module specification

Addressing the full range of commercial practices undertaken by the apparel industries, this module provides students embarking on the BA Fashion Marketing & Business Management programme with a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of the fashion business. Specifically, it aims to raise awareness and understandings regarding (i) the fabrication of the fashion product (ii), the role of promotional strategies (iii) evolution of the retail environment and the urban ‘brand-scape’ (iv), categorisations of, and interactions with, consumers and (v) the globalised nature of the clothing and footwear sector. As learners on this module, you will develop abilities in academic reading and writing, analytical thinking, problem-solving, visual/textual communication and self-directed research, mobilising these key, transferable skills in assignments predicated on demonstrating the achievement of constructively aligned learning outcomes. The assessment process features both individual and group-work tasks and involves an element of creativity. Overall, the module provides a motivational context for the co-creation of knowledge through your communication and collaboration with both peers and members of the teaching team. The learning experience on offer is aimed at complementing that provided in the other subject-specific modules, and is designed to engage learners across the Level 4 cohort together with international Study Abroad students

None.
Available for Study Abroad? YES

The syllabus is divided into two discrete elements: Fashion Consumption features the topics of Positioning, Targeting & Segmentation; Retail Geographies; Pricing Regimes; Consumer Typologies & Taste Communities (LO1, LO2). Fashion Production covers the topics of Garment Fabrication and Manufacturing; Branding; Design and Technology; Collectives and Collaborations; Ethical Fashion Practice; Artisanship (LO3, LO4).

The scheduled teaching activity is delivered over a 12-week block, using a combination of workshops, lecture/seminars or other activities, totalling three hours of face-to-face contact time per week. Presentations are generally followed by seminar sessions that feature debates on topics negotiated with the cohort, or in-depth analysis of selected texts made available in advance. The method of delivery method may include the pedagogical tactic of ‘flip-learning’ in order to stimulate debate and provide variety. The majority of the learning journey involves independent learning, with students encouraged to engage with external resources relevant to their course/career ambitions, and to take advantage of learning opportunities that may arise through inter-action peers, or through participation in events organised by other members of the teaching team. An ‘enhancement week’ in the schedule provides opportunities to invite guest speakers to give master classes, or to discuss various job opportunities available in the industry. Employability is embedded throughout the module, with consideration given as to how the skills/knowledge acquired meet the sector’s expectations of graduate jobseekers

A blended learning strategy is underpinned by the virtual environment created on WebLearn, which enables students to access lecture recordings, articles featuring added comprehension questions and other recommended texts. In addition, advance sight of upcoming presentations allows those students who require extra support to prepare for particular sessions. The site features coursework briefs, assessment guidelines, examples of good practice in assignments and links to internal sources of academic support. ‘Feed-forward’ commentary regarding the extent to which the module’s learning outcomes have been achieved in assessment tasks is available, with positive suggestions that would enable improvement in future performance. A reflective approach to learning is encouraged, with students advised to keep a record of their experiences in the form of a journal or personal development plan that may be particularly helpful when choosing optional modules or deciding on dissertation topics as they progress through the programme.

On completion of the module, students displaying full engagement will be able to:

LO1. demonstrate awareness of a range of models employed by fashion businesses for use in the identification and categorisation of consumers of their creative outputs.

LO2. mobilise creative approaches and original thinking based on understandings regarding constructions of identity to depict a set of new consumer typologies or taste communities

LO3. to identify sources of information relating to the up- and down-stream activities of a fashion label and to extract, evaluate and collate this data in an appropriate format.

LO4.  mobilise critical skills to discern the relative strengths/weaknesses in the commercial practices of the selected label, and to propose viable future strategies based on this analysis.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/0DF64C41-21F7-C9A9-8F57-8B31751880D0.html 

Core Text:
Burns, L. & Mullet, K. (2020), The Business of Fashion: Designing, Manufacturing and Marketing, NY: Fairchild Books

Additional Readings:
Aspers, P. (2006), Markets in Fashion: A Phenomenological Approach, London & NY: Routledge
Granger, M. & Sterling, T. (2019), Fashion Entrepreneurship: Retail Business Planning, NY: Fairchild Books
Grainger, M. (2015), Fashion: The Industry and its Careers, NY: Fairchild Books
Iverson, A. (2010), In Fashion: From Runway to Retail, Everything you Need to Know to Break into the Fashion Industry, NY: Clarkson Potter
Muthu, S. (2019), Fast Fashion, Fashion Brands and Sustainable Consumption, Singapore: Springer
Proquest (2007), Fashion Online, Bradford: Emerald Group Publishing

Journals:
International Journal of Business and Globalisation
International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology & Education

Websites:
www.wgsn.com; www.trendunion.com; www.trendzine.co.uk; www.just-style.com;
www.drapersonline.com