Cordwainers Fashion Bags and Accessories

Fashion bags and accessories design is a specialism within fashion and product design that focuses on the creation of the bags, luggage, small leather goods, and accessories that are among the most commercially and artistically significant objects in the fashion industry. The Cordwainers tradition at the University of the Arts London has a long history of training the makers and designers who work at the intersection of craft, material, and contemporary fashion culture, combining rigorous practical training with design thinking and awareness of the wider industry context.

At the London College of Fashion, part of the University of the Arts London, this four-year full-time programme develops your design skills through sustained practice and critique, working with a range of materials, processes, and techniques relevant to bags and accessories production. You will develop your creative vision alongside the technical knowledge of construction, material properties, and manufacturing processes that professional designers in this field need. A sandwich year and a work placement are incorporated into the programme, giving you professional experience in the industry before you complete your degree and providing the industry connections and practical understanding that make a significant difference in a competitive and commercially driven sector.

Graduates from bags and accessories design programmes go on to careers as product designers, accessories designers, creative directors, and design consultants in fashion houses, luxury goods companies, sportswear brands, and independent design studios. The combination of craft skill, design thinking, and industry experience makes graduates competitive in a global fashion market where specialist expertise in accessories and leather goods is consistently in demand. Further study at postgraduate level in fashion design, product design, or design management is another path for those who wish to develop their practice or move into leadership and research roles.