Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles BA (Hons)

Introduction:

• Choose to take a year-long work placement, in the UK or abroad, and gain a certificate or diploma in professional/international practice, this opportunity often leads to offers of employment after graduation.
• Get involved in competitions and live projects with companies such as Next, John Smedley, Boden, Finisterre and The Society of Dyers and Colourists. Educational grants and sponsorship opportunities are also available through our industry partners.
• Have the opportunity to showcase your work at Graduate Fashion Week and New Designers in London and through collaborations with organisations such as SPINEXPO and Pitti Filatti.
• Opportunity to apply for a European or international exchange to one of our partner institutions, such as Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Amsterdam Fashion Institute, and more. You will also visit international trade fairs and exhibitions, such as Pitti Filati in Florence.

Careers and employability

Graduates go into fields such as design, product development, styling and promotion and global sourcing.

Recent graduate destinations include:

• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Alphatex
• Calvin Klein
• DKNY
• Hugo Boss
• John Smedley
• Josh Goot
• Julian MacDonald
• Lauren Richards
• Nike
• Pantherella
• Sophie Steller
• Stine Ladefoged
• Sun Hing Ltd.

Work placements and internship opportunities

You can choose to take a year-long work placement in the third year of your studies. A placement year will give you the opportunity to gain real, hands-on experience and valuable skills for the future. Our students undertake placements across the globe, with many securing full-time employment after graduating with their placement company.

If you choose not to do the placement year, you’ll be encouraged to take up to two weeks of work experience alongside your studies in years One and Two.

Studying a creative degree in a large university has many benefits, none more so than having access to a large employability team. They'll support you through advice and access to valuable resources to help you find a placement. Not only that, you can access our employability team's services up to three years after graduating!

Connecting with industry

The opportunity to raise your commercial profile, even before you graduate, is fantastic. Benefit from our excellent connections with the fashion and textile industry, through guest lectures, bursary and sponsorship opportunities, industry competitions, European study trips, and support with securing your optional placement year.

We work with a number of professional organisations, including:

• ASBCI (Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry)
• Bradford Textile Society
• British Fashion Council Colleges Committee
• The Society of Dyers and Colourists
• The Textile Society
• UK Fashion & Textile Association.
• Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters

Students have previously had success at the Fashanne Awards and the FAD competition as part of London Fashion Week.

During the past 30 years, 31 of our students have been awarded a bursary by The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters by demonstrating that their work has the potential to have a significant impact on the British knitwear industry. Each bursary fund could be up to £2,500. Final year collections are regularly sponsored by manufacturers of high-quality luxury yarns.

We have recently worked on live projects with companies including

• John Lewis
• Fashion Awareness Direct
• All Saints
• UKft / M&S
• ANN INC New York
• Next
• Laxton Yarns
• The Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Creative Industries Federation

We are members of the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), which means students in the Nottingham School of Art & Design have the opportunity to sign up to free student membership. Creative Industries Federation are an organisation that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries and membership grants students exclusive access to their selection of resources and events to help advance your career and connect with industry.

What our students are doing now