Fashion and Textile Retail Management MSc

The course develops resourceful, flexible and creative managers and entrepreneurs to lead and innovate within the fashion and textile retail industry. You may be a recent graduate who wishes to develop the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to pursue a managerial career within the dynamic Fashion and Textile Retail Industry. You may aspire to starting your own business or brand or may already have your own business. You may work in fashion and textile retailing and wish to increase your employability, confidence and potential for career advancement. You may be passionately interested in countering some of the ethical, political, social and economic implications surrounding the industry. This course helps you to increase your knowledge and understanding of the industry and challenges you to develop creative and innovative strategies, products and systems to create a sustainable and commercially viable future vision for fashion and textile retail.

The MSc in Fashion and Textile Retail Management gives graduates and industry returners the opportunity to engage with the retail management knowledge, international retailing perspectives and creative direction skills demanded by fashion and textile retailers within a competitive global environment. You will Investigate contemporary issues within fashion and textile retailing including branding, disruptive technologies, innovative creative retail spaces, consumer retail experience and behaviour, trend prediction, ethics, sustainability and potential futures. Supported by industry mentors, collaborative projects and industry and academic networking opportunities, you will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to engage in project management, creative business problem-solving, visionary product and brand development as well as organisational development strategies. You will also have the opportunity to engage with a range of optional practical workshops including: styling, design and garment construction, fashion illustration, photography, fabrics and functionality and CAD.

You will explore design thinking strategies and investigate innovative retailing formats and branding strategies through case studies, industry speakers and collaborative projects. This will also increase your awareness of a range of appropriate solutions for a variety of fashion and textile retail environments. The course will help you develop sector-specific professional skills and provide a research environment that will give you opportunities to collaborate and engage with external industry, cultural and government bodies. You will improve employability and interpersonal skills and be encouraged to expand entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial thinking through real-life, project-based learning collaborations.

The course encourages the examination of design futures, fashion and textile design theory, fashion thinking, ethics, politics, marketing and sales, sustainability, consumer behaviour and new methods of production and fabrication to develop individual, critical responses to the fashion and textile retail industry. Many varied career options exist in both the local, regional and international market. This course of study can lead to a range of careers including becoming leaders, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs within the fashion and textile retail industry. Participants may also develop skills within a range of associated careers including fashion and lifestyle public relations, styling, merchandising and brand management, as well as enhancing career progression prospects.

Good first degree in a relevant subject