The fashion industry is the largest creative industry in the UK and it is growing. Textiles is a broad and varied art and design subject that will appeal to those who are creative, inventive, and enjoy designing and making textile products, or those who are interested in fashion, interior design, costume or theatre design.

Textiles is a practical subject that gives students the opportunity to tackle and solve problems creatively, to think critically and confidently, and to express opinions, whilst offering a wealth of opportunities for the future. At all key stages, students are encouraged to think about and address ethical, moral, cultural and social issues in textiles industry and reflect on these when producing their own work. We encourage students to explore their own individual textiles heritage and express themselves using a range of media, techniques, processes and materials.

Textiles at Key Stage 4

This is an exciting and creative course that involves the creation of designs and products for woven, knitted, stitched, printed or decorative textiles that might have a functional or non-functional purpose. Students are required to work in one or more area(s) of textile design or art textiles:

  • fashion design and illustration
  • costume design
  • constructed textiles
  • printed and dyed textiles
  • surface pattern
  • stitched and/or embellished textiles
  • soft furnishings and/or textiles for interiors
  • digital textiles
  • installed textiles.

Students will study a range of artists, designers, art and design movements, and design history and respond to these in their own work. Students are taught practical skills in a series of small projects ranging from interior design, costume design, fashion and accessories design. Students are taught fashion illustration and textiles design techniques using a range of design tools including computer-aided design.

Students learn how to add colour and pattern to a variety of fabrics using a range of printing processes, dyeing, and embroidery and embellishment techniques, using a range of equipment and technology. Students will also learn basic pattern block making and pattern cutting, as well as a variety of construction techniques, so they develop the skills to both design and make garments or products.

Students also learn about the design and manufacturing industry, technological developments, environmental issues and sustainability in relation to manufacture and use of a range of products, processes and materials.

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