Are you dreaming of a career in fashion? Make it a reality with a Bachelor of Fashion Design at TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio (FDS). The FDS Bachelor of Fashion Design gives you the diverse experience, skills and knowledge you need to work as a successful industry professional. Whether your passion for fashion leads you to design, couture, tailoring, patternmaking and construction, styling or media - a degree with FDS gives you the expertise, experience and exposure you need to be a cut above. As Australia’s oldest and preeminent fashion design school, FDS has over 60 years of creating fashion design excellence.
FDS alumni include many of Australia’s top designers, including Akira lsogawa, Nicky Zimmermann, Romance Was Born and Dion Lee, to name a few. It’s no surprise the FDS is recognised globally, consistently ranked among the top 25 design schools around the world. FDS extensive and impressive alumni are testimony to the quality of the educational experience and provide students with vital networking opportunities.
FDS is deeply committed to partnering with industry to ensure that learning reflects current and emerging industry practice. Whilst the FDS programs emphasise creative practice, they are structured to ensure students are industry ready when they complete their study.
The studio engages with industry in various events throughout the year, giving students the opportunity to show their work to potential future employers.
Top graduates of FDS also have the opportunity to showcase their work to the crowds at Australia’s most prestigious fashion event, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the premier fashion event for the nation’s leading designer brands. Not only is FDS is the only fashion school in the country to partner with the event, but the Innovators Showcase - where the top seven FDS students present their creations on the runway- is treated by industry as a highlight of Fashion Week.
Delivered with a perspective on the international fashion industry, the degree draws on TAFE NSW's international links to keep in front of global business trends and opportunities.
The FDS Bachelor Degree is a three year, full time degree in our Ultimo campus. Studio based learning develops the individual design signature of students with highly qualified teachers from the fashion industry. Students deliver both individual and collaborative design projects through the degree, developing skills needed for this multifaceted industry. The FDS degree the ideal foundation fora broad range of careers, including:
Fashion designer
Design director
Creative director
Product developer
Fashion stylist
Fashion buyer
Production manager
Merchandising manager
Fashion events manager
Students graduate with highly developed creative and technical skills as well as the business skills for success in the fashion industry. Students highlight emerging fashion technologies and digital innovation as strengths of the program.
The course is structured with three key components; year one focuses on Design Foundation, year two on Design Development and year three Design Syntheses. FDS offers two internship placements of 105 hours each in years two and three, offering student with the industry experience and exposure critical to their professional success. Year three students have the opportunity to select their elective specialisation in areas including:
Couture
Tailoring
Menswear
Surface Textiles
Fashion Branding
The FDS Bachelor in Fashion Design is a creativity driven, design focused qualification delivering comprehensive design knowledge and excellent technical skills focusing on the ‘craft’ of fashion. Graduates possess the knowledge and skills to work as an independent design professional or as a member of a design team.
