KINGSTON UNIVERSITY - London, England

KINGSTON UNIVERSITY

Knights Park Campus

Grange Road, Kingston Upon the Thames

Surrey KT1 2QJ

O.K., so not exactly in London - 12 miles away to be exact.  We'll take a train!  See the countryside!

The campus that houses the Fashion Design courses is called Knights Park Campus is located on the banks of the River Thames and the travels three miles connecting Kingston to Hampton Court, Richmond, and central London.

Kingston was first recorded in royal records in 838.  By the 10th century Kingston became a coronation center where Saxon Kings were crowned.Kingston Fashion Degree program is an intense 3 year study in a open studio concept.  They believe fashion is a dynamic and challenging field that can evolve and have radical change through design influenced by cultural, social, historical, economic and political changes.  The school understands that designers working in fashion predict, reflect, and generate change, which they feel influences the lives of everyone. "It's a tough exciting area to study"

To study fashion at Kingston, you will cover all aspects of the design process - from research to and design development, to creating garments using cut and construction.  Art and design history underpins studio based projects during all three years.

The first year of study will go straight into designing and sewing starting with a intro to design process which will cover all 2 dimensional aspects such pattern drafting and cutting.  Students will make a "inspirational research brief" to explore knitted textiles, fashion styling, and photography.  Photography!  Mimi loves photography!Each year the students must produce a portfolio and freshman year they are to use the costume archive as a key resource.  At first I got all excited because Mimi is thinking about minoring in costume design - but Kingston doesn't offer it as a course.  So the archives are just of random costumes the students have made over the year or maybe it's the schools private collection for inspiration only.

In year 2, students participate in live sponsored projects and competition with designers from major industry leaders such as Tommy Hilfiger, Brooks Brothers, H & M, and Zara.  You can also have a paid internship that summer with these and The Gap and Banana Republic.  Kingston is a sponsored university!  Some of the biggest companies that sponsor them are Banana Republic and the Gap from the USA, UK companies of course, and Zara from Spain

Students working with these designers in the second and third year would really help securing a job upon graduation.  The internships are in London, New York, San Francisco, Stockholm, and Amsterdam.  My study abroad student could become a double study abroad student!

Every year students secure their own "brief for a self initiated project with a renowned designer" which has included Dior, Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Givenchy, and Jil SandersIt sounds like these students are in wonderful company!  Kingston claims to have graduates in every major fashion company.  And if you get to work with these fashion giants as early as your sophomore year, I am a believer.

Additionally, students at Kingston can take for non credit a language all three years - for free!  The languages they offer Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.  Not much for free at American universities.

ADMISSION: England has it's own USA type of common app through the Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS) and it's a 3 step process.

1) the first part is personal information about yourself including qualifications you hold and what you are currently studying.  2) is a personal statement about what makes you special and wonderful.  UCAS says this is your ONLY opportunity to crow about yourself 

and sell yourself to the school you want to to attend so take your time and put a lot of thought into it.

3) references from teachers and/or employers.  

Portfolio requirements are more vague with this school.  Yes, a portfolio is required to review before gaining entrance 

but they won't tell you what they require from you until AFTER your online UCAS app has been received.  I guess you can breathe a sigh that this means there won't be a pacific "challenge" like some other portfolios require.  Maybe?!  The only thing I could find out was that they would not consider you at all if there were less than they required.  Well, that's just common sense!

Do I love each fashion school after researching it?  Often, true.  But this school has star appeal!  You would be working with industry design leaders (often Kingston graduates) your second year - that's pretty impressive.  Being only 12 miles from London - maybe the quieter campus would yield more study and work time.

Kingston University says it promotes fluid and creative design in a open studio concept with a close community to help make their students unique to the fashion world.  

You gotta like that!
Pam