United Kingdom Fashion Schools

The United Kingdom (UK) comprises four countries: England, Scotland, and Wales (which collectively make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland (which is variously described as a country, province or region).

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK or U.K.) or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland.

Don't forget to visit the fashion library in our fashion industry terminology section.

Fashion Schools in the United Kingdom

Central Saint Martins: Creative practice combines the ability to imagine new futures with the means to deliver them. As such, artists and designers are equipped to address our urgent global challenges – from tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies to forging more equitable societies. Their students work with hope and uncertainty, using their compassion and vision to shape the world through creative action.

• They began as two colleges founded in the nineteenth century: St Martin's School of Art and the Central School of Art and Crafts (which became the Central School for Art and Design in 1966). Both believed in the fundamental importance of learning through making and were known for their radical approach to art and design – values which remain at the core of our teaching today. In 1989, the two colleges merged to form Central Saint Martins. They welcomed Drama Centre London in 1999 and the Byam Shaw School of Art in 2003.
• Learn more about Central Saint Martins.

London College of Fashion : Through research, collaboration and experimentation, the faculty & students at the London College of Fashion explore the frontiers of design and technology, merging them to transform how fashion is made, showcased and sold. And with innovation, help forge a global fashion economy that supports their students and the wider industry – now and in the future.

• Learn more about the London College of Fashion.

Edinburgh College of Art: Edinburgh College of Art You will develop a variety of technical and pattern-cutting skills - including creative cutting, small-scale cutting, tailoring and outerwear - and encouraged to develop innovations in fabrics, garment manufacture and finishings.

Kingston University: Kingston School of Art's fashion graduates are highly employable, with many working for some of the most famous fashion houses in the world. They believe their success is rooted in their unique blend of art school with industry. BA (Hons) Fashion ensures our high-calibre students have the flexibility to develop their own areas of interest.

Nottingham Trent University: Fashion and Textiles at NTU is internationally recognised for the quality of its creative, industry-ready graduates. Fashion and textiles are diverse global industries. In the UK alone, the fashion sector accounts for almost 890,000 jobs domestically, with millions more employed worldwide. They offer diverse career opportunities, covering the whole supply chain from design and manufacturing, to branding and promotion. Their range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses reflect this.

• BA (Hons) Fashion Design will test, stretch and develop your creative skills in fashion drawing and illustration, design innovation, creative pattern cutting, garment manufacture, market awareness and the latest digital technologies.

University for the Creative Arts: UCA is the top creative specialist university in the UK, offering pre-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Creative Arts, Business and Technology. University for the Creative Arts - UCA Study at UCA

• Their BA (Hons) Fashion Design course has built an international reputation for producing professional, highly talented and skilled design graduates with advanced technical and business knowledge to propel them into the industry.

University of Westminster: their Fashion courses have exceptional industry connections and an excellent track record of successful internships that have benefited both students and fashion companies alike. Students gain an enormous amount of specific and transferable knowledge during this period of study.

Learn about companies that are part of the fashion industry in the United Kingdom.

Learn more about fashion schools from our fashion school summary.

How UK Fashion Study Is Structured

British fashion education is degree-centred: most students take a BA in fashion design, fashion business, textiles or a related subject, studying full-time with studio work at the core. Many programs offer or require a placement year in industry between study years — experience that UK employers value highly — and courses end with a graduate fashion show or final collection and portfolio. Entry usually runs through UCAS, and art and design courses weigh the portfolio heavily, often more than examination grades. Foundation courses exist for students who need a year of art and design preparation before degree entry, and postgraduate master's degrees serve graduates deepening a specialty.

London or Another UK City?

London concentrates the industry — head offices, fashion week, museums and media — and its schools feed directly on it, at London living costs. Schools in cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Edinburgh and others offer strong programs, lower costs and their own industry links, including the northern textile and retail heritage. Decide what you are buying: maximum industry density, or a calmer budget with more studio space and time. Either way, check the placement record, the graduate show's audience, and the specific course content year by year — UK course titles that sound alike can teach quite differently.