Key Findings

The key findings from the project included:

• Both students and tutors involved in the project believe the implementation of using client-based, real-world projects into a fashion programme of study to be a valuable practice.
• The findings support theories outlined in a wide range of literature that authentic assessment practices in the form of client-based, real-world projects are beneficial to student learning. Data gathered from the students and tutor involved provides evidence that, along with being challenging, this assessment practice is a valuable and worthwhile initiative.
• By designing and producing for a real client, the students have been challenged to become more client-focused during the design process and the projects have also developed their pattern-making and garment-construction skills as they custom make these garments for the very real human figure.

Key Recommendations

The key recommendations from the project included:

Discuss the potential challenges of the project with students | Discussion of the potential challenges of such projects with the students both prior to and during the project, with the aim of reducing the ‘unexpected’ element.

Enable less experienced students to choose a client more familiar and available to them | Enabling the less experienced students to choose a client more familiar and available to them until they have gained the basic made-to-measure skills and are ready to work with a client less familiar and available to them.

Ensure students choose a project at a suitable complexity level | Tutors facilitating the projects should ensure the students choose a project at a complexity level suited to the individual student’s knowledge and skill level, enabling the more experienced students to be challenged and reducing the risk of the less experienced students becoming overwhelmed.