MA Fashion Design (Sustainable and Ethical)

Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world, second only to oil. As the planet struggles for economic and environmental balance the need for the fashion industry to address and adapt to these demands is becoming essential. The Fashion Design (Sustainable and Ethical) Master's will equip you with the knowledge to become an expert in ethics and sustainability, and begin and exciting career in fashion.

If you are passionate about fashion and driven by your conviction in responsible fashion practice, then we want to hear from you. Applicants of this course will be accepted from a range of disciplines if you can demonstrate an authentic, principled approach to the value of ethical and sustainable fashion . You will work with integrity and vision and possess the ambition necessary to make an impact on the wider world.

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.

This is a flexible course, suited to those who wish to further their professional practice with social, critical, technological and ecological dimensions within a self-directed project. There is no requirement that you come from a design background.

This MA Fashion Design (sustainable and ethical fashion) offers students the opportunity to contribute to responsible design systems and practice. We want to see you lead the way with fresh ideas that can truly innovate in the industry.

We will give you the tools to be future leaders, with an in-depth understanding of the economic, environmental, and social factors behind the adoption of circular economy principles, fair trade plus human and animal welfare.

The fashion industry is changing, as pressure mounts for fashion leaders to implement responsible codes of practice. Consumers increasingly expect companies to have responsible principles throughout the supply chain, from protecting their workers with a fair living wage and safe working standards, to the ensuring their products do not end up in land fill.

The programme responds to significant industry, consumer and political demand for graduates who can effectively apply professional knowledge and communication skills to responsible design practice. You will be able to create fashion products with sustainable, social and commercial value.

Our students enjoy coveted access to unrivalled industry links, forged and maintained over six decades, and 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 have the opportunity to collaborate with organisations from across the fashion and creative industries, through your project work. This will allow you to build your professional skills, your portfolio, and your network of contacts.

You will also have access to premium, industry facilities which will prepare you for work in industry from the get go. Facilities include a photography studio, machine room, print room and studio space, you can have a closer look in the facilities tab.

Your Career

You will graduate with the knowledge and expertise required to become a world-class designer, a design change-maker who can inspire and develop products with a high level of integrity and commercial value.

Contemporary design practice is evolving due to new technologies and changing contexts of design innovation. This means there are more opportunities for graduates with advanced masterly understanding of how fashion and industrial design can collaborate in order to respond to future human and planet well-being.