Fashion Journalism

Fashion journalism occupies the intersection of style, culture, commerce and communication, requiring you to write about clothing and image with critical intelligence as well as aesthetic sensibility. It is not simply about trend reporting: fashion journalism engages with the cultural, economic and political dimensions of an industry that shapes how billions of people present themselves to the world. The best fashion writing combines sharp observation, cultural analysis, and a distinct voice, and developing those qualities is what a degree in the subject sets out to achieve.

At the University of Sunderland you will follow this programme on a part-time basis, including a year abroad that extends your engagement with fashion in an international context. You will develop skills in catwalk reporting, trend forecasting, editorial styling, and the creation of digital and print content, working on projects that include producing a fashion magazine or website and joining the Fashion North team, which gives you direct experience of working in a real editorial environment. You will engage critically with the fashion industry and develop the writing, visual and digital skills that contemporary fashion media requires.

Graduates of fashion journalism work as writers, editors, stylists, content creators, social media managers, trend forecasters and brand consultants. Fashion magazines and websites, newspapers with fashion coverage, fashion brands with in-house editorial teams, advertising and PR agencies, e-commerce businesses and the growing world of fashion content creation online are all destinations for graduates with these skills. The combination of critical writing and visual sensibility also opens doors in adjacent fields such as lifestyle journalism, arts criticism, marketing communications and brand strategy.

Postgraduate study in journalism, fashion communication, or cultural studies is a route for those who wish to develop their expertise further or move into research and academic work.