Fashion, make-up and prosthetics

Your portfolio should showcase your creativity and skills. Include a variety of work that demonstrates your design process, from initial sketches to finished pieces. Make sure it's tailored to the course you're applying for and highlights your best work.

There are many different careers available in the fashion industry, and first off, it's best to think about whether you want to work on the business or creative side. It also helps to review job descriptions of roles you’d like to go into in the future, to see what qualifications and experience they are looking for.

Jobs in the creative side of the fashion industry include fashion designer, textile designer, fashion stylist, fashion illustrator, and costume designer. If you are more interested in the business side, you could become a fashion buyer, brand manager, retail manager, fashion marketing specialist or merchandiser. 

There are many design roles in fashion, from big brand fashion houses to boutique designers. As well as having individual creative flair and an understanding of evolving trends, you’ll need technical skills such as sketching, sewing, and pattern cutting. Additionally, pursuing a bachelor's degree in fashion design and gaining hands-on experience through internships can be crucial step.

Apparel, accessories, and footwear are the number one ecommerce sector in the world. Fashion communication spans across roles such as content creator, social media manager, magazine publications, public relations, marketing, and managing brands and creative direction. The skill sets in these areas are all vital to support the industry and the business of fashion.

Solent has strong links with the fashion industry, providing you with opportunities to showcase your work at prestigious events like Graduate Fashion Week. Students' work has been featured in prominent publications such as Vogue.co.uk, Elle.co.uk, and Draper.

Solent emphasises practical experience, with students gaining hands-on skills in creative pattern-cutting, garment manufacturing, and digital print design. The curriculum includes a wide range of design briefs, from highly creative to live commercial project.

Some of our degrees require students to complete work placements as part of their studies. Past students have interned at renowned fashion houses like House of Holland, Timberland, Alexander McQueen, Ted Baker, and Marks and Spencer.

'Accredited', 'endorsed' or 'recognised' all mean a professional body has reviewed your course and confirmed it meets their standards. Each comes with slightly different perks.

• Endorsed means the course content has been checked to ensure it gives you the skills and knowledge employers in that field are looking for.
• Accredited often comes with extra benefits while you study, like professional membership, insurance or exam exemptions.
• Recognised means your degree meets national standards for that profession, showing you're prepared to work safely and effectively once qualified.

Whichever term is used, it's a sign your course has been shaped by the people who hire in that industry, so what you learn lines up with what employers need.