone your skills and develop your own unique creative approaches to styling, these include,
Working in allocated teams with a group theme, you will develop a rough shoot, and build a series of styled images that explore technical skill.
These visual statements may define a tribe, a trend, an approach, a movement, and / or a mood, all fundamental tools when communicating fashion contexts, whether they are defined for today, or when predicting the future.
Rebekah Roy’s work is driven by her love for creating compelling visual narratives for brands, designers, and artists alike. Her work has spanned continents, from Singapore to Nigeria. She has styled 75+ catwalk shows, including those for London Fashion Week, Rolls Royce, Ascot and Harrods. Rebekah's global vision and insightful expertise have made her a trusted name among leading fashion brands like HLA Group and Kate Spade. Collaborations with iconic musicians include Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Enya, Kate Nash, Max Rae. A strong advocate for sustainability, Rebekah leads by example. In 2020, she took the helm of Bare Fashion London, pioneering the UK’s first vegan fashion show and nurturing an online store dedicated to vegan fashion innovations.
Lead Tutor: Nafi Mustafa
In your Shoe Making unit, you will draft a pattern, cut it out of leather and complete one perfect court shoe.
Understanding the properties of materials and having the technical skill to fully exploit them is a fundamental driver behind fashion footwear. It’s the acknowledgement of traditional skill and craft that sets the parameters for ambitious experimentation with new technologies.
Shoe making is a good example of how long-established making techniques are still both relevant and essential today.
Working intensively, you will go through all the processes to make a basic court shoe on a specified last. This is a making unit, designed for you to understand the processes involved in constructing a basic shoe through directly experiencing specialised techniques.
You will gain an understanding of all the stages involved in making a technically accurate and sound pattern as well as hand construction methods.
You will have the opportunity to use specialised machinery and equipment in professional workshops.
Credit value: 2 credit
Lead Tutor: Toby Meadows
This unit is aimed at design students looking to Start a Fashion Label, giving them an overview of the preparation and planning involved in launching a label, and building a sustainable business.
The unit will cover all the elements of developing, planning, and costing a balanced and realistic product offer, ready for launch.
You will cover the following:
Toby Meadows is a Fashion Business Consultant and the International best-selling author of ‘How to Set up & Run a Fashion Label’ currently translated into 10 different languages. He is the founder and Director of TNM Consultancy, a collective of fashion professionals providing creative and business services to the fashion industry, as well as a Director of the London based cult womenswear designer label Belle & Bunty. For the past 10 years he has been a Visiting Lecturer at the London College of Fashion, invited to host conferences on Developing a Fashion Label, Brand Communication and the Future of Fashion as well as writing and delivering short courses for professional development within the fashion industry both in the UK and abroad.
Toby is regularly invited to speak and run workshops at international Fashion Weeks and has been asked to contribute as an industry expert to media publications around the world including the Financial Times.
Lead Tutor: Megan St Clair Morgan
The aim of Fashion Drawing is to take you to another skill level, find access to new techniques and materials, whilst retaining your individuality. You will learn how-to create a fashion drawing from concept to completion.
Through observational drawing of figures, garments, and fabrics, you will learn to communicate and express fashion accurately and effectively through illustration.
This is a very practical unit with a strong emphasis on both demonstrations and individual feedback. You will have the opportunity to draw directly from a live model, as well as use mixed media recycled waste.
You will experiment with colour rendering using a variety of media, exploring composition, scale, proportion. You will gain confidence in drawing fashion figures and line-ups, including drawing hands, faces, hair, and feet. Experimenting with ways to capture gesture, movement, mood, volume, drapery, and contour.
You will also be given the opportunity to observe and understand the value and application of tonal range, accent, contrast, emphasis, texture, and pattern.
The outcome will be a portfolio of fashion drawings complemented with a personal sketchbook. In an image saturated world, this course makes fashion drawing more relevant today than ever before.
Megan St Clair Morgan is represented by Lipstick of London Agency, and works as a fashion and lifestyle illustrator, creating work for clients including John Lewis, Tanqueray Gin, Estee Lauder, 111Skin, Matches Fashion, Stylist Magazine, Cartier, Vogue and JW Anderson amongst others. Alongside illustration, Megan works freelance with brands and businesses to develop and implement communications strategies, and as a freelance copywriter / editor. With experience in social media marketing, paid social, strategy development, email marketing, website development, WCAG 2.1 accessibility and SEO optimization. With a wealth of experience working in communications across the Fashion Industry and Higher Education sector, she has a unique perspective and diverse skillset.
Lead Tutor: Elliott Hall
Within this Wearable Technology course at the London College of Fashion, you’ll dive into the exciting world of creative technology and its role in the design industry.
This beginner friendly course offers a solid foundation in a range of key skills such as electronics / circuit design and programming; learning new ways of using technology to create engaging and interactive works that communicate with audiences in exciting ways.
Creative technologists pair technology and design as a medium for critical reflection on social, cultural, and technological paradigms. Through this lens, we will examine how wearables can transcend mere functionality to provoke thought, spark debate, and propose new ways of interacting with our environment.
Drawing inspiration from the works of designers like Behnaz Farahi and Anouk Wipprecht, and influential texts such as Discursive Design by Bruce and Stephanie Tharp & Speculative Everything by Anthony Dunn and Fiona Raby, you’ll approach wearable tech not just as a tool for enhancement but as a means to question and redefine human perception and experience.
We will delve into projects that blur the lines between the body and technology, influenced by concepts from Madeline Schwartzman’s See Yourself Sensing and Sabine Seymour’s Fashionable Technology.
Email us
studyabroadoffice@arts.ac.uk
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