Fashion Design Innovation BA

Course overview

By studying BA Fashion Design Innovation at the University of Leeds, you’ll investigate, understand and address future fashion challenges. You’ll develop your understanding of fashion and textile design, combining the latest digital technologies with practical skills and applications to create innovative design solutions for both virtual and physical environments.

You’ll balance research-led activities and contextual studies with creative practice and focus on social, ethical and sustainable fashion design thinking to lead innovation. You’ll be equipped with a broad range of resilient skills that enable you to graduate with the ability to positively impact the fashion industry.

You’ll examine the relationships between sustainable design and your own virtual and physical making, developing an understanding of diverse market sectors. Fashion and textiles are central to the School’s research activities, furthering your understanding of advanced research methods to explore the material innovations and technological developments required to build a better fashion industry. Core and specialist modules build key skills for your future career in fashion design and a variety of associated fields.

Scholarships for 2025 Entry

The Clothworkers' Company are managing three scholarships for UK students to support textiles by funding technical education, skills development and innovative design.

Entry requirements

A-level: ABB including art/design subject or media. Excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking.

If you don’t have an art or design-related subject but you are taking Media Studies A-level, we may also consider your application based on a high grade at GCSE in Art/Design and a portfolio of recent and relevant work.

GCSE: 5/6 A-C (or 4+) including English.

International Baccalaureate

Career opportunities

Flexibility, resilience and transferable skills are desirable attributes for creative industry professionals. In the School of Design, as well as providing you with research led, industry informed subject-specific knowledge, we aim to equip you with the best possible skills for a variety of careers. Design thinking, combined with excellent research and criticality skills are increasingly valued across a wide range of sectors; therefore, your degree from the University of Leeds opens opportunities across disciplines and multiple industries, as well as in your course-related specialism.

Your professional understanding and practical skills are central to the degree, and combined with your research expertise they will prepare you for an exciting career in the fashion industry. You’ll become a confident communicator with excellent presentation skills, as well as being an analytical problem-solver with strong research skills. You’ll have great visual, critical and commercial awareness, as well as an in-depth understanding of the key drivers of the fashion industry in the 21st century.

Graduates have pursued a wide range of careers in the fashion industry including; design, pattern cutting, garment technology, buying, trend forecasting, PR and journalism. They’ve chosen to work for companies including Abercrombie & Fitch, Puma, Cos, All Saints, Next, Jenny Packman, Burberry, New Look, Next, River Island, Ted Baker, Tommy Hilfiger, Warehouse, French Connection, H&M, Christopher Kane, Hobbs, Mint Velvet, Victoria Beckham, Marks and Spencer, Oliver Bonas, Whistles, Superdry, Urban Outfitters and Paul Smith.