BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

The BA (Hons) Fashion Photography course is situated in the School of Media and Communication, and allows study of fashion photography as both a practical and cultural discipline. The course is academically rigorous, with exploration of analytical and critical approaches to photographic imagery, together with study of the ideology, politics and context of fashion.

You will learn the technical skills of photography, whilst exploring images from haute couture to street style, from advertising campaigns to designer look-books, from art gallery to shop window and from fanzine to glossy magazine, and develop an analytical and critical view of global style and the cultural landscape of the fashion industry.

You will have the opportunity to take part in industry collaborations, and recent projects have been with River Island, Elizabeth Arden, CPL Aromas (makers of fragrances for Agent Provocateur and Jo Malone), Proctor and Gamble, Unilever, the V&A and English National Ballet, and the Richard Young Gallery. You will experience location and studio shooting, using the excellent photography studios and darkrooms within the College, and you will explore digital image production and manipulation.

You will experience working in teams and building relationships with stylists, make-up artists, model agencies and art directors. You will be encouraged to develop your own authentic take on fashion photography, and by the end of the course will be fully equipped to enter the industry as a professional and original image maker. Graduates from this course are working successfully across a broad range of media, including fashion, style, music and advertising.

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography is based at Lime Grove in Shepherd’s Bush, just west of Holland Park and Notting Hill. The area, which is rich in cultural influences from across the world, is home to Shepherd’s Bush Market and the many fabric shops lining the Goldhawk Road. There are numerous restaurants, cafes, delis and food stores, as well as the market, which reflect the many cultures of the people living there. Nearby is the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, an excellent venue for live bands, and the Westfield Shopping Centre, one of the largest retail complexes in Europe that caters for the luxury market as well as the high street. Holland Park with its Orangery and Leighton House Museum are both worth visiting.

Students on this course might be invited to participate in study trips. This may involve, for example, visits to key areas of capital cities, factories, stores and museums. Attendance on these trips is not compulsory but recommended. Details regarding timings and costs will be issued closer to the relevant trips.


Course Structure

Year One - Stage One - level 4 - 120 credits

• Term One: Introduction to Fashion Photography (20 credits); Image Construction (20 credits)
• Term Two: Introduction to Cultural and Historical Studies (20 credits); Capturing Fashion (20 credits)
• Term Three: Collaborative Practice: Fashion Spreads (40 credits)

Year Two - Stage Two - level 5 - 120 credits

• Term One: Cultural and Historical Studies (20 credits); Fashion Interactions (20 credits)
• Term Two: Situating Your Practice: Placement/Situating Your Practice: International Study Media/Situating Your Practice: Fashioned Spaces (40 credits)
• Term Three: Research Methods for Photography (20 credits); Future Choices (20 credits)

Third Year - Stage Three - level 6 - 120 credits

• Term One: Research Planning (20 credits)
• Terms One and Two: Cultural and Historical Studies Dissertation (40 credits)
• Term Two and Three: Final Major Project (60 credits)
• Travelling across London

The renowned London College of Fashion library is at our John Prince’s Street site, and you will need to travel to this site, and possibly others, during your course to use the library, which is open seven days a week in term time, and for tuition and special events.


Course structure

The information outlined is an indicative structure of the course. Whilst we will aim to deliver the course as described on this page, there may be situations where it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, for example because of regulatory requirements or operational efficiencies, before or after enrolment. If this occurs, we will communicate all major changes to all applicants and students who have either applied or enrolled on the course.

Please note that due to staff research agreements or availability, not all of the optional modules listed may be available every year.
In addition, the provision of course options which depend upon the availability of specialist teaching, or on a placement at another institution, cannot be guaranteed. Please check this element of the course with the course team before making a decision to apply.