Fashion, Textiles & Footwear
Fashion, textiles, and footwear is a field that encompasses some of the most creative and technically demanding of the applied arts, spanning garment design and construction, textile innovation, footwear design, and the material and cultural dimensions of what people wear. Fashion sits at the intersection of art, craft, technology, and commerce, responding to social change, technological development, and the complex ways in which clothing functions as self-expression, cultural identity, and economic activity. Textiles brings in the science and craft of fabric, exploring fibre, weave, print, and finish, while footwear design is a specialist discipline with its own technical demands and creative possibilities.
At the University of Northampton, this part-time programme provides the flexibility to study fashion, textiles, and footwear alongside other commitments, making it accessible to students who are already working in the industry or who have other responsibilities. The University of Northampton has a particular historical connection to the footwear industry, given the region's long tradition of shoe manufacturing, which gives the programme a distinctive practical grounding. You will develop skills in design, pattern cutting, material knowledge, and production processes alongside the contextual and critical understanding of fashion and textile culture that informs strong creative practice.
Graduates work across the fashion and textiles industry in design, product development, buying, manufacturing, and retail roles. The footwear specialism opens particular opportunities in shoe design and manufacturing at both craft and industrial scale. Costume design for theatre, film, and television is another direction for graduates with strong making skills and creative vision.
Freelance design, running a small label or making business, and teaching at further education level are other paths that graduates pursue. Further study in fashion design, textile design, or related areas is an option for those who wish to develop their creative practice to postgraduate level.