Established in 1922, Thornton & Ross is behind some of the UK’s most recognisable skincare brands. For this collaboration, the company invited students to work on reformulations of a baby cream, body lotion, and foot cream while also developing a new face cream aligned with current consumer trends.
By working in teams, students identified key consumer needs through a mix of primary and secondary market research. Using industry databases and consumer surveys, they explored current trends, ingredient expectations, and texture preferences.
This allowed them to develop clear product specifications and begin producing prototypes to meet those benchmarks — undertaking stability testing, sensory trials, and instrumental evaluation of texture, performance and appeal.
As part of the process, students presented their findings from the secondary and primary market research, along with their product specifications, to Liz Burrows, Senior Formulation Scientist at Thornton & Ross, and the entire process culminated in the production of a full technical report.
The students will have the opportunity to present their work during LCF’s annual Industry Day in October 2025, which will include members of Thornton & Ross. Final winners will be selected and prizes awarded for the best reports and final presentations.
This live brief marks the first collaboration between Thornton & Ross and the Cosmetic Science course, and the benefits were felt by both the students and the industry partner. As Course Leader Mignon Cristofoli explains, the experience is designed to mirror real-world industry standards from end to end.
The project not only tested technical and creative skills but also highlighted the importance of communication and collaboration. Students were required to manage timelines, delegate within teams, and present their work clearly to a professional audience.
Feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the project as one of the most rewarding and realistic parts of their degree so far:
With strong engagement from both the company and the students, the project laid the groundwork for future collaboration and an extension of the relationship — with Thornton & Ross already planning to welcome students to their site for a visit later this year.
For 50 years, NEXT plc have been innovators of the British high street, making them a staple household name. To sustain this legacy, they collaborated with the BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising course at London College of Fashion (LCF), UAL to develop a brief challenging students to produce a brand strategy for NEXT plc AW25 Menswear Tailoring range aiming to increase profit.
LCF students recently got exclusive access to Farah’s archives, to design and make one outfit using their signature hopsack fabric.
We collaborated with material manufacturer Toray to task fashions future leaders with researching the differences in consumer trends toward underwear in Asia and Europe. MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion students undertook quantitative and qualitative reports which compared documented differences in attitudes and behaviours toward underwear wearing globally.