BA (Hons) Hair and Make-up for Fashion

The BA (Hons) Hair and Make-up for Fashion course is situated in the School of Media and Communication, and prepares you for a career as a practitioner in fashion hair and make-up design where increasingly you need to be versatile and flexible to respond to the convergence of fashion with time-based media and new technologies and platforms.

You will learn about this sector of the fashion industry and the position of the make-up artist and hair designer within it. All the fashion media and communication courses are based in Lime Grove, which means that every student can benefit from the skills of students on complementary courses. The importance of teamwork will be explored through collaborative projects that you will undertake, and you also work independently to develop your skills and personal style in preparation for the industry.

You will acquire the practical skills of make-up and hair design, together with broader academic studies which give you a contemporary and historical understanding of your creative discipline within the wider perspectives of fashion, society and the environment. This will integrate the practical and theoretical aspects of your learning. You will also learn research skills, both visual and academic, which will underpin your creative practice and develop your analytical skills and critical awareness, in readiness for the two major assignments that you will undertake in your final year. Contact with the industry throughout the course increases your opportunities for employment after graduation, as does the opportunity to attend workshops to hone your skills in preparing for employment.

BA (Hons) Hair and Make-up for Fashion 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 Hair and Make Up for Fashion (20 credits); Design, Technique and Process (20 credits)
• Term Two: Introduction to Cultural and Historical Studies (20 credits); Design Technique Practice (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); Mediating Fashion Image (20 credits)
• Term Two: Situating Your Practice: Performance Placement/Situating Your Practice: International Study Performance/Situating Your Practice: Independent Performance Proposal (40 credits)
• Term Three: Research Methods for Hair and Make-up for Fashion (20 credits); Style and Signature (20 credits)

Year Three - Stage Three - level 6 - 120 credits

• Term One: Conceptual Development (20 credits)
• Term One and Term Two: Cultural and Historical Studies Dissertation (40 credits)
• Term Two and Term 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.