Performance Sportswear Design BA(Hons)

Why study BA(Hons) Performance Sportswear Design at University College Falmouth?

BA(Hons) Performance Sportswear Design course leaflet (605.45 KB)

From surfing and snowboarding to climbing and mountain biking, performance sportswear is a huge industry that is driven by creative and scientific exploration. You'll study both these avenues, arming you with technical skills and a keen eye for detail and fashion to help you produce edgy, functional clothing for these hugely popular sports.

Living and studying in Cornwall means that you're never far from the sports and lifestyle that inspire and inform your designs, allowing you to work with your finger on the pulse and gain the ideal preparation for an adventurous career ahead.

University College Falmouth is working closely with the Design Council on Design of the Times (DOTT) Cornwall; a programme where professional designers work. with stakeholders and communities to tackle social, economic and environmental issues from the bottom up. Our students and graduates get the chance to work alongside senior design professionals on DOTT projects as part of internships and work placements.

Tell me more about the BA(Hons) Performance Sportswear Design course

Experimentation and creativity are the driving forces behind Performance Sportswear Design at Falmouth. Established in response to industry needs, this course offers an opportunity to develop your intellectual, technical and creative skills, enabling you to design cutting-edge apparel that's practical, functional and aesthetically pleasing, so you can create wearable designs that will make a mark in this progressive and exciting industry.

You'll experiment with the latest fabrics and construction methods and, using both hand drawing and digital technology, develop designs that meet the needs of this most demanding of sectors. You'll also incorporate the practical requirements and necessary functions of clothing dictated by different sports into your designs. At the same time, you'll study fashion, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and branding so that your designs are stylish, practical and marketable.

Learning by doing, you'll design a range of performance sportswear as well as associated clothing - like drysuits, wetsuits, thermal garments and base and insulating layers. You'll also experiment with the latest fabrics - neoprene, Polartec and polypropylene as well as construction methods like glued, blind and stitched seams. At Falmouth, we'll teach you how to create practical and stylish sportswear that people want to wear.

We invite visiting speakers from leading design companies as well as sports personalities to take part in our lecture programme. And we don't just bring principal designers to the College - we also visit them. You'll go on self-funded study trips to manufacturers and visit design fairs, as well as have the opportunity to work on live briefs and carry out work placements with recognised regional, national and international brands such as Decathlon, Finisterre and Gul International.

Essentially, you'll see and experience how a variety of different design companies operate, explore the latest technology, have access to current industry debates and compare different approaches to design. You'll also benefit from our external links with sports academies and the local marine leisure industry.

At Falmouth, we want you to get out there and experiment, take risks and find your own path through practical and professional experience to gain a thorough insight into the industry.

"This course's approach - giving and encouraging as much creative freedom as possible whilst constantly referencing and utilising the industry - is a total breath of fresh air. Combined with the latest garment construction technology and facilities, you have a very powerful learning environment." Tom Podkolinski, designer at Finisterre

Fashion at Falmouth: what the experts say

"When I read about the Fashion BA and Performance Sportswear Design courses, I thought it was designed for us and I took no time in contacting Patrick and Jane Gottelier. As a main actor in the sportswear business, with more than a hundred designers on board, such program is very relevant to Decathlon. I see University College Falmouth as a potential partner for a long term relationship. This could allow us to source new talents for our design team as well as develop some prospective design program to stimulate our in-house designers." Philippe Picaud, Design Director - Decathlon

"It's great to see a college focusing on different areas of fashion design, thinking about their environment and what they can offer the student - a lifestyle choice as well as a degree." Sue Copeland, Design Director, Men's - Paul Smith

"For the uk clothing industry to continue to prosoper, we need to ensure that our design graduates have the relevant skills, experience and aptitude to enable companies like Henri-Lloyd to stay ahead of the game internationally." Paul Strzelecki, Joint CEO - Henri-Lloyd

Articles about our Fashion Design and Performance Sportswear Design courses are available for you to download.

• What the industry is saying (247.49 KB)
• What the press is saying (12.01 MB)
• 'Celebrating twins stick together' - Richmond and Twickenham Times, 21 August 09 (1.58 MB)
• 'A world of possibilities for fashion students' - Western Morning News, 7 August 09 (5.82 MB)

Facilities

Our open-plan Fashion Studio boasts a wide range of equipment used in the industry, including:

• Laser cutters
• Silicon taping machine
• Ultrasonic welder
• Steam room
• Extraction bed for gluing neoprene
• Industrial overlockers
• Blind stitching machines

Course outline

Level 1

• Design & Construction
• Designer in Society
• Production & Presentation
• Industrial, Professional & Global Contexts

Level 2

• Human Factors
• Computer-aided Design & Manufacturing
• International Branding
• Professional Practice - Work Placement

Level 3

• Professional Design Practice
• Professional Design Project Proposal
• Dissertation
• Final Project

Answers and advice about the course

If you have any queries about the course please visit our HelpMe Forum

HelpMe Forum

Open Design: UCF for design tutors

Friday 12 November 2010

At our first Open Design event in February, Heads of Department and Pathway Leaders from Foundation level courses around the UK spent the day with design staff and students at University College Falmouth, learning more about our facilities and courses.

Click here for more information and to register for the next Open Design event

Career opportunities

We anticipate that our performance sportswear graduates will go on to work as designers in the sports and fashion industries. For specialist and niche sportswear companies that make clothing for surfing, sailing, diving, snowboarding, walking and climbing as well as foul weather clothes and expedition and polar wear. Further possible options include teaching and postgraduate study.

• In-house designer for the sports & fashion industry
• Freelance designer
• Specialist retailer
• Proprietor of clothing label
• Buyer
• Merchandiser
• Stylist
• Postgraduate study

Course entry requirements

Foundation Diploma; or National Diploma, 14-19 Specialist Diploma, or other appropriate level 3 qualifications/experience.

For further information about BA(Hons) Performance Sportswear Design at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 213852.

Interview dates and selection process

Interviews will commence in late January.

The interview will include a group tour of the department, while portfolios are assessed by staff, followed by individual interviews.

Applicants will be asked to bring a portfolio and a project or sketchbooks to interview. The project doesn't necessarily have to be a fashion-based project but should be a maximum of 8-10 pages long. A sketchbook should show evidence of the applicant's interest in Performance Sportswear Design.

Location: Woodlane Campus

Related courses

• Fashion Design BA(Hons)
• Textile Design BA(Hons)