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This course is now closed for International applicants for 2020/21 entry. This course has places available for Home/EU applicants for 2020/21 entry.
If you're thinking about applying, or you've applied for a postgraduate course starting in 2020/21, see guidance for prospective students during the Coronavirus outbreak.
MA Fashion Cultures and Histories offers students an opportunity to study cultures of fashion and dress through the lens of critical fashion history and theory. Students develop high-level writing, research and analytical skills to interrogate fashion as global industry and bodily practice, preparing them to become informed critics and communicators generating innovative knowledge about fashion in its multiple contexts and shaping the ways it is understood.
This course is based at Lime Grove. Find out about the local area in our local area guides on the Student Life pages.
London College of Fashion is planning to move to a new single campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2023. This is part of a new development for London, prioritising culture, education and innovation, known as East Bank. Some students studying this course from September 2021 may start their studies in Lime Grove and transfer to LCF’s new site in East London to complete them. Please see LCF’s move to the Olympic Park for more information about the College’s relocation.
Investigate fashion, dress and style in culture and society.
Rosie Findlay joined BBC News (World) to discuss how Kylie Jenner has leveraged her personal brand (and that of her family) to become the world's youngest billionaire.
Alumna Lorraine Smith talks to The Pool about the history of bras
A project about young Gypsy and Traveller women
#LCFClassOf2020 is a dedicated showcase of LCF graduate work across channels. The takeover will lead into the launch of the world’s largest digital platform of fashion, design, communication, art and performance graduates.
LCF is delighted to announce that Professor Roni Brown has been appointed UAL Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College at London College of Fashion.
Current students and alumni share their best recommendations around our site at John Princes Street (aka JPS).
London College of Fashion celebrated it's Class of 2019 at the official graduation ceremony last week.
As part of the Collaborative Unit, LCF postgrad students collaborated with curator and historian Linda Mora Curtis to develop a display dedicated to the Club Minijupe.
Postgrad students from the School of Media & Communication at LCF talk about the projects that will be showcasing at Fashioned Worlds exhibition
Take a tour of LCF's world renowned fashion library, ideal for research and study.
Take a tour of our media facilities from photographic studios to darkrooms.
Explore our social spaces, for collaborative study and breaks, across our six sites in London.
MA Fashion Cultures and Histories is a theory-based Master’s degree that provides students with a cross-disciplinary foundation in relevant, innovative and critical fashion histories and theories. It provides unique opportunities for students to develop high-level writing, research, and analytical skills in interrogating fashion as global industry, media, dress, and bodily practice.
In responding to the developments in the media landscape and the need for socially, culturally and politically engaged professionals with theoretical and critical knowledge, the course aims to prepare researchers and critical innovators who can generate new thinking about fashion and help to shape the ways in which it is understood, presented and evaluated. In providing the tools for constructing compelling narratives about fashion for specialist and general audiences in multiple formats, the course prepares students for future-facing careers in research, publishing, education, museums, think tanks, institutes, within the fashion industry or to undertake further study in a fashion-related subject.
Collaborative Challenge (20 Credits); Cultural and Social Theory (20 credits); and Fashion Histories (20 credits) are taught in Block 6. Research Proposal (20 credits); Fashion Narratives (20 credits); and Research for Professional Contexts (20 credits) is taught in Block 7. MA Project is taught in Block 8.
These units involve the types of learning and assessment outlined earlier in this document. Each student will have one 30 minute tutorial during the four core course units (Cultural and Social Theory; Fashion Histories; Fashion Narratives; Research for Professional Contexts), and work closely with tutors in three cross-college units (Collaborative Challenge; Research Proposal; MA Project). Students will also have a 20 minute pastoral tutorial in each Block to discuss their progress, goals and student experience.
Alongside more traditional methods, such as lectures, seminars, workshops, field trips, and group and individual tutorials, the course cultivates the following set of teaching and learning strategies.
A core aspect of each unit is embedded activities that cultivate student-led enquiry into the areas under study. This includes, but is not limited to, strategies such as provocations that students are invited to independently research in preparation for class, and methods-based research such as participant observation in public spaces and sites that develop the themes of the set readings. This strategy elaborates the agency students have to shape the focus of their learning, which is otherwise primarily evident in their ability to research a topic of their choosing in each of their assessments.
The College-wide Collaborative Challenge, offered in Block 6, offers students a key opportunity to develop skills of collaboration within and external to their own cohort. Other units in the course builds on these abilities, such as the Research for Professional Contexts unit in which students are invited to collaborate in response to the live brief or critical debate. As collaboration is a core principle of this course, students will also be encouraged to initiate self-directed collaborative projects, such as public-facing events (talks, screenings, roundtables) to which prospective students, other MA cohorts within UAL, and alumni will be invited; and to organise and participate in enhancement activities, such as class trips and outings or extracurricular research activities.
Given that this course seeks to intervene in and innovate both the fashion industry and the field of fashion studies, it follows that engaging with contemporaneous problems and debates would be a central component of this course’s pedagogy. The practice of this cohort is theory, and we will respond to pressing current issues through research, data collection and analysis, and critical thinking. The format for this work will be knowledge exchange, led by industry partnerships.
Peer-to-peer learning and feedback connects to two of the five core principles of the course, community and criticality. Developing the skill of offering collegial and constructive criticism is key for a career in academia, one of the industries our graduates enter. This is embedded in the course, as students present their ideas in class and read and critique each other’s work as part of the ongoing formative feedback generated across Blocks 6 and 7.
Experts from the fashion industry and leading scholars from across UAL and other HEI’s are regularly invited to share their expertise with the students in an array of forms, including guest lectures, panels, and workshops. These talks are embedded in the curriculum, complementing and extending the core delivery. Students are encouraged to respond in the classroom as well as in their own scholarly practice, and to nominate scholars and practitioners who they wish to invite to speak to the cohort.
Technical delivery developing core skills of slide deck production and communicating research through appropriate media will be embedded in the curriculum to support the core course unit, Research for Professional Contexts. This provision has been discussed with the Technical Coordinator- Media, whose team will teach these competencies alongside academic and practice-based instruction in the classroom.
Students on this course will produce:
Dr Rosie Findlay is course leader of MA Fashion Cultures and Histories. Her disciplinary background is in Performance Studies, having gained her BA (hons) and PhD from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Sydney. Her research interests include digital fashion media, contemporary fashion branding and brand experiences, and the intersection between dress, memory, imagination and the embodied self. Her work has appeared in Fashion Theory, About Performance, Cultural Studies Review, and the Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, and her monograph, Personal Style Blogs: Appearances that Fascinate, was published by Intellect Books in 2017. Read her full profile
Dr Anna-Mari Almilla is research fellow in the Sociology of Fashion. She has BA and MA degrees in Art and Design, with the major subject of Clothing, from the University of Lapland, in Finland. She has a PhD from the Department of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She is both a designer and a sociologist, with interests in both the theory and the practice of dress and fashion. Her publications have focused on explorations of visibility and equality in the public sphere, and in public spaces, in particular that of Muslim women and veiling practices. Read her full profile
We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and to supporting all of our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.
We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on disability@arts.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
An Honours degree at 2.1 or above in a related discipline. Applicants with a degree in another subject may be considered, depending on the strength of the application;
OR Equivalent qualifications;
Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
Related academic or work experience (minimum of three years)
The quality of the personal statement
A strong academic or other professional reference
OR a combination of these factors
Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
IELTS level 7.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements.
The course seeks to recruit students from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and welcomes applications from mature students. The procedures fully comply with the Equal opportunities Policy of UAL and all interviewers have udnertaken Fairness in Selection training.
The course seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:
Applicants must meet the entry requirements (see next section) or demonstrate through interview and their application their suitability for the course. Applicants are required to submit a:
Applicants will be invited to interview or rejected based on the clarity, strength and appropriateness of their application. Interviews will be offered in person, or via Skype or phone call depending on the location of the applicant and be of 30 minutes’ duration. In the interview, applicants are invited to ask questions about the course, living in London etc.
This course has places available for 2020/21 entry. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open in Autumn 2020.
This section includes all the information you need on how to apply and how your application is, and what happens next.
UK/EU students can apply to a postgraduate course at LCF by completing a direct application.
There are no official deadlines to submit your application. Applications are accepted, and offers are made throughout the year. The course will be closed once spaces are filled so we advise that you apply early.
This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.
If you are an EU offer holder, it is important to consider that, from 2021-22, you may be charged International fees, which are higher. Read our Coronavirus guidance for prospective students for details.
If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current PG course and wish to continue your studies at London College of Fashion, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible. Further information can be found in our UAL External Student Transfer Policy.
All application forms, personal statements and relevant documents are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed in the Entry requirements and Selection Criteria sections.
Depending on the quality of your application, you may be asked to submit a number of images of your work. For this course your portfolio could include: drawings; photographs of realised designs; speculative design; sketch work; process; and photographs. Label and present any visual work with care, including dates and captions.
If the course team wish to consider your application further, you will be invited to attend an interview. Interviews may be conducted in person, via telephone or via Skype.
If you are successful at the interview stage you will be offered a place. Please note that applicants are not guaranteed an interview.
Please note that if you are unable to attend, the College may not be able to re-schedule.
The result of your application will be communicated to you through your UAL Portal. If your application has been successful, you will receive a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.
We are no longer accepting International applications for 2020/21 entry to this course. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, we are unable to say at this point if places will become available before the autumn intake. Please check this page regularly as places may become available later in the cycle and if they do, we will reopen applications.
This section includes all the information you need on how to apply and how your application is considered, and what happens next.
There are two ways international students can apply to a postgraduate course at LCF:
For further advice on how to apply please visit the UAL International Application page.
There are no official deadlines to submit your application. Applications are accepted, and offers are made throughout the year. The course will be closed once spaces are filled so we advise that you apply early.
This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.
If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current PG course and wish to continue your studies at London College of Fashion, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible. Further information can be found in our UAL External Student Transfer Policy.
After you have applied, you will need to complete an Immigration History Check to identify whether you are eligible to study at UAL. Do be aware, if you do not complete the Immigration History Check we will not be able to proceed with your application.
All application forms, personal statements and relevant documents are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed in the Entry requirements and Selection Criteria sections.
Depending on the quality of your application, you may be asked to submit a number of images of your work. For this course your portfolio could include: drawings; photographs of realised designs; speculative design; sketch work; process; and photographs. Label and present any visual work with care, including dates and captions.
If the course team wish to consider your application further, you will be invited to attend an interview. Interviews may be conducted in person, via telephone or via Skype.
If you are successful at the interview stage you will be offered a place. Please note that applicants are not guaranteed an interview.
Please note that if you are unable to attend, the College may not be able to re-schedule.
The result of your application will be communicated to you through your UAL Portal. If your application has been successful, you will receive a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.
There are no official deadlines to submit your application. Applications are accepted, and offers are made throughout the year. The course will be closed once spaces are filled so we advise that you apply early.
£11,220
This applies for the 2020/21 academic year.
Course fees may be paid in instalments.
£22,920
This applies for the 2020/21 academic year.
Course fees may be paid in instalments.
In addition to tuition fees you are very likely to incur additional costs such as travel expenses and the cost of materials. Please read the information on our additional costs page.
Charges may be made for special clothing or equipment which students may need in order to participate in certain activities which form part of the course but which they retain. However, where such clothing or equipment is necessary for the student’s health or safety a charge may only be made for clothing and equipment which the student retains if the student also has the option of borrowing the clothing or equipment free of charge.
Find out about the accommodation options available and how much they will cost.
UAL alumni can receive a 20% tuition fee discount on a taught Masters course at UAL. Visit the progression discount page to find out more.
There are a number of scholarships and awards available to students on this course. Use our search tool to find out more information.
Postgraduate loans of up to £10,000 are now available for eligible UK and EU students. A full list of eligibility criteria and information on applying can be found on the postgraduate loans webpage.
All our postgraduate courses offer career development, so that you become a creative thinker, making effective contributions to your relevant sector of the fashion industry.
LCF offers students the opportunity to develop Personal and Professional Development (PPD) skills while studying through:
* Access to to speaker programmes and events featuring alumni and industry.
* Access to careers activities, such as CV clinics and one-to-one advice sessions.
* Access to a graduate careers service
* Access to a live jobsboard for all years.
* Advice on setting up your own brand or company.
Masters graduates have an acknowledged advantage in the employment market, obtaining work in a wide range of vocational and academic fields related to fashion. Previous graduates have gone on to lecture in related fields in Europe and America, worked in fashion curation and archives, journalism, styling, retail consultancy, as well as to higher level research degrees (MPhil or PhD). Our graduates are working within the industry at institutions including Museum of London, the V&A, BBC, Parsons, Kerry Taylor Auctions and Garde Robe, as well as for commercial brands such as Net-a-Porter and Burberry.
Fashion Historian and Associate Lecturer
Independent Researcher
MA Fashion, Film and Digital Production aims to stimulate and cultivate innovative media practitioners and film and image makers.
College: London College of Fashion Level: Postgraduate
This postgraduate fashion curation course explores both theoretical and practical aspects of curating contemporary fashion and historical dress.
College: London College of Fashion Level: Postgraduate
