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Contour Fashion Innovation MA/MSc

Explore creativity, technologies and entrepreneurship within the changing global landscape of the specialised field of Contour Fashion, and develop the skills to become a successful innovator in the industry.

Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive community. That’s why most of our postgraduate taught students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You will benefit from more regular assessments and feedback, a better study-life balance, and a simplified timetable that provides more time for work, professional development, caring responsibilities, and everything else that's important to you. Our block-taught courses are informed by industry practice, often accredited by professional bodies, and are delivered by passionate and talented academics, who will help you develop the skills to achieve your goals.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

Contour Fashion is a huge, established and specialised field within fashion design. It is defined by garments worn close to, or shaping the contours of the human form, including corsetry, lingerie, swimwear, performance sportswear, nightwear and athleisure. The Contour Fashion Innovation MA is ideal for contour graduates with advanced pattern-cutting skills wishing to further their practice, or fashion or textile graduates who want to specialise in contour design.

The course explores creativity, technologies and entrepreneurship, alongside the technical considerations of this complex specialism. Contextual studies into historical, political, social and cultural considerations are at the core of this programme and fuel intellectual curiosity, speculative enquiry, imagination, and divergent thinking to successfully understand design concepts.

During this course, we prepare our graduates to succeed in this competitive and fast-developing industry. Our unparalleled understanding of the sector informs the curriculum and includes loungewear, sportswear and athleisurewear – these specialisms are in high demand following the global shift to remote working which has led to a growth in comfort-inspired, fashion-driven work attire. Marketing and visual communication is examined from the viewpoint of a creative individual, giving you the skills to develop a leading-edge portfolio and the insight into how a contour fashion label might be launched into the market place.

You will learn to take a critical and innovative approach to contemporary global challenges facing designers and businesses, with a focus on sustainable practice embedded throughout. 

Key features

  • You can be awarded an MA or MSc depending on your route through your studies and final Major Project. You can also exit the course with a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate award depending on the credits you have successfully achieved.
  • We are recognised as one of the country’s most sustainable fashion and textiles schools (Green Gown Awards, 2021) and one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022).
  • Specialist contour design and complex technical skills are explored in depth, considering enhanced aesthetics, fit and production.
  • Learn from the founders of contour education with over 70 years of teaching in this evolving specialism.
  • Contour boasts a vast global alumni network closely connected to the university. Teaching staff are industry experts and taught methodologies are progressive and industry-relevant.
  • We offer a flexible learning experience with the opportunity to tailor modules in line to specific areas of personal interest in line with your career aspirations.
  • Guest lectures from leading industry professionals and contour-specific commercial and trade fair visits complement the course.
  • The multinational community within the School of Fashion and Textiles creates a supportive learning environment for students from around the world.
  • Our award-winning Vijay Patel building has been designed to provide the space and facilities where all of our art and design students can develop their ideas and flourish.
  • Benefit from an optional year-long work placement to gain valuable experience and enhance your practical and professional skills.

Student work

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Talk to our course team

If you would like to find out more about how this course can help you achieve your career ambitions, send a message to our course team [Catherine Livingstone] who would be happy to chat to you. Alternatively, you can register for our next postgraduate event or call our course enquirers team on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70  / WhatsApp: 0797 0655 800.


See our student work

Scholarships:

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International Scholarships

Find out about available scholarships and country specific fee discounts for international students. 

 

Student success:

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ graduate lands solo show in Indian Fashion Week

Sustainability in the spotlight as fashion exhibition opens

More courses like this:

Fashion and Textiles MA

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ has been shortlisted for the Postgraduate Award in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), as voted for by students.

  • UK
  • EU/International

Programme code: W23070

Duration: One year full-time.

Start date: September


Fees and funding: 

2025/26 Full-time tuition fees for UK students: £9,700 per year

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

 

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Programme code: W23070

Duration: One year full-time.

Start date: September

Fees and funding:

2025/26 tuition fees for EU and international students £16,300 per year

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Typical entry requirements 

You should have the equivalent or above of a 2:2 UK undergraduate honours design degree in a contour, fashion design or textile design related subject.

A good level of general pattern-cutting skills is required, however you do not need to have experience of specialist Contour garment pattern cutting before applying. 

If you have other professional qualifications and industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis.

Interview and Portfolio

Applicants with relevant qualifications should submit a digital portfolio of work (please see our Contour Fashion Innovation application portfolio advice for full details).

Non-standard applicants will be invited to attend an online interview with a portfolio and a 2,500-word report.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessment

Awards and memberships

 

Modules

Block 1: Contour Foundations

Block 2: Research Methods with Development Skills

Block 3: Select one from the following:

  • Supply and Sourcing
  • Technology for Design
  • Digital Development
  • Sustainability Strategy and Design
  • Contour Consolidation

Block 5 and 6: Select one from the following:

  • Major Design Project
  • Work-based Project
  • Entrepreneurship Project

 

See detailed module information


Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.


 

Structure

Through the various modules of this programme you will be able to explore your own areas of interest within the Contour field. Self-directed and independent learning will constitute a majority portion of study and will be supported through regular tutorials with specialist tutors.

Theoretical elements will be explored via formal lectures, seminars and tutorials. Seminars will provide the opportunity to explore concepts in a small group setting. Practical aspects of the programme will be developed through workshops and in the studios.

Staff are experienced Industry professionals, closely connected to their specialism, which ensures that their teaching is progressive and Industry-relevant.

You will have the opportunity to experience international travel to trade fairs, partner educational institutions in Fashion as well as being able to attend guest talks from industry speakers and visits to a range of Fashion businesses, including Contour-specific businesses and suppliers. 

Contact hours

In your first two terms you will normally attend around 10 hours of timetabled taught sessions including lectures, tutorials, workshop and studio sessions each week. You are also expected to undertake at least 25 hours of independent study each week. Your third term will be pre-dominantly self-directed (including meetings with your supervisor), during you can expect to undertake 35 hours of independent study each week.

 

 

Ranked as one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022) and in the top 10 in the UK for 'career after 15 months' (The Guardian University Guide 2022), our innovative and widely-respected courses help prepare students for fulfilling futures in this fast-paced industry.

Green Gown Award

The School of Fashion and Textiles won the Next Generation Learning and Skills Award in the Green Gowns Awards 2021 and received global recognition in the International Green Gown Awards 2022. These awards are the gold standard for sustainability in universities around the world and this puts ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ at the forefront of sustainable fashion and textiles education in the UK. Sustainability is at the heart of our curriculum and teaching, empowering our students to be agents of change within the industry.

UK Fashion and Textiles Association

We are members of the UK Fashion and Textile Association which ensures our teaching stays up to date with the latest developments in the sector and provides valuable industry links that enhance our courses.

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UKFT partner logo

 

Facilities and features

Art and design facilities

Our award-winning Vijay Patel building has been designed to provide the space and facilities where all of our art and design students can develop their ideas and flourish. 

The creative industries require imaginative graduates who can develop new ideas and products. Students use our sophisticated and contemporary workshops, labs and studios to experiment and test in the same way they will in industry, while the open and transparent spaces in the building encourage collaboration between disciplines. In doing so, the building prepares students for industry and helps develop them as future leaders in their respective fields. 

Take a look at our stunning showcase of the building at dmu.ac.uk/aad.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our , e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live , online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our , and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

 

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

 

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Careers Team
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Careers and employability

We want to help you develop skills that are based on real-world experience. Our Careers Team, are on hand to support you with finding placements, volunteering opportunities, CV writing skills, research opportunities and much more.

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ students are encouraged to pursue their entrepreneurial spirit and the Enterprise Team can help you explore your business idea, business growth, the option of freelancing or being self-employed. There are lots of events, workshops, one-to-one consultation opportunities and enterprise competitions that you can get involved in to progress in your chosen career path. 

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²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global supports a trip to Paris in January where you will have the opportunity to visit the Salon de la Lingerie and Interfiliere trade shows, alongside a broader cultural experience within this fashion capital. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to gather inspiration, source fabrics, discover international markets and create industry networks.

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Graduate careers

Contour Fashion is a specialist area within Fashion design, defined by garments worn close to or shaping the contours of the human form. Traditionally, Contour Fashion graduates have sought careers as designers, technologists and pattern cutters of foundation garments such as corsetry, lingerie and swimwear. Increasingly, roles extend to performance sportswear, athleisure, nightwear, medical, wearable technology and within sustainable advancement.

Graduates from the Contour Fashion Innovation MA may also pursue careers within the contour industry in communications, trend and PR. ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Contour boasts a rich history of successful entrepreneurs, such as latex lingerie specialist , and the Enterprise Team supports students who wish to start their own businesses. 

Take your next steps

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