Course description
London College of Fashion’s renowned standing as the only college in the UK to specialise in fashion education, research and consultancy, provides a valuable platform from which to launch this MA in Fashion Entrepreneurship. Through close collaboration with LCF’s international industrial and educational networks, the course will build an invaluable model that aims to support the UK creative industries promise of being the dynamic hub of the future, and respond to the "need to widen the gene pool in the next 20 years and create opportunity for a diverse and creative pioneer". (David Kershaw, CEO M and C Saatchi. 2nd Creative Industries Summit London 07.)
The course will foster new innovation processes to create and deliver new value as a major driver of economic growth for the fashion industry. The challenges posed to start-up creative enterprises are central topics and issues for this new course, and students will begin to explore what factors inhibit their growth potential, how to minimise risk, the conditions innovation needs to flourish to support a sustained presence in the competitive global market and issues surrounding managing human capital and blending methodologies for harnessing innovative ideas in a creative environment.
This MA is designed to break new ground and close the gap between the MBA and MA art and design: it aims to link creative thinking with business thinking in order to nurture creative and flexible entrepreneurs and creators of change. As undergraduate fashion courses are now increasingly multi-disciplinary, this course provides further study opportunities for fashion designers/product developers/marketers who want to initiate new business opportunities and the chance for those of you who might have been working in the fashion industry for several years to take the supported risk of starting an enterprise within a managed environment. Through mentoring from industry experts and the opportunity to go on placement, you will be supported to perfect personal aptitudes while developing the techniques and skills associated with entrepreneurial spirit.
Three specialist units are integral to the course, and provide graduates with the tools to understand the core issues
related to entrepreneurialism:
Globalisation and Entrepreneurship: This unit explores how entrepreneurs operate in international markets, supply chain sourcing and management, opportunity analysis and cross cultural perspectives.
Managing the entrepreneurial organisation: This unit explores how organisation structures, and creative teams can support better risk and decision making strategies through project planning and the balancing of creativity with commercialism.
Value and Venture Creation: Innovation is the central concept to all entrepreneurial endeavours, and this unit explores business processes, and competitive strategies that support these visions to achieve results-orientated goals.
What next?
Examples of Expected Graduate Destinations:
-A role within a creative service based industry both real and virtual; start up or mature
-An entrepreneurial role in an existing organisation
-A business development role using entrepreneurial thinking to develop and extend business through innovation. This could be in retail, design, production or media.
-Working in Research and Development in a leadership/management role within service and design-led industries
-A leadership/management role within an existing business or group
-Establishing a new business venture
