Studies & Degrees in Textile Design
Textile Design Study Programs
Textile design is the design of fabrics: their patterns, colours, textures and structures. The UK National Careers Service describes textile designers as people who create designs and patterns for clothes, soft furnishings and materials used in industry and manufacturing. The subject sits between art, fashion and materials technology. A printed dress fabric, an upholstery weave and a technical fabric for sports equipment are all the work of textile designers.
Students learn to develop patterns by hand and with computer-aided design (CAD) software, and to turn them into samples by printing, dyeing, weaving, knitting and stitching. They also study fibres and the properties of fabrics, colour, the history of textiles and how a design is prepared for production. Most programmes are built around studio projects that end in a collection and a portfolio.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees. In the United Kingdom the usual routes are a foundation degree, a higher national diploma or a degree in textile design, fashion and textiles, surface pattern or textile technology. London Metropolitan University, for example, teaches a BA (Hons) Textiles with practical work in print, knit, weave and stitch. In the United States the subject is often combined with fashion: the BS in Textiles and Fashion Design of the University of Wisconsin-Madison requires 120 credits and includes courses such as Introduction to Textile Design and The Science of Textiles.
- Spain. Textile design is mostly studied inside fashion design. The official higher arts studies in design (enseñanzas artísticas superiores de Diseño) take four academic years and 240 credits, with specialisations in graphic, product, interior and fashion design. The fashion specialisation includes textile materials, structures and treatments, and the decree that regulates these studies gives the qualifications official status throughout Spain. Hacer Creativo in Zaragoza states that it teaches official degrees in graphic design and fashion design, and IED Madrid lists a degree in higher arts studies in design. The Centro Superior de Diseño de Moda de Madrid advertises an official university bachelor's degree (grado) in Fashion Design.
- Vocational training. Spain's higher vocational training (FP de grado superior) has a more technical route: the Técnico Superior en Diseño Técnico en Textil y Piel, a 2,000-hour programme on yarns, woven and knitted fabrics, printing and leather finishing. In England, apprenticeships in fashion and textiles take around two years and combine work with study.
- Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. In the United Kingdom, a postgraduate course in textile design is open to people with a related first degree or a lot of industry experience.
Admission
Art and design schools usually ask for a portfolio of work as well as school qualifications. In the United Kingdom a degree normally requires two to three A levels or equivalent; London Metropolitan University asks for a minimum of BBC in three A levels in relevant art and design subjects, or 112 UCAS points from an equivalent qualification. In Spain, the higher vocational programme is open to holders of the Bachiller or an equivalent qualification, among other routes. Requirements differ by school, so applicants should check each one, and ask private schools what recognition their qualification has.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 17 active schools for textile design. Spain has seven, the United States four and the United Kingdom two; China, Singapore, France and Slovenia have one each. Most of the Spanish schools are design and fashion schools in Madrid, such as IED Madrid, ESNE and the Centro Superior de Diseño de Moda de Madrid, with Hacer Creativo in Zaragoza. Outside Spain the list includes London Metropolitan University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, MOD'SPE Paris and the University of Maribor in Slovenia, whose Faculty of Mechanical Engineering lists textile design technologies and design and textile materials among its fields of study.
Programmes in Spain are taught mainly in Spanish, and those in the United Kingdom and the United States in English.
Careers
Textile designers work in creative studios, in offices and at manufacturing plants. With experience they can become senior designers or production managers for a design agency, retailer or manufacturer, work freelance, or move into research on technical textiles used in areas such as aerospace, healthcare and sports equipment. Spain's ministry lists roles such as technical designer of textile prints with CAD-CAM for graduates of the vocational programme, in the spinning, weaving and leather sector, as employees or self-employed.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) covers textile work within nearby occupations. It projects little or no change in employment of fashion designers from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,500 openings each year, and a 1 percent decline for craft and fine artists, a group that includes fiber artists who weave, knit or sew textile art.
Frequently asked questions
Is textile design the same as fashion design?
No. Textile design deals with the fabric itself: its pattern, colour and structure. Fashion design deals with garments. The two are often taught together, and in Spain textile subjects are part of the fashion design specialisation.
Do I need a portfolio to apply?
Usually yes. The UK National Careers Service notes that a design portfolio is normally needed when applying for courses or looking for work.
How long does it take to study textile design?
The official design studies in Spain take four academic years and 240 credits. The Spanish higher vocational programme in technical textile and leather design has 2,000 hours, and apprenticeships in England take around two years.