module specification

The module provides a motivational learning context for the co-creation of knowledge pertaining to issues engendered by the operation of a globalised fashion system. A holistic overview of the apparel business addresses both the impacts of apparel production processes and the practices of fashion consumption within a framework of economic, environmental and ethical concerns. The content complements material disseminated in the other subject-specific core module offered as part of the award. The module is designed to prepare those taking it with the skills and knowledge necessary to embark on careers in the fields of fashion marketing and management. Specifically, the aims of the module are to develop:

1. critical reading and writing skills
2. innovative research strategies
3. analytical thinking
4. presentational and communicative skills.
5. subject-specific knowledge pertaining to the fashion sector
6. awareness of professional career options

N/A

Sustainable production: globalisation, corporate social responsibility, ethical design practice, garment worker welfare, off-shore vs domestic fabrication, environmental issues (LO1)

Sustainable consumption: emerging markets and the global consumer, extending the garment life-cycle and apparel disposal, the slow fashion movement and fashion activism, (LO2)

Contemporary Issues in Fashion Culture: entrepreneurship, (citizen) journalism, innovative & disruptive technology, the body, legal issues, copyright issues and counterfeiting phenomenon, fashion representation, celebrity culture (LO3, LO4)

The module is delivered during a 15-week semester via a combination of lectures, workshops, seminars and other activities totalling three hours contact time per week. Seminars feature group discussion/analysis of case studies and may 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. Learning materials 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; employability is embedded throughout the module via consideration of the various job roles within the fashion industry and reflection on how the skills and knowledge conveyed during the module coincide with professional expectations.

On completion of the module students displaying full attendance will be expected to be able to:

LO1. Critically assess issues pertaining to sustainability in fashion production practices and suggest original solutions to challenges identified.

LO2. Critically assess issues pertaining to sustainability in fashion consumption practices and suggest original solutions to challenges identified.

LO3. Produce theoretically robust accounts of socio-political trends in contemporary fashion culture and articulate their likely impacts on design, production and distributions decisions

LO4. Analyse and evaluate the potential impacts of technological innovations and disruptive technologies on the fashion industry.

The assessment strategy consists of two components predicated on constructively-aligned learning outcomes informed by reflection, professional practice and subject-specific scholarship:

Assessment component 1: provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of LO1 and LO2 through compilation of case studies addressing the dynamics of sustainable production and consumption practices operating in a global apparel market. Students are able to negotiate the arenas investigated according to personal interests and the assessment format enhances development of transferable skills relevant to career ambitions.

Assessment component 2: provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of LO3 and LO4 through production of a report analysing the manifestation of certain social, cultural and technological practices/behaviours in contemporary fashion culture. The task requires mobilisation of critical thinking skills and enables engagement with the syllabus and the benefits of self-directed study to be evidenced.

Reading list:
 

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/9CAA71B0-18F9-0066-18B0-D5E949C9F81F.html?lang=en-GB&login=1