
We are no longer accepting applications from international students for 2021/22 entry to this course. Please check this page regularly as places may become available later in the cycle and if they do, we will reopen applications.
These are our principles.
This is our process.
This is our legacy.
This course is based at John Prince’s Street, Oxford Circus. Find out about the local area, including Marylebone, Mayfair and Soho, 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 John Prince's Street 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.
#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.
#LCFMA20 graduate, Polina Gorkovenko's collection researches the effects of mental health. In light of University Mental Health Day, we're finding out more about the relationship between fashion and mental wellbeing.
LCF hosted its celebratory MA20 show at the Roundhouse, showcasing the final collections of MA Fashion Design Technology Menswear and Womenswear students.
MA Womenswear graduates introduce their collections as part of the #LCFMA20 season, celebrating 20 years of MA Fashion Design Technology at LCF.
Take a tour of LCF's world renowned fashion library, ideal for research and study.
Discover our design studios and workshops across JPS, Mare street, Curtain Road and Lime Grove.
Explore our social spaces, for collaborative study and breaks, across our six sites in London.
MA Fashion Design Technology (Womenswear) is guided by experienced staff and resourced with industry standard equipment. The course nurtures enquiry and develops professionals who will influence the future of the industry.
The course is one of six which make-up the Fashion Programme. The other five courses are:
MA Fashion Design Technology (Womenswear) students will develop their work, both conceptually and technically, through investigative and experimental research into a range of processes and materials. Students can access specialist facilities for hand crafted and digitized manufacturing processes within the College's five sites. In addition to the in-house facilities students will have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers and industry partners to further their skills beyond design in areas such as sourcing, manufacture and project management, media and marketing.
Students are supported to develop collaborations with industry specialists and international fabric suppliers, a process that builds important contacts for the future. Students have the potential to incorporate collaborations with textile and production professionals throughout the course.
The main site for this course is John Princes Street, however students will sometimes be required to attend lectures/seminars/workshops at other sites.
Design & Technology
LCF students have access to the Digital Anthropology Lab and Digital Learning Lab. Researchers from the Digital Labs work with specialist technicians to advise and guide students to innovate in the area of integrated 3D Digital Design. Using diverse production techniques, from couture craftsmanship to futuristic experimentation, students are able to explore their own perspectives to form the basis of their Masters collection.
Work experience and opportunities
Some students may choose to undertake work experience. LCF Graduate Futures can support the preparation of CV’s and application information. LCF graduate futures can also support entrepreneurship and business planning.
Attendance
The emphasis at postgraduate level is on independent study. In addition to taught sessions you will be expected to engage in extensive self-directed research and experimentation and to utilise the library and open access facilities. Details of the contact hours for your course are available via Myarts –http://mycontacthours.arts.local/.
Full schemes of work are published in your Unit Handbooks available via Moodle.
Each unit will be completed over a period of 15 weeks.
Credit Framework
The credit framework conforms to the University of the Arts London framework in which the unit of credit is 20 credits (equivalent to 200 hours of student study time). All credits on the MA Programme are at postgraduate level 7.
Organisation of the Curriculum
The Course is divided into three 15 week blocks. The first block is 60 credits and students who successfully complete this block are eligible for the award of a PG Cert. The second block is a further 60 credits and students who complete blocks 1 and 2 are eligible for the award of PGDip. The third and final block is the Masters Project, this is a 60 credit unit and students who successfully complete this block are eligible for the award of an MA. The final award grading is based upon the MA project only.
The unit is designed to establish and develop your creative thinking and expand on your practical skill levels. Your work will develop individually in response to workshops and introductions to supporting facilities and equipment.
You will evaluate and expand on your existing technical and practical skills by exploring innovative manufacturing and pattern cutting methods that can be applied to your future practice. You will explore alternative research methods to strengthen and expand your knowledge and understanding of creative research and technical processes.
This unit is your opportunity to innovate and explore developmental processes and engage with collaborative working practices. You will develop your professional negotiation, teamwork and networking skills that are essential in the cultural, entrepreneurial and creative industries. The emphasis of this unit is on cross-disciplinary student-led collaboration. You can conceive of your own project or engage with industry and college-based briefs.
This unit is designed to support the planning and development of your Master’s Project in order for you to achieve a coherent and original body of work, by the end of the course. The unit concentrates on the development of your studio practice and its evaluation, underpinned by in-depth research. You are required to develop your critical practice, to analyse review, and revise your focus in line with your expanding theories within the context of your proposed market. The process of development and review culminates in an oral presentation in line with your Research Proposal outcomes.
Developing effective approaches to research is crucial for success in your Masters project and in your wider career. In this unit you will explore approaches for theoretically interrogating your practice and your discipline. Throughout this unit you will uncover your research philosophy, defining how you look at the world and your work. You will build and extend your core research capabilities, developing a robust theoretically justified research proposal that you will complete in your Master’s project.
In the process of developing your research proposal you will explore a range of research methodologies, methods and approaches, describing how you will utilise primary and secondary research tools in your Master’s project. You will build a theoretical framework to test your ideas in order to bring you to an understanding of the relationship between theory and practice. Using this framework, you will develop research questions for your topic and ensure that the aims of your study are achievable, ethical and sufficiently critical. You will be supported in developing disciplinary specific approaches to your research, discovering opportunities for interdisciplinary exploration in the process.
The Masters Project is the final stage of your Masters’ course and is the culmination of your studies providing you with a space to synthesise all the knowledge and skills you have gained on the course so far. Your project will be self-directed and you will negotiate the shape and direction of your project at the outset with your supervisor. This important final phase of your studies is where you will effectively communicate your work along with your ability to critically interrogate your practice with robust approaches to research and theoretical analysis. Upon completion of your project, you will have generated a high-level Masters’ quality piece of work that will showcase your practice, academic literacy and the professional standards that will act as a platform for your future career and professional development.
The following teaching and learning methods are employed to support the integrated achievement of the course outcomes using a blended learning mode of delivery:
The following assessment methods are employed to support the integrated achievement of the course outcomes:
Nabil El-Nayal is the Course Leader and a practice-based designer, who is widely experienced in the world of fashion. After completing his MA at the Royal College of Art, Nabil launched his RTW label NABIL NAYAL to international acclaim. Nabil was twice nominated for the LVMH Prize where he gained the support of the late Karl Lagerfeld and Amanda Harlech. Nabil has twice received the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Trust Award and shows during London and Paris Fashion Weeks. In 2018 Nabil completed a practice-based PhD, which explored the concept of disruption as a generative principle in design leading to a body of work titled Elizabethan Sportswear. Nabil’s research has led to collaborations with the British Library and the School of Historical Dress and has worked with organisations including IBM, Google and Selfridges. Nabil is passionate about exploring disruptive ways of working at the intersection between research/academia and the fashion industry. Read Nabil's full profile here.
Jessica Saunders is the programme director for the Fashion Design Programme, which includes BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Menswear, BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear and BA (Hons) Fashion Jewellery. Read Jessica's full profile here.
Sarah-Ann Smith trained at CSM on the PGCert course and is an experienced pattern cutter with a wealth of ready to wear industry knowledge, including six years as technical manager for Mary Katrantzou, Simone Rocha, Haizhen Wang and Roland Mouret. Skilled in both flat and stand work, Sarah-Ann has been responsible for many showpieces and VIP client work. She is currently researching a cross comparison of international pattern cutting methods of drafting and draping.
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:
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:
Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
IELTS level 6.5 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 course seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:
When you are submitting your application form, you will also need to provide the following pieces of documentation in support of your application:
Curriculum vitae
You will be required to submit a Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) in support of your application. This should include your full education and employment history.
Personal statement
The personal statement is your opportunity to tell us about yourself and your suitability for the course that you intend to study.
Some key points to consider:
Study proposal
Your study proposal should be no more than 600 words (excluding research sources, bibliography and appendices).
It should:
Submit your Study Proposal using the following structure only:
Introduction
Introduce your work and your area of study. Propose a research question (this will develop over the course of your study). Indicate your area of specialism and your proposed innovation within the fashion industry.
Background
Demonstrate your knowledge of the historical and contemporary context of your proposal. Focus on specific areas or issues that underpin and frame your ideas. Discuss relevant theories and critical ideas that relate your work referencing all your sources. (you may add images to discuss in this section)
Programme of study
Describe the proposed outcome of your study and the methods that you propose to use to answer your research question. For example outline a sequence of practical and theoretical forms of research that you intend to follow.
Research sources
Give details of libraries, exhibitions, museums, galleries and special archives that you have visited as part of your research towards the proposal.
Bibliography
Keep a full record of all original and documentary material consulted. List appropriate material using the Harvard Referencing System.
Appendices
Insert any additional material that you consider relevant but not part of the core of the study proposal. This could include links to notes, drawings and additional research material.
Portfolio
You will be required to submit a digital portfolio with a maximum of 30 images that you consider would help support your application. Submit your portfolio via the university’s digital portfolio tool, PebblePad. More details will be sent to you after you have submitted your application.
You should include clear concepts and edited design journeys, with key development work and final presentations pages plus clear photographs of your garments. The quality of the work is more important than the quantity.
Your digital portfolio should evidence drawing for research and presentation and innovative visual communication skills;
You should evidence a high level of research, exploration and experimentation evident in:
Label and present any visual work with care, including dates and captions. If selected for interview, you will be asked to bring garments with you and additional portfolio work.
This section includes all the information you need on how to apply and how your application is considered, and what happens next.
UK/EU students can apply to a postgraduate course at LCF by completing a direct application.
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.
Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.
Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.
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.
If the course team wish to consider your application further, you will be invited to attend an interview. If you are selected for interview, these will take place online using Teams from Microsoft – please ensure that you download this software prior to the interview date; this is available as a free download from the Microsoft website. We will send you further details at a later point about how we will connect with you for your interview.
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.
15 March 2021
We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.
This course receives a high volume of applications. We need to make sure that we give all applications equal consideration, so the course team will review them all after the application deadline date. This means you won’t hear from us about any next steps until after this date. Find out more about what happens after you apply.
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.
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.
Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.
Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.
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.
If the course team wish to consider your application further, you will be invited to attend an interview. If you are selected for interview, these will take place online using Teams from Microsoft – please ensure that you download this software prior to the interview date; this is available as a free download from the Microsoft website. We will send you further details at a later point about how we will connect with you for your interview.
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.
6 January 2021
We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.
This course receives a high volume of applications. We need to make sure that we give all applications equal consideration, so the course team will review them all after the application deadline date. This means you won’t hear from us about any next steps until after this date. Find out more about what happens after you apply.
After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this Portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.
Once we’ve reviewed and assessed your application, we’ll contact you via the UAL Portal to let you know whether your application has been successful.
£11,220 per course
This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 entry. Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.
Home fees are currently charged to UK resident nationals. However, the rules are complex and you can find out more on our tuition fees pages.
From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information webpage
£22,920 per course
This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 entry. Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.
International fees are currently charged to students from countries outside of the UK. However, the rules are complex and more information can be found on our tuition fees pages.
From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information 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. The course provides the industry with graduates who will have the capability to work as part of a creative team as a colleague and an individual. The graduate will have transferable skills for the creative industries including an understanding of high levels of design, time and project management, production and technical knowledge of types of manufacture supported by an aesthetic awareness and academic underpinning.
The course in the past has benefited from constant contact with the industry. External assessors and tutors, leading buying and merchandising teams, stylists and photographers, journalists and editors, entrepreneurs and business consultants show an increasing interest in the emerging talent the course generates. International employers include Alberta Ferretti, Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen, Chloe, Loewe, Pringle, Hussein Chalayan, Roland Mouret, Topman, Savile Row Tailors, Browns Focus, Harvey Nichols, Topman, Savile Row Tailors and Browns Focus.
Graduates from the current MA Fashion Design and Technology have gained employment as innovators within the broad field of fashion design and technology or have identified a fashion house, large corporate company or alternatively choose to build their own identity through the launch of their own design label. Further employment of graduates has included trend prediction, stylist, illustrator, freelance designer or broad aspects of the creative industries.
Further employment opportunities include trend prediction, stylist, illustrator, freelance designer or broad aspects of the creative industries. The MA also provides an excellent preparation for higher level research degrees (MPhil or PhD), with an increasing number of graduates undertaking research in fashion related subjects.
Olivia Rubens
Get to Know the Young Winners of the 2020 International Talent Support Awards Vogue Magazine 2020
MA Womenswear graduate Olivia Rubens wins big at International Talent Support 2020 LCF Stories 2020
Hong Zhao
MA Womenswear student Hong Zhao wins BFC x YOOX Net-A-Porter LCF Stories 2020
Graduate Diploma Fashion Design Technology Alum
Womenswear Designer
Director of Design, Production and Innovative Sustainability