Career Opportunities

The textiles and fashion industry is one of the biggest creative industries in the UK, offering huge opportunities for students with creative talent, strong ideas and practical making skills.

Studying A Level Textiles at Ashton Sixth Form College can lead to an incredibly wide range of careers across fashion, design, interiors, styling, branding and the wider creative industries. It is a subject that combines creativity with real employability, giving you practical skills that can take you in many different directions.

Whether you love drawing, making, designing, photography, colour, construction, digital design or visual storytelling, there is a pathway for you.

Some of the exciting career routes linked to Textiles include:

Fashion and Garment Design

• Fashion Designer (menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, bridal)
• Costume Designer for TV, theatre and film
• Accessories Designer
• Jewellery Designer
• Fashion Illustrator
• Fashion Journalist
• Fashion Photographer

Textile and Surface Design

• Textile Designer
• Surface Pattern Designer
• Print Designer
• Knitwear Designer
• Weave Designer
• Embroidery Designer
• Wallpaper Designer
• Home Furnishings Designer
• Material Innovation and Fabric Development
• Textile Technology and Textile Forensics

Fashion Industry and Creative Direction

• Fashion Stylist
• Fashion Buyer
• Trend Forecaster
• Fashion Marketing and Merchandising
• Fashion Branding and Art Direction
• Creative Direction for Fashion and Retail

Interiors and Product Design

• Interior Designer
• Surface Designer for Interiors
• Product Designer
• Visual Merchandising
• Retail Display Design

Independent Creative Careers

• Textile Artist
• Designer-Maker
• Small Business Owner
• Freelance Creative Practitioner
• Independent Brand Founder
• Workshop Leader
• Teacher or Lecturer

Many students progress from Textiles into university courses such as Fashion Design, Textile Design, Surface Pattern, Costume, Interior Design, Fashion Communication, Buying and Merchandising, Fashion Promotion and Creative Direction.

Others go directly into apprenticeships, freelance work, small business start-ups or creative industry roles.

Textiles is not just about making beautiful things - it teaches you how to think creatively, solve problems, present ideas professionally and develop the confidence to turn your creativity into a career.

If you can imagine it, Textiles can help you build it!