Contour Fashion BA (Hons)

On this course you can specialize in lingerie, athleisure, swimwear, loungewear, nightwear, corsetry, bridalwear, men’s underwear, sportswear or medical applications. Building your understanding in a step-by-step approach from the ground up, you will develop specialist technical skills in 2-3D creative development, digital drawing, pattern cutting, grading, fit methodologies and manufacturing.

Key features

We are recognized as one of the country’s most sustainable fashion and textiles schools (Green Gown Awards, 2021) and one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 (CEOWORLD, 2022).

Develop the technical skills, market proficiency, design expertise and understanding of 2-3D creative development needed to innovate in this fast-evolving sector.

Work on live projects with industry experts to gain valuable skills and insight into the industrial and commercial challenges of design practice. Recent briefs have been set by global brands such as Lounge Underwear, ASOS, Gymshark, H&M and Lycra.

Enter prestigious national and international competitions to boost your industry exposure. Previous graduates have won a number of accolades, including Boux Avenue’s Lingerie Designer of the Year and the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers award.

This course has a global reputation in the intimate apparel industry, with recent graduates employed by ASOS, Gymshark, Agent Provocateur, Triumph, H&M, Clover International, Heidi Klein and Nichole de Carle.

Gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our DMU Global programme. Previous trips have taken students overseas to visit global brands including Victoria’s Secret, Aerie and Adore Me in New York.

Innovation and sustainability are embedded throughout the course, alongside live client projects and opportunities to receive industry feedback on your work. Experienced tutors bring their industry expertise into your teaching and our state-of-the-art facilities for intimate apparel construction will push you to reach your full creative potential.

The focus of your first year will be to ‘Investigate’ through a grounding in research, concept development, 2D illustration, basic technical skills and design development. You will normally attend around 14 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 25 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

The second year aims to ‘Develop’ your skills and knowledge, building on the foundation gained in the first year.

Your third year will ‘Consolidate’ your learning by bringing together all the skills you have learnt into a final product that reflects your chosen area of focus and individual design aesthetic. 

Ranked as one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2022 and 2023 (CEOWORLD, 2023) and in the top 10 in the UK for 'career after 15 months' (The Guardian University Guide 2024), our innovative and widely-respected courses help prepare students for fulfilling futures in this fast-paced industry.

We are members of the UK Fashion and Textiles Association which ensures our teaching stays up to date with the latest developments in the sector and provides valuable industry links that enhance our courses.

Widely regarded by industry experts as one of the world's best degrees dedicated to the design of intimate apparel, this course combines heritage, innovation and technical excellence