Applications closed 2019/20
Applications for 2019/20 entry to this course have now closed. Visit the ‘Courses with places available’ page for a full list of UAL courses that are open for application.
BA (Hons) Fashion Imaging & Illustration recognises the changing role of visual communication within the fashion industry and seeks to produce the next generation of innovative, multi-disciplinary image-makers and original thinkers
This course is based at Lime Grove in Shepherd’s Bush. Find out about the local area, including Holland Park and Notting Hill 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 2022. This is part of a new development for London prioritising culture, education and innovation, known as East Bank. Students studying this course will begin their studies at Lime Grove and are likely to be transferred to LCF’s new site in East London, to complete their studies there, from September 2022. Please see ‘4Fashion: LCF’s move to the Olympic Park’ for more information about the College’s relocation.
University of the Arts London and House of Illustration present MarKings
University of the Arts London and House of Illustration present MarKings festival
Here we've selected our top 5 Fashion Illustration Instagram accounts. A combination of both student and alumni from LCF, their work is simply inspiring and showcases some of the most innovative digital illustration in the industry.
BA Fashion Imaging and Illustration student, Victoria Seager, tells us about her journey on the course so far and her hopes for life after LCF.
BA Fashion Illustration Alumna, Laura Avey, tells us all about life as a Visual Merchandiser and Illustrator at Harrods.
London College of Fashion celebrated it's Class of 2019 at the official graduation ceremony last week.
We open our #LCF19 show season with the BA students from the School of Media & Communication, who will be showcasing their final projects at the exhibition 'mode, medium, message.’ We hear from the graduates who focused their projects on exploring
Dani Marsh talks about her experience of studying at LCF and shares a few tips to be a successful freelance illustrator
Take a tour of LCF's world renowned fashion library, ideal for research and study.
Take a tour of Lime Grove's media facilities from drawing studios to photographic studios to darkrooms.
Explore our social spaces, for collaborative study and breaks, across our six sites in London.
BA Fashion Imaging and Illustration's specialist curriculum is underpinned by drawing in all its guises and enhanced by digital technology, photography, moving image and animation. You will gain refined visual and academic research skills, culminating in a final major project and dissertation in your final year.
Live projects include collaborations with Fine Cell Work, DASH magazine, H&M, London Fashion Week, MarKings Festival 2016, Apple, Goodmans and Showstudio.
The course has many links to industry including DASH magazine, Apple, Showstudio and the many practitioners who teach on the course within a teaching capacity. The courses is also currently working with House of Illustration and also run live-streamed events with the Paris School of Art.
Alumni include Alina Zamanova, Kojey Radical, Displaytoy, Adriana Deco and Bex Cassie.
The academic year for this course is divided into Block 1 and Block 2.
Block 1 is of 15 weeks’ duration from late September to February. In accordance with the University timetable, there will be a four week holiday in December.
Block 2 is also of 15 weeks’ duration from mid-February to the end of June with a four week holiday for Easter.
Students on this course might be invited to participate in study trips. This may involve, for example, visits to key areas of capital cities, factories, stores and museums. Attendance on these trips is not compulsory but recommended. Details regarding timings and costs will be issued closer to the relevant trips.
Introduction to Fashion Illustration aims to introduce you to your course and its subject specialism as well as to effective learning and studentship at undergraduate level. It will orientate you to the practices and knowledgebase needed to understand your discipline and help you to develop your skills for independent & collaborative learning, reflection and evaluation. Students come from many diverse educational experiences and a part of this unit will enable you to reflect on your own background and how that shapes the way you approach your course.
The emphasis of the Fashion Illustration and Spatial Interaction unit is on the practice of fashion imaging and illustration and how it relates to differing spatial environments. This unit offers you the opportunity to experiment with situating your work in the context of public spaces responding to a simulated client brief. Having explored how emerging technologies and digital platforms can transform your illustrations in Block 1, you will be required to demonstrate this understanding by applying these skills to an exploratory collaborative project, working in groups to plan and produce a final outcome. This unit gives you the opportunity to expand your horizons with regard to the potential and scope of communicating your work in a large‐scale arena. You will also explore sound, film, VR, static and site‐specific ideas. During the course of the unit you will develop your visual vocabulary using both traditional and digital techniques, which will also give you an opportunity to expand your sources of reference, linking research and content to the practice of fashion imaging in a public domain.
Introduction to Cultural Historical Studies introduces the Cultural and Historical Studies approach to fashion and related areas. The unit provides a broad overview of the subject and introduces key concepts and ways of thinking that will form the basis of subsequent study. It will also inform decisions regarding the Cultural and Historical Studies unit that is chosen for future study.
Cross Media Narratives introduces you to content production for digital platforms as a context for Fashion Imaging and illustration, exploring branding, advertising and promotion. Through a study of locations and the people that inhabit them, you will explore the fundamentals of observational research, visual communication, image sequencing, and narrative. A rigorous development process that synthesizes your first‐hand observations and secondary research methods will guide your final outcome. The sprit and energy of your chosen location will be interpreted and documented to create a visual scene‐scape to be edited and presented via online formats. You will be introduced to and explore a range of emerging online applications and platforms to present this body of work within an evolving digital environment.
Better Lives
London College of Fashion, UAL (LCF), is a leader in fashion design, media and business education. We have been nurturing creative talent for over a century, offering courses in all things fashion. We encourage students to examine the past and challenge the present. To have inventive, assertive ideas that challenge social and political agendas. We give students the skills, opportunities – and above all, the freedom – to put those ideas into practice. By leading the way in fashion design, business, and the media, we influence culture, economics and our society.This unit will provide you with a solid understanding of LCF’ core values and how they connect to your practice. As part of this unit you will explore diversity, social responsibility and sustainability, themes which you will then apply to a selected project. At this stage the emphasis is on how you apply your thinking across these important themes to your practice. Your thinking is more important than a finished piece of work at this point. Fashion can change lives. Through teaching, specialist research, and collaborative work, this unit will get you thinking differently. We want you to use fashion to examine the past, build a sustainable future and improve the way we live. That’s why we call this unit ‘Better Lives’.
To begin you will be able to study a Cultural and Historical Studies unit of your choice that will broaden or deepen your learning of areas relating to your interests in your chosen field. You will have the opportunity to participate in lectures, seminars and workshops with students from other courses within your School, and will read relevant academic texts and complete a formal academic essay for assessment.
During the Creative Directions unit you will produce an individual creative and visual response to a simulated or live professional client brief, offering you options to choose your own creative direction. Themes explored will be diversity, exclusivity and sustainability in the fashion industry. This unit is an opportunity to refresh and re‐examine your direction for future development. During this unit you will investigate theory and practice developing broader approaches to fashion imaging and illustration, considering the use of appropriate software and digital platforms. This unit will give you the opportunity to reflect and respond to your current skill‐set and forward planning strategies. You will consolidate your working knowledge of fashion illustration and imaging in a contemporary context.
The Interactive Brief
This unit introduces you to the use of moving image (film and animation) and post‐production. A simulated brief will give you the opportunity to develop your understanding of an industry context. You will develop design skills specific to moving image such as storyboarding, narrative structure, and compositing. You will be encouraged to expand upon your drawing practice via the exploration of software and methodologies, by digitally processing illustrations and incorporating them into your outcome. This unit will encourage you to develop IT technical skills associated with fashion film, VR and drawn, moving images. The importance of sound will also be explored. The emphasis will be on interpretation and interrogating visual elements into a succinct final outcome.
Situating Your Practice unit
Fashioned Spaces
This unit will offer an opportunity to reflect on your developing practice, and consider how your work is situated with regards to contemporary fashion image making, and dissemination. The unit will offer you the opportunity to showcase your specialist creative practice, and curate, produce and display your innovative body of work within a specific context. The unit also offers the opportunity for collaborative practice and consideration of audience and context.
Media Placement
This unit aims to develop your professional skills within an industry environment. On your placement you will be able to experience the pace, atmosphere and discipline of working in the industry. This will give you practical experience of the roles, functions and operations within the industry. The unit requires a minimum of 60 work placement hours.
LCF Careers provide career guidance and one to one opportunities starting in your first year at LCF, to help you plan ahead and prepare for your work experience. You will be expected to engage and be proactive in securing your own work experience and one that is suitable to your own personal development, skills, course requirements and career aspirations. This means producing an updated CV and directly applying to companies for work experience using LCF CAREERS LIVE, LCF’s own job board, as well as other resources. You will also be expected to feedback on your work experience after your work experience.
International Study
This unit provides an opportunity to apply previous learning whilst studying your subject in a different institution. You will develop skills within your practice and gain credits for your current course whilst engaging with the academic culture of your host institution. The unit also demands a critical approach to the management of your own learning through reflection and planning. Please check with the Exchange and Mobility Officer for an up-to date list of partnerships for your programme. Students studying at a partner institution in Europe for a minimum period of three months (approx. 12 weeks) will be eligible for the Erasmus+ grant. We are unable to guarantee that every course will have an agreement with a partner host institution. As such, this unit is subject to availability. There will be a selection and application process for students who are interested in applying to take this unit of study.
To begin you will do the Testing Concepts unit. This unit requires you to expand your research practice and skills, and will be a space for you to experiment, develop and cultivate your ideas for a Final Major Project proposal. You will consider the theoretical and professional contexts of your project and develop an appropriate methodology, paying attention to narrative, audience and production values. You will explore new ideas, processes, and methods, and will take risks and experiment with design and production values, working to an intended outcome. The way that you structure your work within this unit is up to you; for example you may choose to focus on one line of enquiry, or produce a series of smaller test projects, or explore a range of visual and theoretical research avenues and methods.
The Cultural and Historical Studies Dissertation unit is to provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the critical and analytical perspectives developed within cultural and historical theory and your ability to apply those perspectives in a specific study. You will research a topic of your choice that has relevance to the discipline of cultural and historical studies. This may relate to your course discipline, and should elaborate knowledges developed in prior cultural and historical studies units. You will undertake a substantial piece of structured primary and secondary research that critically engages with cultural issues relating to fashion, the body, performance, or the media and communications industries and which reflects on the critical debates and concerns addressed in your course.
The Personal and Professional Project unit provides a framework to produce a substantial body of work to an advanced conceptual and technical level, in addition to an industry-ready portfolio.
All students are advised to set up a profile on portfolio.arts.ac.uk, UAL’s new portfolio platform, which can be done at any point during your time at LCF and will last for up to 12 months after graduation. This platform is often used to source student work for promotional use on the website, social media and for print and can be a great way of getting your work seen. You may also be asked to have a portfolio profile for the selection process when it comes to degree shows.
Cameron Haynes is the acting course leader for BA (hons) Fashion Imaging & Illustration. He has a background in advertising, TV and commercial film production and publishing. He gained a BA in Graphic Media Design & Illustration in 2002 and obtained his MA in Photography with a distinction from LCC in 2010. He is currently a PhD student with a special interest in visual culture and representations of black identity, rethinking and updating theories of blackness and race. As a visual artist his practice is concerned with the multidisciplinary approaches of graphic illustration and media design, specializing in photography, film and video with an emphasis on experimental image making and fine art practice. He has exhibited work in both the UK and Germany. Mentored by the fashion photographer Brian Duffy, Cameron’s professional profile includes work produced for a broad range of brands including, Elle, Patrick Cox, Paul Smith and Oswald Boateng. He has also produced work for a variety of corporate clients such as, Pepsi, Disney and British Airways.
Itai Doron is the programme director for Fashion Media courses. He is an established photographer with particular interests in fashion, portraiture, social documentary, body politics, identity and queer theory. Working as a lens-based artist since graduation from Goldsmiths College of Art, Itai has twice received the UAL research project award to develop a body of work on immigration, combining social documentary with notions of fashion. Itai has a proven track record of public dissemination of visual and written work through exhibitions, publications, and academic research and was invited to deliver talks and lectures about his research at various international academic conferences. He has exhibited at the White Cube gallery in London, and participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in the UK, Europe, Japan, Israel and the United States. He has authored a selection of photography books, including End Of Real in 2005, Yassin in 2009, Chokras’ Mahal (Boys' Palace) in 2011, and Fifteen Minutes With You in 2012.
Alex Mein is an illustrator and lecturer living and working in London. After training in BA (Hons) Fashion Design at Ravensbourne he freelanced as a textile and fashion designer before progressing into menswear buying. From 2012 to 2019 he lectured in BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Styling at Middlesex University whilst consulting as an art director. Alex's personal practice concerns observation, identity and portraiture. Through drawing he documents a range of identities and shared experiences, whether through the casting of individuals or drawing people observed in public spaces. His clients include Gap, Liberty London, Mulberry, Nike, DJ Honey Dijon and Harvey Nichols. His work has been featured in publications such as Solar, Nylon, Slashstroke and Fashion Drawing 2 - Illustration Techniques for Designers.
James Davison studied Graphic Design (BA Hons) at Central St Martins and graduated in 2006. His work references queer/pop culture, comic books and fashion. After working as an illustrator in New York he now lives and works in London and is known for documenting fashion shows and backstage. Clients include MAC Cosmetics, Nike, Dover Street Market, i-D and GQ. Alongside lecturing at UAL, James is also a co-founder of ‘SketchSesh’ drawing sessions that merge fashion illustration, set design and life drawing. SketchSesh has worked with designers such as Nasir Mazhar, Louise Grey and held sessions amongst others at The National Gallery and The National Theatre. James’s first book is scheduled to be released in 2019, published by Montez Press.
Ellie Tsatsou is an interdisciplinary artist who works mainly with digital and analogue photography, moving image, editing, writing and publishing. She holds a BA in Communication & Media Studies from the American College of Greece, as well as an MA in Fashion & Film from LCF, University of the Arts London, both with distinction, and her research interests focus on the interwoven relation of intuition and the creative process, as well as on notions of home and gathering wonder. Her photographic work and publications have been showcased internationally and are part of private collections in both Europe and the States. Ellie has been mentored by photographers Nick Knight (London, 2010/11) and Ryan McGinley (New York, 2012/13), and currently runs her own business, Ellie Tsatsou Studio (est. 2013), in London alongside lecturing at UAL.
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 minimum entry requirements for this course are:
One or a combination of the following accepted full level 3 qualifications.
Entry to this course will also be determined by assessment of your portfolio.
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 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements
The course team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:
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.
Applications for 2019/20 entry for this course are now closed. Applications for 2020/21 entry will open in Autumn 2019.
This section includes all the information you need on how to apply and how your application is considered, and what happens next.
You should apply though UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service – and you will need the following information:
University code: U65
UCAS Code: W225
London College of Fashion does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
We recommend you apply by 15th January for equal consideration. However this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.
All application forms, personal statements and references are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed in the Entry Requirements and Selection Criteria sections.
If you have achieved or expect to achieve the standard entry requirements we will invite you to submit a mini portfolio which should include a number of images of your work. For this course your portfolio should show evidence of: drawing / presentation skills; examples of creative visual imagery; research skills; experimentation; and engagement with technology for image production. The mini portfolio is assessed by Academic Reviewers who will select applicants to attend an interview. Please note that not all applicants are invited to attend interview.
If you are selected for interview, these will take place at the Rich Mix Arts venue in Shoreditch from February 17th to 22nd 2020. Please see here for a map of the location; nearest stations are Liverpool Street (Central, Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City and TFL Rail), Shoreditch High Street (Overground) and Bethnal Green (Central). Local buses also serve the venue – please see the Richmix website for further details.
Should you be unable to attend your interview, you must notify us as soon as you can. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to reschedule so you should make every effort to attend the scheduled interview.
If you applied through UCAS the result of your application will be communicated to you via UCAS through UCAS Track. You will only receive further communication directly from the College if your application has been successful. This will be in the form of a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.
Applications for 2019/20 entry for this course are now closed. Applications for 2020/21 entry will open in Autumn 2019.
This section includes all the information you need on how to apply and how your application is considered, and what happens next.
Your application form is reviewed when you apply to the University. If you have achieved or expect to achieve the standard entry requirements you will be invited to submit a portfolio of no more than 45 images. Your portfolio is assessed by our academic team who will select applicants to attend an interview. Please note that not all applicants are invited to attend interview. When you have attended your interview we will advise you of your outcome.
There are three ways international students can apply to an undergraduate course at London College of Fashion:
You should apply though UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service – and you will need the following information:
University code: U65
UCAS Code: W225
You can only apply to the same course once per year whether you are applying via UCAS, UAL Representative or using the UAL online application system. Any duplicate application will be withdrawn.
For further advice on how to apply please visit the UAL International Application page.
London College of Fashion does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
We recommend you apply by 15th January for equal consideration. However this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.
Whether you are applying online via UCAS or through a UAL representative or direct application 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 references 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 should show evidence of: drawing / presentation skills; examples of creative visual imagery; research skills; experimentation; and engagement with technology for image production.
If the academic team wish to consider your application further, you will be invited to attend an interview either in person or via telephone where an international academic will look at your portfolio and ask questions to establish your suitability for the course. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the following at interview: a strong interest in, and awareness of, contemporary fashion and fashion illustration; a cultural awareness of society; visual awareness evidenced through portfolio work; an interest in, and knowledge of, technical processes for image production; a motivation for working in fashion illustration; and a motivation to succeed on the course.
If you are successful at the interview stage you will be offered a place. Applicants are not guaranteed to be asked to upload work, nor are they guaranteed an interview.
Please note that if you are unable to attend, the College may not be able to re-schedule.
If you applied through UCAS the result of your application will be communicated to you via UCAS through UCAS Track. If you have applied directly or through an agent, we will notify you through the UAL portal. You will only receive further communication directly from the College if your application has been successful. This will be in the form of a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.
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 UCAS Track or the UAL Portal to let you know whether your application has been successful.
Please note: the information outlined is an indicative structure of the course. Whilst we will aim to deliver the course as described on this page, there may be situations where it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, for example because of regulatory requirements or operational efficiencies, before or after enrolment. If this occurs, we will communicate all major changes to all applicants and students who have either applied or enrolled on the course. Please note that due to staff research agreements or availability, not all of the optional modules listed may be available every year. In addition, the provision of course options which depend upon the availability of specialist teaching, or on a placement at another institution, cannot be guaranteed. Please check this element of the course with the course team before making a decision to apply.
We will update this webpage from time to time with new information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please use the enquiry form above.
£9,250
This applies for 2019/20 entry
Tuition fees for undergraduate degree courses have been set at £9,250 per year for full-time study. This applies for the 2019/20 academic year, subject to changes in the law. Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students, in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Please visit our Undergraduate tuition fees page for more information.
£19,930
This applies for 2019/20 entry
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.
There are a number of scholarships and awards available to students on this course. Use our search tool to find out more information.
All of our undergraduate courses are concerned with the development of your personal and professional skills. On your course you will evolve from learning basic skills in your discipline through to a position where you are an independent creative thinker capable of making an effective contribution to the relevant sector of the fashion industry. Personal and Professional Development (PPD) skills are embedded in all units on every course. Speaker programmes with contributions from alumni, members of industry and others are a part of many courses, as are work placement opportunities in industry.
Graduates who wish to continue their education at postgraduate level are encouraged to progress to suitable courses within the College, the University or elsewhere.
Many graduates prefer to seek employment as soon as they have completed their undergraduate studies. BA Fashion Imaging and Illustration students also go on to do curation, painting, art direction and freelance fashion illustration. Recent graduates from this course are working at ASOS, Browns Focus, Love magazine, and Vauxhall Fashion Scout. This year graduates include musician Kojey Radical who is MOBO nominated, and explores themes that he looked at through his illustration within a sonic context. Other alumni Bex Cassie, who is at SHOWstudio and Olivia Bilson will graduate from RCA this year.
Freelance illustrator and animator
Fashion Illustrator
Founder, ALINA ZAMANOVA
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