Consider studying in the fashion capital of the UK and kickstart your career in the fashion industry.
The Fashion Retail Academy is just a short distance from Kent. Our courses are perfect for those looking to gain the skills and work experience they need to get an entry-level position in the fashion industry. We offer a wide range of courses including Fashion Design, Buying, Visual Merchandising, Fashion Marketing and more.
With many of our students already commuting from Kent and the surrounding areas, you can benefit from our expert tutors and extended network of retail and fashion experts too. Explore our fashion courses today!
There are many commuter routes connecting the county of Kent with London, which is ideal for those studying and working in the capital. You can reach the Fashion Retail Academy in around 1 to 1.5 hours in most cases. Check out commute times from popular Kent locations:
You can reach the Fashion Retail Academy in under an hour and a half from Canterbury West Station. Get the train to either St Pancras or London Victoria and then take the tube to Moorgate. Our campus is then immediately opposite the station!
Take the train from Maidstone East to London Victoria station. Take the tube to Moorgate and walk a few minutes to reach FRA in roughly 1hr 30min.
Travelling from Ashford to London will take you just over 1 hour from Ashford International. Take the train to St Pancras Station and then take the tube to Moorgate. Our campus is immediately opposite the station.
Take the train from Dartford to Charing Cross Station and then take the tube to Moorgate. Our campus is immediately opposite the station, so the journey could take around 1hr 30mins.
You can study your dream course without having to relocate, as the Fashion Retail Academy is within commuting distance from Kent. We offer a variety of fashion courses including specialist diplomas, online courses, and degrees in fashion.
BA (Hons) Marketing & Communications for Fashion will teach you the skills you need to design effective marketing campaigns. We’ll teach you to combine your creative and analytical expertise to identify new opportunities for brands to communicate with their audiences.
BA (Hons) Fashion Business will teach you the different ways of doing business within the fashion industry. You’ll learn about the financial, commercial and ethical factors that impact brands, combined with all skills you need to start and manage a successful business.
Studying BA (Hons) Buying & Merchandising, you’ll discover how to plan and trade a fashion season from concept to customer. Discover how trends, customer profiling and consumer behaviour can help inform your business decisions.
Our Sustainability in Fashion undergraduate course explores the pressing sustainability issues facing the industry today and how businesses can overcome them. You’ll look at the social responsibility of the fashion industry and the role of the retail sector from an ethical perspective, and learn how to make the industry more sustainable and ethical while still making businesses profitable.
By studying our undergraduate Fashion Communications & Styling degree course you’ll explore communication in a fashion environment through a range of mediums and develop your own creative practice and professional portfolio. You’ll be able to create effective communications strategies, as well as develop the technical and analytical skills you’ll need for industry.
By choosing to study BA (Hons) User Experience Design for Retail, you’ll develop the essential technology and creative skills to create user experiences needed that are intuitive, engaging and cultivate brand loyalty. Learn the difference between User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design and understand how both areas relate and work together to create vital user experiences. Develop your creative research skills and learn how to use essential UX/UI software.
Combine creative and technical skills to create captivating fashion imagery for brands through fashion photography, film, illustration and visual communications and media with this new undergraduate degree. This brand new course will teach you the skills required for an exciting and successful career in fashion art direction by developing your creativity and technical knowledge of digital image making techniques.
By choosing to study BSc (Hons) Data Analytics for Retail, you’ll learn the essential data gathering, analysis and management skills needed to effectively interpret data and create innovative solutions to business problems. Learn to identify, understand, and solve problems facing brands, understand how to interpret trends and how to analyse your findings to highlight new opportunities for a business in any area of industry.
On this course, you will refine your skills in marketing, communications and advertising, and specialise in global and international marketing and strategy. You’ll complete modules including planning and strategy, design and communications and advertising management.
Level 2 Fashion Retail introduces you to the full range of careers available within the fashion industry. It's a fantastic starting point into further education or an apprenticeship.
Level 3 Fashion Design teaches you the fundamentals of clothing creation. This challenging and inspiring course prepares you for an exciting career in textile, pattern or fashion design, or creative direction.
Studying Level 3 Fashion Retail, you'll discover the teams that make up a brand head office within the fashion industry. It's the perfect course if you aren't sure which area of fashion you'd like to work in.
On Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling, you’ll learn how to engage with audiences and tell ‘style stories’ to transform fashion products from just objects into modern, must-have trends. You’ll develop your skills in creative practice, across disciplines including journalism, photography, film, art direction and styling.
Level 4 Data Analytics for Retail teaches you to collate, analyse and report data for the fashion industry. Start a career at the forefront of a brand, supporting vital business decisions and solving critical issues. As a new and expanding area of industry, job roles are rapidly evolving and there are many opportunities for career progression.
Studying Level 4 Digital Marketing, you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of how marketing strategies are created and implemented by fashion brands. You'll learn about all the different areas of digital marketing, and how to effectively target customers.
Our Level 4 Fashion Buying diploma will teach you the essential skills you need to start work as an entry-level Buyers Admin Assistant. You'll learn how to source garments from across the world, and how to design range plans that maximise sales.
Studying Level 4 Fashion Business (with Marketing), you’ll explore the fashion retail industry as a whole, learning about the entire product lifecycle from head office to store. This course is perfect if you aren’t sure which fashion career path you’d like to take.
Study the UK's only Level 4 Garment Technology diploma, and master the skills you need for a successful career as a garment technologist. Learn to improve and refine garment designs, making sure products fit perfectly and that details are consistent across a range of sizes and colours.
Level 4 Visual Merchandising will teach you a wide range of digital and design skills for visual display and branding. Learn to create dynamic physical and digital assets for brands retailers, from window displays to social media content, using trend forecasting skills to support your ideas.
Fast Track Buying & Merchandising is a condensed, 22-week course that will prepare you for entry-level roles as either a Merchandising or Buying Admin Assistant. This is the perfect choice for those looking to upskill or retrain whilst continuing to work part-time.
Now you can also study at the Fashion Retail Academy from the convenience of your own home with our brand-new online courses.
Studying Buying & Merchandising [Online], you'll learn the essential skills you need for a career as a fashion buyer or merchandiser. Discover how to plan and trade a fashion season from concept to customer; and how trends and consumer behaviour inform your business decisions.
Studying Fashion Business & Retail [Online], you’ll learn about the structure of businesses within the fashion industry. You’ll discover all the roles and careers available and how they work together to achieve business goals. Learn the key skills fashion brands are looking for, including consumer behaviour and data analysis.
Developed in collaboration with ASOS, UX/UI Design [Online] will teach you how to enhance the customer journey, making it easy and intuitive. You'll learn how customers engage with brands, and how more useable products can improve a brand’s image and encourage customer loyalty.
Endorsed by M&S, Data Analytics for Retail [Online] teaches you the key skills you need for a career in this rapidly growing area of the industry. Work at the centre of a fashion brand, identifying problems, recommending solutions and spotting trends to inform key strategic decisions to drive the future direction and growth of a business.
