Fashion Design (Performancewear)

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a relevant discipline. Applicants with appropriate work experience and/or a relevant professional qualification will be considered.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

With 65 years of experience teaching fashion under our belt and a stellar track record of producing the most innovative of fashion graduates, the MA Fashion Design (Perfomancewear) is an ambitious course, suited to those with ambitions to innovate within the fashion industry.

The performancewear master's is suited to those who wish to further their design practice with social, critical, technological and ecological dimensions, within a self-directed project or in collaboration with industry.

This fashion focused master's course will produce the next generation of hybrid designers, who are able to interpret new technologies and make innovative and progressive contributions to design. This will include products for extreme environments, sportswear, wearables, lifestyle and health products. Responding to needs-driven ideas, this sector will increasingly harness science and design to contribute to people’s quality of life.

Your specialism in performancewear will be underpinned by generic, research-led contextual modules. These will provide you with a grounding in research methods, creative thinking, cross-cultural communication, contemporary influences on design, reflective practice, innovation and entrepreneurship. This will be done by multidisciplinary and team-based collaboration.

Design courses at Northumbria are ranked within the UK top 10, and we are renowned for our pioneering and innovative course frameworks, which meet the demands of industry and produce graduates who are ready to step straight into employment.

You will have coveted access to unrivalled industry links, forged and maintained over six decades. The opportunities are endless, for committed and enthusiastic students. Our global links include fashion companies such as H&M, Tommy Hilfiger and Barbour, to name just a few.

You will be taught by an inspirational accolade of academics who have enjoyed immense success as designers, for some of the world’s biggest brands. You will create your own personal journey, exploring design issues and developing the advanced practical skills which will allow you to work effectively, as a major influencer in design.

We currently have alumnus working across the world for countless global labels and count Scott Henshall, the youngest designer to show at London Fashion Week and Creative Director of luxury British fashion house Mulberry, among our Alumni.

Information for international students

International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent).