MA Fashion and Textiles portfolio guide

You'll need this guide if you're applying for MA Fashion and Textiles.

What to include in your portfolio

Your portfolio work should be produced as part of a formal university-level degree, in a relevant professional capacity or anything you have created independently, e.g. in evening classes or short courses.

We expect to see finished fashion and/or textile or related outcomes, professionally presented. We advise you select your most recent work, but not necessarily all from one project. We want to see development of your ideas, which could include images from your sketchbooks, development sheets and/or process journals. Please add a short description with each image. If produced in response to a brief, please indicate what the brief asked you to do.

Please include the following elements.

15 images of sketchbook work

Include examples of contextual research from a variety of sources, material and/or garment experimentation, drawing in a variety of styles and using a range of media types.

Add a short description with each image. You should include notes on books, articles, relevant exhibitions or cultural visits that have influenced your work.

Ten images of design ideas and design development

Include examples of development sheets and/or process journals that relate directly to three finished fashion and/or textile outcomes. This should show your design process and working methodologies, such as:

research into designers and artists
idea generation
design planning
visual experimentation
problem solving
evidence of critical evaluation

What we’re looking for

We want your portfolio to demonstrate your:

use of research in the development of your ideas
material and/or garment experimentation
ability to draw and communicate in a variety of styles and media
design ideas and development demonstrating a synthesis between the fashion and textile elements
understanding of fashion and textiles as a subject and its wider social and global context
ability to critically evaluate your work
interest in critical and historical studies
enthusiasm and commitment to study fashion and textile design at Master's level

Your portfolio should evidence:

research enquiry and observations
original idea generation
conceptual development
experimental work
a good level of technical ability
an ability to select and present a range of work to a high standard
an example of your academic writing ability – ie. an academic essay, critical report or project idea (in English)