Fashion Buying for 15 - 17 Year Olds
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Course Fee:
£525
- Start Date(s): 4 August 2025
- Duration: Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Course dates:
4 - 8 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
This course will introduce the dynamic role of the global fashion buyer and how product is developed from inspirational trends to the physical pieces we buy in store and online today.
Throughout this week-long course, you will be introduced to trend forecasting, fashion product building and selection, global sourcing, and product marketing. You will gain insights into how the fashion industry works including some of the key skills across fashion management and marketing.
Whether you’re dreaming of a future career in fashion or simply curious about how your favourite products make it into stores, this course offers a fun and engaging glimpse into the world of fashion buying.
-
You’ll be part of a design community in our creative studio culture; one that promotes discussion and collaboration and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
With a limited class size you'll have the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your designs at home or work. -
Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in varied practices. -
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance from a well-respected University
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential Award and is an amazing opportunity to make new friends and memories. It will be fun and gently challenging, allowing you to follow your passion and discover talents you never knew you had.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
You must also attend the social events that are planned on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and you must plan and attend your own social activities with other participants on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
What you’ll study
Gain practical insights of the global fashion industry, where creativity and style meet business whilst studying in a city famous for its fashion industry.
On this course, you’ll dive into the key elements that make fashion buying such a vital and exciting role in the industry. You’ll participate in interactive activities, such as creating mood boards, selecting a sample collection for a brand, and analysing current fashion trends.
Hands on practical sessions will be supported using our fabric and product library developing knowledge of fashion buying tools and techniques. You will build foundational knowledge of the fashion buying cycle and how teams across the fashion industry collaborate on product realisation.
The consumer will take main stage in your understanding of fashion buying and you will conduct research on consumer buying habits and behaviours. Throughout, you’ll consider the importance of sustainability and how this is instrumental to the future of the fashion industry, and think about how products are made and where and how we buy fashion products.
During this course, you will be introduced to the global fashion industry and how the fashion buyer plays a pivotal role in ensuring brands are successful, considering:
- Trend Forecasting
Learn how fashion buyers predict new and emerging trends by analysing consumers, catwalks, street-style, social media, and global influences. You will use tools and techniques that brands use to stay ahead of fashion trends in this fast-paced global environment.
- Product Selection
Understand how fashion buyers build and select the right product ranges for their target consumers. This may include selecting fabrics and colours as well as identifying new products. You will explore how fashion buyers curate collections that customers will love.
- Global Sourcing
Considering sustainable sourcing and its global impact you will gain an insight into how and where product is made and how fashion buyers work collaboratively with factories to ensure products meet the brand and consumer expectations
- Fashion Trading & Product Marketing
A business can only succeed if there is a consumer ready to buy! You will delve into how brand success is maximised through product marketing considering the consumer needs and desires and how brands market their products. It’s all about creating a compelling story!
By the end of the course, you’ll have a well-rounded understanding of the skills and knowledge required to succeed in fashion buying—and maybe even a vision for your future career in the industry.
Social events
We appoint NTU Student Ambassadors who host social events on Monday and Wednesday evening to help you make friends across the whole of our summer school programme for 15 – 17 year olds, which are free to attend.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll study:
- Start your fashion buying journey with a warm welcome to NTU.
- We will introduce you to the course where you will meet your tutor and fellow cohort
- Dive into the exciting world of the global fashion industry and gain an introduction into the business side of fashion
- Develop an appreciation of the buying cycle and how fashion buyers collaborate with designers, merchandisers, garment technologists, factories, and marketing to ensure the right product gets to the right customers at the right time.
- As a fashion buyer you are always on the lookout for the next trend. On day 2, you will take to the streets of Nottingham in groups to conduct trend research on colour, fabric, silhouette, and price points.
- Using your research, you will discuss and compose a trend mood board on the current and emerging trends
- Your findings will be supplemented with industry tools (such as WGSN) enabling you to predict next seasons trends for a product area and brand of your choice.
- Using your trend knowledge from day 2, you will develop your own fashion range by selecting and curating a collection for your chosen brand and product area.
- You will use the product and fabric library to create a range considering some of the buying tools and techniques from industry such as price points, core and fashion product and good, better, best strategy.
- You will have the opportunity to work collaboratively and develop your presentation skills by sharing your ideas
- A key part of the fashion buyers’ role is working with global suppliers and factories to ensure product ranges are sustainable, ethical, profitable, and meet the requirements of the consumer.
- Although we cannot transport you to a factory in China, we will introduce you to the sourcing element of fashion buying. You will gain an introduction on where fashion product is bought, how to negotiate cost prices and how to make sustainable and ethical decisions as a fashion buyer.
- You will have the opportunity to watch an acclaimed industry film that will supplement your understanding of fashion buying and the sourcing of product.
- On your final day we will consider the trading element of fashion buying, this is the exchange of product from brand to consumer.
- We will look at consumer profiles and behaviours and how to maximise market opportunities through product promotions, visual merchandising, and in-store and online marketing.
- You will develop a product marketing campaign for your range to ensure it is a success.
How you’re taught
This course will be delivered in person at Nottingham Trent University.
Contact hours
You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to give you a real experience of university life, make new friends who share similar interests and develop your portfolio so that ultimately, you can make an informed decision about your future.
You will have the opportunity to build your professional skills in teamwork, communication, and presentation.
This course provides a taster of the BA (Hons) Fashion Management course within the School of Art & Design.
Fashion Management BA (Hons) Undergraduate Course | Nottingham Trent University
On successful completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.
Campus and facilities
You will be based in the Nottingham School of Art and Design on the City Campus.
You'll find bright studio and workshop spaces to develop your ideas and create exciting work.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.
Entry requirements
Level: Open to all
Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for fashion, in particular the fusion of business and creativity.
You must be 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the course in order to attend.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £525.
Payment is due at the time of booking.
Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
Please bring with you on the first day:
- pen and notebook
- a laptop, tablet or phone (useful but not essential).
Read our booking terms and conditions.
Need accommodation?
Accommodation can be booked separately to the course; the rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms, and cost £259 per week, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.
These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation.
If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian (to support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence and there is a dedicated Warden available).
If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian (you must book two separate rooms and let us know so we can place you in rooms next to each other).
This option is particularly popular with students completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Residential Award.
Find out more and book your accommodation here.
Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?
If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees (email the short course team with your order number to claim the refund).
How to apply
You can book this course for the following dates via the NTU online store:
4 - 8 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
Browse all our summer courses for 15 – 17 year olds.
Any questions?
Contact the short course team:
- Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk
- Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813