You will gain colour, design and materials knowledge within textile print, knit, stitch and weave. Through fashion, sustainability, interior and exterior design projects you will develop ideas and conceptual thinking.
What you can expect
- To explore possibilities in weave, stitch, knit and print and be encouraged to not see these as stand-alone disciplines but instead to embrace the skills as a starting point to develop new and exciting solutions to design challenges
- To test out ideas through prototyping, experimentation, live projects and digital platform storytelling and the interaction between new technologies and traditional craft processes
- To examine environmental issues, sustainable design and the circular economy encouraging you to think critically about your subject and its impact
- A critical theory programme that helps you to consider your design practice within broad social, cultural, environmental and historical contexts
- To learn about global perspectives and culturally diverse contexts for textiles, which will be introduced through projects, lectures, live project learning opportunities and exchanges
- To develop skills to solve problems creatively through design thinking and thinking through making
- To have access to textile specific specialist facilities. There is a print and dye lab and digital print computer suite. We also have workshops for stitch, digital embroidery, knit and weave
- To have access to Chelsea's shared workshops. These include ceramics, casting, laser cutting, photography, audio-visual editing suite, metal and woodwork. View the Chelsea facilities
Work experience and opportunities
Live projects will enable you to gain vital commercial experience, build networks and expand your professional development. In the past we have worked with Burberry, Chinese Design Centre, Gainsborough Silks, H&M, Indesign, Iberoamericano University (Mexico), Latitude Festival, Made.com, Marks & Spencer, Wallace Collection and trend forecasting company WGSN.
You will have the opportunity to apply to attend international trade fairs. Students have exhibited at Première Vision Designs, part of Première Vision, Paris.
You will be able to take part in an exchange to another institution. Students have been to Berlin, Borås, Kyoto, Paris, Stockholm and Tokyo. The course also has relationships with some American colleges. These include the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons the New School for Design and Rhode Island School of Design.
Mode of study
BA Textile Design is offered in full-time mode. It is divided into 3 stages over 3 academic years. Each stage consists of 30 teaching weeks. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, including teaching hours and independent study.