module specification

The module seeks to provide a motivational learning experience and to stimulate the co-creation of knowledge regarding pertaining to the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline of fashion. The module content addresses the range of frameworks and models that account for the existence, operation and necessity of having a fashion system. Discussion and analyses of the specific approaches taken by history, sociology, economics and anthropology are designed to raise awareness of fashion as a subject suitable for intellectual study. The key skills of academic reading & writing, analytical thinking and self-directed research are mobilised in completing a set of assessment tasks predicated on the module’s constructively aligned learning outcomes. An introduction to research methods is embedded in the syllabus. The learning experience complements that provided in the other subject-specific modules designed to engage all L4 students on the Fashion Marketing & Business Management programme

Fashion Theory: Typologies of dress (costumes/uniforms/apparel), theoretical approaches: emulative (trickle-down) vs oppositional  (bubble-up) dressing, uniformity vs. conformity, identity formation, fashion conservation and curation LO1

Fashion Research: quantitative/quantitative methods, visual, sociological & psychological approaches; oral histories; deconstruction; postmodernism; structuralism; grounded theory, phenomenology; critical theory; semiotic analysis LO2

The module is delivered over a 13-week teaching period, through a combination of workshops, lecture presentations and seminars totalling three hours contact time per week. Seminars feature group discussion and analysis of case studies or utilise a tactic of ‘flip-learning’ to provide opportunities for peer interaction. The module supports independent study through a virtual learning environment hosted on WebLearn, where students can access lecture notes, additional readings, coursework briefs, assessment guidelines and feedback, in addition to finding links to external resources. The university’s feed-forward initiative supports these independent learning strategies. Lecture materials and seminar/workshop tasks are posted in advance as part of a blended learning approach that allows students to plan their contribution to particular sessions.

Reflective learning is incorporated into the module – students are advised to keep a journal of experiences and personal development that charts the effectiveness of their learning. Personal Development Plans can be customised through negotiation of topics of personal interest for assessment and take advantage of learning opportunities as these arise during the module. Students are encouraged to actively engage with the subject, their peers, and the tutors through the module's online forums. Guest speakers are invited to give master classes or discuss career opportunities with students and employability is embedded throughout the module through consideration of the various job roles within the fashion industry and reflection on how the skills and knowledge conveyed during the module line-up with professional expectations.

LO1. Describe and discuss a particular role or function of dress in contemporary society

LO2.  Identify and present material demonstrating how theoretical explanations of the discipline are embodied in the creative practice of a major player in the fashion sector

The assessment strategy consists of two components, each informed by reflection, professional practice and subject-specific scholarship.

Assessment component 1: provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of LO1 through production of an (illustrated) essay identifying the particular qualities of a self-selected fashion ‘icon’. As an individual assignment the task enables students to evidence research, analytical thought and academic writing skills developed throughout the module

Assessment component 2: provides pair of students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of LO2 through presentation of a written dialogue addressing theoretical explanations pertaining to the operation of a fashion system

Textbooks:
Core Text:
Barnard, M. (2007), Fashion Theory: A Reader, Routledge
           Other Texts:
Anderson, B (1991), Imagined Communities, Verso
Breward, C. & Gilbert, D. (2006), Fashion’s World Cities, Fairchild
Bourdieu, P. (1979), Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, Routledge
Bauman, Z. (2007), Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty, Polity Press
Church Gibson, P. (2011), Fashion and Celebrity Culture, Berg
Kawamura, Y. (2005), Fashion-ology: An introduction to Fashion Studies, Berg
Knox, K. (2012), Culture to Catwalk: How World Cultures Influence Fashion, A & C Black
Steele, V. (2010), The Berg Companion to Fashion, Berg

Journals:
Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture

Websites:
www.allwalks.org;
ww.fashion-era.com;
www.just-style.com;
www.londonfashionweek.com;
www.trendunion.com;
www.trendzine.co.uk;
www.vogue.com;
www.wgsn.com