MA Fashion and Textiles

What to include in your portfolio

Your portfolio work should be produced as part of a formal university-level degree, in a relevant professional capacity or anything you have created independently, e.g. in evening classes or short courses.

We expect to see finished fashion and/or textile or related outcomes, professionally presented. We advise you select your most recent work, but not necessarily all from one project. We want to see development of your ideas, which could include images from your sketchbooks, development sheets and/or process journals. Please add a short description with each image. If produced in response to a brief, please indicate what the brief asked you to do.

Please include the following elements.

15 images of sketchbook work

Include examples of contextual research from a variety of sources, material and/or garment experimentation, drawing in a variety of styles and using a range of media types.

Add a short description with each image. You should include notes on books, articles, relevant exhibitions or cultural visits that have influenced your work.

Ten images of design ideas and design development

Include examples of development sheets and/or process journals that relate directly to three finished fashion and/or textile outcomes. This should show your design process and working methodologies, such as:

• research into designers and artists
• idea generation
• design planning
• visual experimentation
• problem solving
• evidence of critical evaluation

What we’re looking for

We want your portfolio to demonstrate your:

• use of research in the development of your ideas
• material and/or garment experimentation
• ability to draw and communicate in a variety of styles and media
• design ideas and development demonstrating a synthesis between the fashion and textile elements
• understanding of fashion and textiles as a subject and its wider social and global context
• ability to critically evaluate your work
• interest in critical and historical studies
• enthusiasm and commitment to study fashion and textile design at Master's level

Your portfolio should evidence:

• research enquiry and observations
• original idea generation
• conceptual development
• experimental work
• a good level of technical ability
• an ability to select and present a range of work to a high standard
• an example of your academic writing ability  - ie. an academic essay, critical report or project idea (in English)