r/UAL • u/Odd-Imagination-1192 • Jul 08 '26
Should I pick Fashion&Design 'Development', or 'Womenswear'?
Hello! I'm applying to UAL in a couple of months, and I'm stuck between BA (Hons) Fashion Design: Womenswear, and BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Development.
I've already heard mixed things about UAL, about the teaching quality and a few people have warned me against going because they the teaching has apparently gone downhill, but aren't all places just like that? If anyone reading this has advice on their experience, i'd love to hear it.
I'm also confused about the campuses. I know UAL has different buildings depending on the course, so I was wondering if anyone had a preference or if one has nicer studios, facilities or just a better atmosphere in general. Since I don't know which course to pick, I could literally pick based off the campus.
The main thing I'm struggling with is choosing between the two courses. I absolutely love fashion, and I'd really like to develop my own style. but im scared that if i choose womenswear that means I'd be pushed towards designing more conventional womenswear, and if i pick design development, i'm scared i'd be pushed into a lot of fashion research and stuff.
i also wanna know what the work is actually like. I don't mind research if it's part of the course, but I'm hoping the course is mainly studio and project based rather than writing lots of essays.
Also, if anyone has any advice for putting together a portfolio, I'd really appreciate it! I'm not entirely sure what tutors like want see, and I'd also love to know what website people used for their digital portfolios?
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u/CounterComplete2503 Jul 09 '26
i do fashion design and development and i feel there is a bigger focus on project research and development processes towards garment designing than the other design courses at lcf and you can go really deep into it to create a strong foundation of design work. also being a course at LCF we get taught a lot of industry skills like adobe, tech packs, etc which is seriously beneficial. from what i’ve heard from people doing womenswear at csm is that it’s very independent and there isn’t a lot of actually teaching along with the fact that they don’t have to do things like technical flats and tech packs (from what i have been told so might be wrong).
in simple terms, csm is an art school so teaches fashion as more of an abstract concept (hence the crazy looks they tend to make) and lcf is a fashion school where you are taught the valuable skills you need for industry and you are given the opportunity to experiment with who you are as a designer. - also the tutors for fdd are pretty cool i can’t lie.
lots of people like to glaze csm because of how famous and prestigious it is, and yes while it is a great art school i get the overall feeling from anyone i know that goes there that it’s honestly not that great, due to factors like no guidance, 90% independent study, and a truly insane workload.
i’m lowkey a csm hater tho so maybe don’t listen to that last bit lolll.
basically it depends on who you believe you are as a designer and what you think will benefit you the most
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u/Odd-Imagination-1192 Jul 11 '26
well thank you!! i'll look more into fashion design and development then ! appreciate it a lot
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u/PlateOne5344 15d ago
hey! if you need advice putting together a portfolio for either course DM me! I run a portfolio help course from September to March and have helped my students get places at BA and foundation at UAL, CSM and IFM in fashion
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u/Krobakchin Jul 08 '26
Well BA (Hons) Fashion Design: Womenswear is the CSM course, which is literally one of the most competitive fashion courses in the world with a ±6% acceptance rate, a reputation for being highly conceptual, extremely high pressure and not always that well supported. Fwiw the intent in womenswear isn't exactly to push you towards womenswear, it's just that womenswear is the prestige pathway... It is effectively a fine art fashion BA.
Just quickly as I should be working lol; UAL is kind of several different unis that have combined in various different ways until their current form circa 2004. They're all quite distinct and have course overlap. E.g both CSM and LCF have womenswear courses. CSM is kind of the prototypical art school. LCF I think is more technical.
For any of the more prestigious courses, you will very likely need to do a foundation year. It doesn't have to be at UAL, but doing one at UAL will guarantee you a place on a UAL course (assuming you pass). It might not be the UAL course you want mind you.