NOMINATION STATEMENT
MSC APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY IN FASHION – LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION, U
Programme Rationale
Fashion is a global industry worth £26billion per year in the UK alone. Fashion is exciting,
creative and dynamic. However, its dark side is pernicious, generating problems which can
be addressed by psychologists. Even if we consider ourselves not interested in fashion, we
all wear clothes. Therefore we are not exempt from fashion’s influences. Despite its ubiquity
and influence on human behaviour and well-being, fashion has been ignored by
psychologists. The development of the MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion addresses this
need.
Programme History
The University of the Arts London (UAL) comprises LCF, Central Saint Martins, London
College of Communication and Chelsea, Camberwell and Wimbledon College of Art. The
inclusion of Psychology at an Arts university is unique. Psychology provision began at LCF in
2012 following a paper I gave on the importance of Psychology in Fashion. The programme
began in 2014 and has now grown to a Psychology Department with 4 full-time and 2
fractional staff. Undergraduate provision will be developed in 2016 and recruit students in
2017.
Originality and innovation
The world’s first and only Masters programme to apply psychology in the context of fashion,
the MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion, was developed at one of the world’s leading Fashion
Colleges, the London College of Fashion (LCF). Although the title contains ‘Fashion’, no
Fashion is taught on the programme. Rather, students develop their thesis in the area they
have identified within the fashion industries as worthy of investigation. Core areas of
psychology, as defined by the BPS, are integrated across the programme. Assessments are
incremental such that students adopt a holistic approach to understanding human
behaviour in context. In setting their own context, students develop as independent and
creative thinkers with ownership of their learning and outcomes. This enhances motivation
and enthusiasm for life-long learning. Students are required to collaborate with others as
part of the Collaborative Unit Psychology (CUP) a 20-credit unit which requires students to
develop an output with organisations, staff or students from other disciplines. This year, our
students will be collaborating with a national children’s charity on a campaign which aims to
counter bullying around body image in children and adolescents; a local council who runs
arts workshops and activities for young people with learning disabilities; a not-for-profit
organisation which runs activities for people aged 55 and older; and a scientist developing
accessories to reduce anxiety. In addition, each full-time member of staff will supervise a
research collaboration between MSc Psychology students and others at any College at UAL
over the 15 weeks of this unit.
1
Students are encouraged to engage with extra-curricular activities at LCF and UAL. These
include organising public-facing events including the high-profile annual seminar series,
Better Lives, which was supported the BPS London and Home Counties Branch in 2015
(http://www.pigeonsandpeacocks.com/2015/02/better-lives-series-positive-psychology/)
and reported in The Psychologist 2014 (http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/fashion/2014/01/17/booknow-better-lives-lecture-series-2014/; see p.75 of pdf in Evidence. Details of the 2103 series
can be found here: http://newsevents.arts.ac.uk/event/the-better-lives-lecture-series2013/. Students also organised and presented at the 1st LCF Psychology in Fashion Graduate
Conference in April 2015. The audience of UAL staff, students and the public gave very
positive feedback on the event. Current students are organising the 2nd LCF Psychology in
Fashion Graduate Conference which will be held in April 2016 and the 1st LCF Psychology,
Aesthetics and Fashion Conference which has been funded by the British Society of
Aesthetics. Other opportunities for student engagement and networking include the Wellbeing Research Hub (WBRH) which I lead and the LENS Community of Practice which I coconvene.
Impact on the department and beyond
The Department has evolved as a result of the Masters provision. It has recently been
situated in the Fashion Business School (FBS) where it is praised for its innovation, value to
the School and accredited status. The programme has impact beyond the College and
University. The unique nature of the programme means that I am invited to give high profile
keynotes (e.g., the BPS Psychology4Graduates London meeting,
https://www.bps.org.uk/events/conferences/psychology4graduates-2015), and interviews
about Psychology in Fashion in national and international press, blogs, TV and fashion and
lifestyle magazines. The Programme has been featured a number of times in The
Psychologist (e.g., https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/better-living-through-fashion, please
also see Evidence), and ‘5 minutes with…’ series for Mind Hacks
(http://mindhacks.com/2015/05/06/five-minutes-with-carolyn-mair/). Recently I have been
invited to help develop a similar Masters programme at the Fashion Institute of Technology
in New York.
Impact on student experience
In order to recruit a broad range of students, applicants are not required to have a
background in either Psychology or Fashion. Rather, they need to demonstrate curiosity, the
desire to make a positive difference and the ability to study independently. The externals
have returned positive feedback on the programme (please see Evidence).
Students are encouraged to engage with the BPS. Within one month of starting their
programme, two thirds of all students submitted a proposal for the 2015 Annual
Conference. Three were accepted for presentation. On hearing the presentations, the
former President of the BPS wrote to the Head of College praising the quality of our
students. Please see this letter in Evidence. This year, half of all students have submitted a
proposal for the 2016 Conference, the remainder will submit before the deadline for a
poster presentation. We also organise our own conference which was commended by the
Accreditation Team in their report (See Evidence). Students are also encouraged to engage
2
with the College and the University and have many opportunities to do so through the
WBRH, LENS, Better Lives series and CUP.
The underpinning philosophy of the MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion is to enable students
to develop psychological literacy to enable them to succeed in uncertain and dynamic
environments. They are equipped to increase knowledge, improve performance or enhance
well-being at individual, societal and global issues in the broad context of fashion.
To conclude, the programme is uniquely innovative and creative by bringing psychology to
an area largely ignored by psychologists, yet in need of psychological science.
3