MA Fashion Merchandise Management (Full Time)

The goal of this stimulating MA Fashion Merchandise Management course is simple: to be an innovative, challenging and inspiring programme for those who want to be future leaders in fashion merchandise management/the fashion industry.

With competition in the retail sector at an all-time high, the role of professionals responsible for visual presentation has taken on greater importance than ever before. Exploiting innovation and creativity allows modern retailers to transform the most pedestrian environments into exciting shopping arenas.

This course will maximise your ability to create design solutions that work in the real world. It aims to progress your understanding of contemporary visual merchandise practice and teach you how to manage the wider requirements of the fashion retail industry. You will gain a thorough understanding of how design can contribute to a business's decision-making process and influence the strategic planning of fashion retailers and their approaches to marketing.

The key elements of this course focus on research, with an emphasis on practical skills and portfolio development. Working closely with professionals who offer insider knowledge of industry strategies, we encourage you to develop pioneering approaches to fashion merchandise management. You will analyse new technological methodologies, creative marketing concepts, display and retail environments and innovations in business for the fashion industry.

Industrial focus

We encourage you to seek relevant work experience at a fashion or design company while on the course. This is part of the ethos of the Fashion School, where flexible programmes and strong links with industry have led to placements in important areas of the industry and organisations such as:

• trend reporting for WGSN
• Mudpie Design/Trend Consultancy
• design at Jenny Packham
• marketing department at Harvey Nichols
• MRA Retail Architects
• Calvin Klein Jeans, visual communication.

Course content

Research Methods

This unit explores the principles of academic research, presenting the variety of research methods available and discussing their relevance in relation to the students' study paths. The unit will guide you in the selection of appropriate and ethically managed research methods, enabling you to develop confidence in research and autonomy in execution in preparation for the final Major Project.

Retail Space Analysis and Design

The importance of visual merchandising, in-store branding,
and increased customer involvement with the product through the retail store environment provides the focus for this unit. You are encouraged to research all aspects of point-of-sale, retail design, store architecture and environment and how consideration of display techniques can enhance sales opportunities and customer experience.

Consumer Behaviour, Marketing, Innovation and Enterprise

This unit explores the psychological and cultural factors that influence consumer shopping habits and behaviours. New ways of shopping and improving competition throughout consumer markets are investigated through reacting to global, technological and ethical developments and considerations.

Professional Contexts and Practice

This multi-disciplinary unit explores current debates, emerging areas of research and professional practice within fashion. A diverse programme of guest lectures, including representatives from the fashion and creative industries, provides a critical awareness of the cultural and professional contexts associated to students' chosen fields. Strengthening your knowledge of the fashion and creative industries, the unit will help you refine the necessary skills for articulating a specific career plan.

Buying and Merchandising

You will explore the theory of fashion buying and merchandising and its application to retailing procedures. An in-depth understanding of both roles is encouraged throughout with a detailed study of the broad range of responsibilities involved and how fundamental these are to the effective running of a fashion business.

Major Project

The creation of a design portfolio provides the opportunity to apply the range of knowledge and skills developed on the course. Your portfolio of work will demonstrate your career aspirations and how important research and theory underpins final project outcomes.

Assessment

Assessment includes projects, reports and a dissertation.

Key career skills

Creative thinking, critical analysis, initiative and personal responsibility, presentation and teamwork.

Projects/work experience

You will be encouraged to gain work experience as part of the course and we will support you in your quest for a placement at a top agency.

Why Solent is special

The course will run from September 2013 to November 2014.

You will have access to fashion studios, design and make workshops, multimedia suites, photography studios, IT suites and the library.

There are opportunities to take part in trips abroad, as well as regular trips to museums and exhibitions in and around London.

Graduate quote

Achieved a position as a Trainee Marketing Account Manager
with a large fashion wholesale company called ICD in London,
two weeks after leaving the course.

“I would definitely recommend the MA in Fashion Merchandise Management to anyone wishing to pursue a career in fashion, whether your undergraduate degree specialised in fashion or not. I came from a Business Studies degree background and around 4 years marketing experience in other industries. I found the skills and knowledge I already had helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the course modules.
The modules themselves cover a variety of areas which helped me to gain an in depth knowledge of the fashion industry and understand the wide variety of career choices available to me afterwards.

"The course also allowed me to research a number of different areas and retailers that I was interested in. This freedom helps to make the Masters so much more personal and interesting which increased my level of enthusiasm towards all of my projects.

"The teaching on the course is excellent and a mix of academic lecturers and industry professionals are an added bonus.

"I have now entered a marketing based career in the fashion industry and strongly feel that I am now able to apply the knowledge and skills achieved through this course.”

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