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Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Fashion Design: Knitwear

A model wearing a pink and blue knitted top and trousers
Martin Tual
College
Central Saint Martins
UCAS code
W23K
Start date
September 2023
Course length
Three years full-time or four years full-time with Diploma in Professional Studies

BA Fashion offers highly motivated students a nurturing environment which champions originality and innovation.

Applications closed 2023/24 

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course.

Visit the Courses with places available page for a full list of UAL courses that are open for application.

On this course, you will work in a dynamic atmosphere which has already produced many of fashion’s brightest talents. It is part of the Fashion programme.

Why choose this course at Central Saint Martins

  • Pathway structure: On BA Fashion, you can choose to study one of five pathways: Fashion Design: Menswear, Womenswear, Print, Knitwear and Communication.
  • Professionals and sponsors: The course provides opportunities for collaboration with external professionals and sponsors. Previously, these have included Christian Dior, L'Oréal Professionnel, Louis Vuitton, LVMH, Nike, Puma, Stone Island and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
  • Industry networks: You can take advantage of the course’s excellent relationship with the international fashion community. This will allow you to experience placements drawn from a wide and distinguished range of sources.
  • Alumni success: Our graduates work across a wide spectrum of careers in fashion. They have gone on to establish their own labels or to work as company designers, freelancers and consultants.

Course overview

Fashion is a fast-moving and diverse international industry. It has historical and social and significance, often underpinning our cultural values. BA Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins recognises this climate of diversity and cultural importance. Encouraging innovation and originality, the course will support your creative, practical and intellectual development. It will enable you to take advantage of the wide range of opportunities the industry can offer.  

BA Fashion Design offers five pathways: Menswear; Womenswear; Print; Knitwear; and Communication. Each pathway offers a unique combination of design, historical studies and theoretical studies led by tutors who are expert practitioners in their field. The Knitwear pathway allows for a breadth of creative approaches within an increasingly important discipline. Britain has an excellent international reputation for design in knitwear. This is thanks to our long-standing central position in the wool trade and machine development. In recent years, this sector has grown from traditional quality to encompass high fashion, cut and sew jersey, stretch and bodywear. This pathway will familiarise you with these processes and the use of world fibre resources within this context.  

The course creates a learning environment in which innovation is nurtured across five distinct but closely related pathways. Through this structure, we encourage versatile fashion specialists who can solve problems creatively. We aim to equip you with in-depth knowledge of your chosen field as well as a wider breadth of the industry. Alongside your specialism, you will learn about the social, economic and cultural factors which impact on the professional realm in which you will work.  

The BA Fashion Design curriculum offers opportunities for interdisciplinary work and collaboration. This is formulated to provide a microcosm of the professional fashion design world. The nature of this work will give you valuable insight into your future role in the industry. The curriculum is also flexible and provides scope for professional networking. BA Fashion Design focuses on active learning through project-based enquiry. Collaborative projects may involve cross-pathway teams, as well as work with external professionals, sponsoring companies and organisations.

Contact us

Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.

Contact us to make an enquiry.

Course units

BA Fashion Design: Knitwear is primarily fashion and design oriented and there is a strong focus on technical ability. You will become familiar with a variety of techniques from hand skills to computerised machinery. You will be expected to investigate creative avenues to develop individual outcomes. You will extend and challenge concepts of fashion design, underpinned by a fluency in traditional and contemporary techniques. The range between hand crafting and computerised machinery is encouraged to push the boundaries. You will be expected to experiment, using established and new fibres and materials to develop an individual and creative approach to knitwear. 

Stage 1

Unit 1: Introduction to the Fashion Programme and to Studying at CSM 
Unit 2: Research Creative Development and Technical Skills Part 1 
Unit 3: Research Creative Development and Technical Skills Part 2 
Unit 4: Cultural Histories and Theories (Fashion)

In Stage 1, you will improve your skills, understanding and approaches to learning. You will focus on the skills needed to communicate information effectively. You will be introduced to resources which support your studies. Units 2 and 3 will provide a foundation in the generation and development of design ideas. Through practical workshops, you will learn the unique aspects of the Knitwear pathway. You will also be introduced to other course pathways. In Unit 4, you will focus on a range of research methods used to analyse relevant objects, images, spaces and cultural practices.  

Stage 2

Unit 5: Research Methods and Approaches (Fashion)
Unit 6: Further Development of Pathway Expertise Part 1 
Unit 7: Further Development of Pathway Expertise Part 2 
Unit 8: Positioning and Professional Preparation 

Unit 5 offers a range of research methods and approaches which will support you in undertaking more self-directed study. This may include visual and material culture, social theory and media studies. In Units 6 and 7 you will explore the breadth of your subject, developing your individual talents. Learning includes studio and formal tutorial guidance, seminars, lectures, external projects and competitions, critiques, personal research, independent study and team projects. Unit 8 encourages you to consolidate the necessary skills to develop and articulate your own practice. You will further enhance your knowledge of industry with a focus on your future employability. 

Stage 3

Unit 9: Degree Project Research and Development 
Unit 10: Dissertation 
Unit 11: Degree Project Resolution and Presentation 
 

Stage 3 gives you the opportunity to manage your own learning. You will begin to define your individual creative identity as a designer. By the end of Unit 9, you will have completed the initial research and design phase of your degree collection.  

Your dissertation represents the culmination of your cultural studies work for your degree. It extends your research, analytical and communication skills. You will focus on a selected aspect of visual, textual, material, social, media or spatial culture. In some cases, students may wish to place greater emphasis on the dissertation. There is a route in place to accommodate this which you must make an application for. This will allow you to demonstrate a focused study of your chosen subject. In the final unit of the course, you will complete and present your degree collection and portfolio of work.  

Diploma in Professional Studies

Between Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the course there is an option for you to work with industry for the duration of an academic year (across three terms/two blocks) and complete a Diploma in Professional Studies. Whilst the Diploma is an optional aspect of the course, it is designed as an integrated and assessed part of your journey through the course, if you do take up this option. The Diploma results in a standalone qualification (rated at 120 credits), which involves researching, undertaking and reflecting on a 100 day/20-week (minimum) placement related to your professional interests and aspirations. The Diploma provides a valuable opportunity to make professional contacts and to develop your personal employability skills.  

Mode of study 

BA Fashion Design runs for 90 weeks in full-time mode. It is divided into three stages over three academic years. Each stage lasts 30 weeks.   

You will be expected to commit 40 hours per week to study, which includes teaching time and independent study.   

Credit and award requirements

The course is credit-rated at 360 credits, with 120 credits at each stage (level). 

On successfully completing the course, you will gain a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA Hons degree).

Under the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications the stages for a BA are: Stage 1 (Level 4), Stage 2 (Level 5) and Stage 3 (Level 6). In order to progress to the next stage, all units of the preceding stage must normally be passed: 120 credits must be achieved in each stage. The classification of the award will be derived from the marks of units in Stages 2 and 3 or only Stage 3, using a dual algorithm.  

If you are unable to continue on the course, a Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) will normally be offered following the successful completion of Level 4 (or 120 credits), or a Diploma in Higher Education (DipHE) following the successful completion of Level 5 (or 240 credits). 

Learning and teaching methods

The learning and teaching methods devised for this course include: 

  • Workshop and studio tuition 
  • Project work 
  • Interdisciplinary group and teamwork 
  • Briefing documents and briefing meetings 
  • Seminars 
  • Lectures or studio talks 
  • Presentations 
  • Group critiques 
  • Studio demonstrations 
  • Field study visits (external visits will be subject to availability due to distancing guidelines)
  • Peer learning and feedback 
  • Independent study 
  • Self-evaluation 
  • Individual and group tutorials.

BA Fashion 2022

BA Fashion 2021

Watch the 2019 BA Fashion catwalk show

Student Perspectives: BA Fashion Fashion Design with Knitwear

Keith Tovey, BA Fashion Design and Knitwear, designs Grayson Perry's UAL graduation robes

BA Fashion stories

  • MullenLowe NOVA Awards 2023: the nominees
    Credit: Elmira Ismukhamedova

    MullenLowe NOVA Awards 2023: the nominees

    Announcing the nominations for this year's MullenLowe NOVA Awards for Fresh Creative Talent, as part of CSM Shows 2023. This year, 52 nominated students present projects across art, design, fashion, architecture, materials and performance.

  • BA Fashion Show 2023
    Photos by Rebecca Maynes. Designers l to r: L'Oreal Pro Winner Eden Braden Tan, 1st runner up Alba Mas Amoros and 2nd runner up Ivan Delogu

    BA Fashion Show 2023

    Each of the 135 students on our BA Fashion Class of 2023 showcased their final looks in a catwalk show at Granary Square as part of CSM Shows 2023.

  • Reflections from our Capri Holdings Foundation Scholars on the BA Fashion Programme.
    Photo by Angela Tozzi

    Reflections from our Capri Holdings Foundation Scholars on the BA Fashion Programme.

    Nearly one year into their studies, we meet seven of our students who joined the CSM Fashion Programme in 22/23 and are supported with scholarships from The Capri Holdings Foundation.

  • Keeping the planet cold: CSM Fashion x Canada Goose
    Installation view, Canada Goose x CSM Fashion: Keeping the Planet Cold exhibition, Lethaby Gallery. Photo by Oscar Lindsey

    Keeping the planet cold: CSM Fashion x Canada Goose

    Displaying outerwear pieces, lifestyle objects and mixed media portfolios, Keeping the Planet Cold introduces a range of outcomes from collaborative projects between Canada Goose and Central Saint Martins (CSM) MA Fashion, BA Fashion Design and BA

Graduate Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Graduate Showcase

  • SOLAR AGE
    SOLAR AGE, Julia Labis, 2022 BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear, Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • No Longer Human
    No Longer Human, Beth Williams, 2022 BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear, Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Hen Aelwyd - Old Hearth of Home
    Hen Aelwyd - Old Hearth of Home, Alice Morell-Evans, 2022 BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear, Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • A gig in a parallel universe
    A gig in a parallel universe, Jingyi Xie, 2022 BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear, Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Final collection
    Final collection, Smriti Limbu, 2022 BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear, Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Graduate Collection
    Graduate Collection, Rina Hayashi, 2022 BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear, Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • Digital games world
    Digital games world, Zoe Zhixu LIU, 2022 BA (Hons) Fashion: Fashion Design with Knitwear, Central Saint Martins, UAL

Facilities

Stage 1 Co-Leader: Elodie Girad
Stage 1 Co-Leader: Rahemur Rahman
Stage 1 Co-Leader: Neil Smith
Senior Lecturer, Fashion Design with Marketing Pathway Leader: Stephanie Cooper
Senior Lecturer, Fashion Design Knitwear Pathway Leader:
Craig Lawrence
Senior Lecturer, Fashion Design Menswear Pathway Leader:
Ike Rust
Senior Lecturer, Fashion Design Womenswear Pathway Co-Leader:
Anna-Nicole Ziesche
Senior Lecturer, Fashion Design Womenswear Pathway Co-Leader:
Heather Sproat
Fashion Design Print Pathway Leader: Esmee Egerton
Senior Lecturer, Garment Construction:
Louis Loizou

Fees and funding

Home fee

£9,250 per year

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£25,970 per year

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

One of the following accepted full Level 3 qualifications:

  • Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Level 3 or 4) and one A Level at grade C or above
  • Merit, Pass, Pass (MPP) at BTEC Extended Diploma (preferred subjects include Art, Art and Design or Design and Technology)
  • Pass at UAL Extended Diploma
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma equivalent to 64 UCAS tariff points (preferred subjects include Art, Art and Design or Design and Technology)
  • Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Level 3 or 4) plus equivalent EU/International qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma

And three GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A*–C).

Entry to this course will also be determined by assessment of your portfolio.

AP(E)L – Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. 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
  • 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 cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English language requirements

IELTS score of 6.0 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English language requirements webpage).

Selection criteria

We select applicants who can demonstrate current ability and potential to:

Work imaginatively and creatively in 2D and 3D visual and material media:

  • Engage with experimentation and invention
  • Show imagination and ambition in proposals for their work
  • Take informed risks.

Demonstrate a range of skills and technical abilities:

  • Through the portfolio, demonstrate a range of approaches to design development, originated from personal experience or visual research and progressed through logical stages to a finished design solutions
  • Evidence handling a material or medium with sensitivity to its qualities
  • Demonstrate engagement and improvement in a recently learned technical skill
  • Demonstrate an awareness of planning and time management skills
  • Provide evidence of intellectual enquiry within their work.

Demonstrate relevant research skills:

  • Evidence your ability to critically reflect on and evaluate your achievements.

Demonstrate cultural awareness and/or contextual framework of their work:

  • Demonstrate an awareness of contemporary fashion design communication and promotion
  • Identify social and/or cultural influences on their work.

Articulate and communicate intentions clearly:

  • Discuss their work in individual and group situations.
  • Present their work appropriately and effectively.

Demonstrate commitment and motivation in relation to the subject and the course:

  • Develop their own ideas and address both set and personal project briefs
  • Show willingness to collaborate
  • Show initiative.

What we are looking for

BA Fashion Design is for the talented, self-motivated fashion enthusiast. Spirited, informed and mature enough to commit to a course that is demanding in its breadth and depth, you will thrive in the competitive atmosphere that has spawned many of fashion's brightest talents. In this fast-moving global industry it takes hard work, flexibility and passion to succeed.

Apply now

Applications closed 2023/24 

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course. Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in Autumn 2023.

You should apply through UCAS and you will need the following information:

University code:          U65
UCAS Code:               W23K

Transfers

If you are currently studying somewhere else on a course in an equivalent subject area and would like to transfer to this course, you can transfer to:

Year 2, if you’ve completed 120 credits in Year 1
Year 3, if you’ve completely 240 credits in Years 1 and 2

Apply via UCAS and choose Year 2 or 3 for your POE (Point of Entry).  Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and Year 1/Year 2 unit transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Deferred entry

Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.

Application deadline

We recommend you apply by 18.00 (UK Time) on 25 January 2023 for equal consideration.

We receive a high volume of applications for this course and therefore we normally close applications after the UCAS application deadline.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal.  We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal.  You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

Applications closed 2023/24 

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course. Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in Autumn 2023.

There are two ways international students can apply to an undergraduate course at Central Saint Martins:

You can only apply to the same course once per year.

When applying via UCAS you will need the following information:

University code:          U65
UCAS Code:                 W23K

Transfers

If you are currently studying somewhere else on a course in an equivalent subject area and would like to transfer to this course, you can transfer to:

Year 2, if you’ve completed 120 credits in Year 1
Year 3, if you’ve completely 240 credits in Years 1 and 2

Apply via UCAS and choose Year 2 or 3 for your POE (Point of Entry).  Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and Year 1/Year 2 unit transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Visas

Read our visit our immigration and visa advice page to find out whether you need a visa to study.

Deferred entry

Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.

Application deadline

We recommend you apply by 18.00 (UK Time) on 25 January 2023 for equal consideration.

We receive a high volume of applications for this course and therefore we normally close applications after the UCAS application deadline.

Immigration history check

You will be asked to complete an immigration history check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL.  We will not be able to proceed with your application until you have submitted your completed Immigration History Form.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal.  We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal.  You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

After you apply

What happens next

Initial application check

We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course.  If you do, you will be invited to submit a digital portfolio through UAL’s online portfolio review system.

Digital portfolio

Your portfolio should be no more than 25 pages comprising your best work showing your skills and thinking. You can create the pages in any layout (For example: presentation boards) but they should be uploaded as jpeg images. It should include:

  • Three pages of research images for fashion design, using a range of materials (drawings, notes, photographs, images of items that you find inspirational for fashion design)
  • Three pages of fashion design sketches (sketches demonstrating your development of a fashion theme)
  • Two pages of finished fashion illustrations (using colour and demonstrating your skills of presentation, these could be hand-drawn, painted, collage or computer images)
  • The other pages can comprise any other of your creative work. We leave the decision of what to include to you.

For more portfolio advice please visit our portfolio advice page.

Interview

Following the review of the portfolio we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process.  These applicants will be invited to an online interview lasting 15 to 20 minutes.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

You will receive the final outcome of your application through UCAS Hub.

Feedback

This course receives a high number of applications, and unfortunately we cannot provide feedback to everyone who is unsuccessful. We can only provide feedback after you have had an interview.

If you would like to request feedback, please contact us via your portal.

Each and every application is carefully considered by a member(s) of our academic team. With so many strong applicants to choose from, it is often a very difficult decision to make. If you are unsuccessful, you are welcome to apply to us again in the future.

Deferring your place

This course does not accept applications from offer holders to defer their place.  If you are unable to take up your place, you will need to re-apply the following year.

Careers

BA Fashion graduates work across a very wide spectrum of careers in fashion.

While a few go on to become household names, the majority choose not to establish their own labels, working successfully and influentially as company designers, freelancers and consultants or as journalists, stylists, photographers, illustrators, editors and retailers.

Each year, a number of BA Fashion graduates go on to study at postgraduate level, many at Central Saint Martins.
Recent BA Fashion alumni activity demonstrates the breadth of student activity within the sector. Many of our graduates go on to work at major fashion labels around the world.

In London, these include Alexander McQueen, Ghost, Holland & Holland, Katharine Hamnett. In the UK, Burberry, Paul Smith, Hussein Chalayan. In Italy, Benetton, Etro, Alberta Feretti, Antonio Berardi, Prada, Versace. In Paris, Martin Margiela, Kenzo, Christian Lacroix, Martine Sitbon, Dior, Chloe, Louis Vuitton. In New York, Donna Karan, Style Council and in Japan, Comme des Garçons.

Some have set up their own labels. These include Boroaksu, Clements Ribeiro, Stella McCartney, Hussein Chalayan, Sinha-Stanic, Matthew Williamson.

Developing your links

Located at the heart of the London fashion industry, BA Fashion is able to link education and industry providing students with 'live' projects and professional feedback. The BA Fashion course has also developed an excellent relationship with the international fashion community, so that placements for its students are drawn from a wide and distinguished range of sources.

Student’s benefit enormously from studying in London. While there are other fashion courses on the outskirts of the capital, none can offer you the daily stimulation and advantages of being in the middle of an international cultural and fashion centre, surrounded by all levels of the retail market and sectors of the industry within which you will later find employment.

Current collaborations across the design pathways include work with L'Oreal Professional, Triumph, Liberty, Tie Rack, Paul Smith, Dior and Christian Dior Couture.