Leather Design

The Majors comprise six interconnected areas: Theoretical Studies, Apparel Design, Product Design, Footwear Design, Illustration–Ideation–Creation, and Leather and Allied Materials: Theory and Practice. The curriculum develops foundations in design thinking, fashion studies, design methods, AI in design, ergonomics, merchandising and entrepreneurship. Students progress through apparel design for womenswear, menswear and adaptive clothing; product design across flat and fancy goods, small leather goods, bags, solid goods and adaptive products; and footwear design from foundational construction to complex forms. Illustration and material studies strengthen creative, technical and practical capabilities through manual, digital and AI-enabled processes, tannery training, craft cluster work and industry internships.

Department Electives extend the Majors through specialised areas connecting leather design with fashion, production, luxury, sustainability and retail. Students explore Fashion Styling and Draping, Athleisure and Sportswear, Sustainable Design, User-Centric Design, Luxury Product Design, Apparel Production, Luxury Branding with Artificial Intelligence, and Retail Design and Visual Merchandising. These electives develop capabilities ranging from three-dimensional garment development, performance-led products and responsible design to luxury positioning, production planning, quality management, AI-enabled branding, store planning and visual presentation. Together, they broaden students' professional perspectives across design, production, marketing and communication.

The Department of Leather Design offers two Interdisciplinary Minors (IDMs)—Leather Lifestyle Products for undergraduate students and Luxury Products for postgraduate students. The undergraduate pathway introduces students to leather and allied materials, their properties and applications, and the development of lifestyle products across flat products, small goods, bags and hard goods. The postgraduate pathway develops a refined understanding of luxury through heritage, narrative, design intent, material selection, craftsmanship, quality, price positioning and brand differentiation. Students enrolled in Leather Design may, in turn, pursue Interdisciplinary Minors offered by other academic departments to broaden their learning beyond their primary discipline.

General Electives provide opportunities to explore areas of knowledge beyond the primary discipline, encouraging intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary learning. Offered across a range of subjects, these courses broaden perspectives, strengthen critical thinking and support the development of transferable skills. By engaging with diverse academic, creative and societal contexts, students gain a well-rounded educational experience that complements their disciplinary knowledge and prepares them for the evolving demands of professional practice.