The course equips students with the creative, conceptual, and critical skills necessary to excel in the international fashion accessories industry. It fosters innovation by combining advanced digital techniques with in-depth material exploration, functional design, and aesthetic development.
Students refine their creativity through an interdisciplinary approach that responds to emerging trends in materiality, ethics, and sustainability, ensuring they are prepared for the evolving landscape of the global fashion industry and adjacent creative sectors.
A key focus of the course is research into the historical and contemporary material culture of accessories, drawing on the Westminster Menswear Archive (WMA). With over 3,000 objects, including more than 200 examples of accessories, the archive offers an unparalleled resource for students to develop new approaches to materials, construction, and design within their own practice.
Collaboration with industry partners on live projects provides hands-on experience and professional insight, helping students contextualise their work within real-world commercial and creative environments.
Participants benefit from strong industry connections and engage with a range of professional development opportunities, including talks, mentoring schemes, and external visits.
Throughout the course, students develop projects through independent research and graduate with a personal portfolio of design work that highlights their expertise and positions them within the international accessory design industry.
