Fashion Marketing BA Honours

This module defines key marketing theories, processes, and concepts, their strengths and weaknesses and their use in different organisational contexts. It analyses the role and function of marketing within organisations to identify market trends and explain marketing practice and fashion trends. The module recognises the role and importance of customers in marketing decision-making and applies marketing theory to suggest and justify marketing mix decisions.

This module sets much of the grounding contextual framework for the rest of the degree programme, considering the historical drivers and contemporary context of the fashion industry. The module aims to introduce students 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, students 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 will introduce students 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. You will be encouraged to draw 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 fashion traditions. We cover a broad range of visual and material research methodologies, enabling you to be resourceful and explore different archives and historical collections in a hands-on way, making context the centre of students’ creative and professional practice.

To build upon the core academic research and communication skills introduced in the Fashion History and Social Identity module, students will develop specialist knowledge and understanding of critical issues in contemporary fashion, related to the production, consumption and mediation of fashion as a global aspect of both culture and industry.

The module adopts a decolonial perspective to explore and develop how contemporary debates, themes and concepts influence the material, visual and consumer cultures of fashion, challenging dominant historical narratives and unpicking fashion’s mythologies from a global perspective. Students will develop their own independent research interests in contemporary fashion cultures and industry, and a critical awareness of the fashion industry, helping them to position their creative work in an ethically-informed, responsible, and culturally competent manner.

This module will enable you to undertake a period of work experience within a field of fashion (marketing) scheduled at the start of the second term and running until the end of London Fashion Week. Academic staff support and encourage students in identifying possible career networks and areas of employment and develop key employment tools. The project set whilst on placement also asks students to investigate the organisation in terms of its ethical and sustainable focus and commitment and will give students practical industry experience to contextualise key themes across the programme.

This optional module allows you to undertake a year-long internship in the field of fashion industry before returning for your final year of study. You will utilise an employment experience to provide an insight into the work methods and operation of a fashion business or freelance role in the field of your degree specialism. You will carefully document the experience engender an understanding of the principles of reflective practice and the application in a professional context and network building.

This module is underpinned by the ethos that ‘Entrepreneurship’ is now a career choice for many students in these challenging, dynamic and uncertain times. This module is designed to foster entrepreneurial talent and encourage and develop entrepreneurial new venture management skills as a Marketing Consultant for the fashion industries. It also aims to make students aware of opportunities in the marketplace and how to use Effectual Entrepreneurship to implement and generate sustainable incomes in a world outside the academic environment.

This module offers the opportunity to develop collaborative peer communities across the Design and Marketing departments at Middlesex and wider networks of emerging designers and creatives. You will be tasked with gathering and analysing market insight to create original campaigns and strategy and position your live client within the industry. You will develop an understanding of the designer’s creative process, how to practice effective consultancy, and negotiate a valuable set of outcomes for your client.

The module provides opportunities to analyse the strategic approach of managing a sustainable fashion business. Fashion brands have unique challenges, dynamic opportunities and are relying hugely on creativity.

Students 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 project will allow students 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. We encourage the pursuit of a research topic related to issues explored in students’ own practice in any area of fashion visual cultures.

Students will further develop critical awareness and self-reflection of historical and/or contemporary contexts of the discipline and research topic, building on primary and secondary research skills embedded at levels 4 and 5, and developing their ability to identify, analyse and critically evaluate appropriate sources and research methods.

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. This is an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real organisations and facilitate the practice of 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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