London College of Fashion’s unique postgraduate courses in curation and culture

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, is the only college in Britain to focus solely on fashion education and its many realms, gaining the institution recognition worldwide.

A unique perspective of fashion education the college offers is a Masters in fashion curation, one of the industry’s excitingly popular and emerging disciplines. The Masters is an “opportunity to explore both the theoretical aspects and practical challenges of curating contemporary fashion and historical dress,” and is now open for applications.

Graduate of the MA Fashion Curation course Shonagh Marshall explains that having time to delve into the discipline was hugely beneficial. “It was really fantastic to be focused on theory and picking apart the practice of curating and how you can guide the interpretation of an object, by positioning it in different places and ways,” she says. “For me that was what always sets apart people who have done an MA in curation do those who haven’t, because there are a really specific set of thoughts and processes you use.” Learning these skills led to Shonagh gaining a job at the Museum of the City of New York upon graduating in 2010, and has since worked on exhibitions globally, notably working for four years at Somerset House co-curating the Isabella Blow Fashion Galore! exhibit and Valentino’s Master of Couture.

The popularity of fashion curation has grown from the strength to strength in recent years due to the success of exhibitions such as Savage Beauty, the Alexander McQueen retrospective at the V&A. The Centre for Fashion Curation at London College of Fashion is a facility that allows students to learn the full extent of a curatorial job role, from research and exhibitions to symposiums, workshops and publications. The staff on the Fashion Curation Masters are also leading curators themselves, including directors Amy de la Haye and Judith Clark.

Tutors that are highly regarded within their fields are prevalent throughout London College of Fashion’s campuses. Its Fashion Space Gallery is directed by Ligaya Salazar who previously held the position of curator of contemporary programmes at the V&A. With a new gallery space, Arcade East, opening in the summer of 2017, postgraduates will be able to gain experience and insight through collaborations.

Focusing more on the culture that surrounds fashion, LCF offers the opportunity to “investigate fashion, dress and style in culture and society,” through its Fashion Cultures Masters. Students study a broad curriculum, with an emphasis on examining “the evolving relationship between fashion and film,” and continue to work closely with the Centre for Fashion Curation.

If a career in the fashion industry interests you, particularly in terms of its involvement with society and culture, the broad range of postgraduate courses at London College of Fashion is available here.