The art of creating designs is called fashion design. Inspiration is drawn from various sources and then translated into designs. It is a wonderful mix of art, style, story- telling and technical skill. Fashion creates wearable art with features like comfort, functionality and fit while still being on top of trends and expressing creativity and aiming at being a trendsetter in the industry.
Courses usually teach garment construction, design principle, textile, pattern –making and fashion history. It requires a strong sense of aesthetics and creativity. Illustration, sketching and communicating design ideas form the core of the course.
Fashion Designing Courses in New Zealand for International Students
Victoria University of Wellington- Bachelor of Design Innovation- Fashion Design Technology
In this new era there is a huge shift in the way we work because of all the technological innovation and provision of new materials. The way digital fabrication is done has changes with progress in technology, there are even embedded electronics that make up for gorgeous and intelligent wearables. Design innovation in fashion also helps in making wearables for lifestyle and medical use. This course will help make garments that can help people be environmentally sustainable.
Application of digital narratives will be expected and human body study will be taught along with pattern making, construction techniques and software and machinery used in the industry will also be studied to further the involvement of technology. Clothing will be looked at with wider contexts including those of history of fashion, ethical production, and sustainability and evolving cultural trends.
Programme Structure
It is pre-dominantly studio based. An ability to challenge the traditional design is facilitated by helping investigate a broad range of essential design ideas, principles, theories, histories and practices. It is a combination of eight subjects, a writing course (if needed) and some electives if needed.
The first year will cover all eight of the subject areas to form a firm foundation in design and confidence in the direction the student study in New Zealand would want to choose in the second year.
In the second year students will have to be able to respond to the needs of twenty first century through innovation across and extended fashion landscape. They will learn about the product-service system through circular design, critical thinking and creative problem-solving, design communication and design construction, pattern making and speculative design, user testing.
In the third year students will be expected to have a good understanding of their major and design skills. Seven subjects will be taught with four to five majors and other electives. Students will also make a showcase piece for their portfolio to bring together everything that has been learnt through the course.
Entry Requirements
- It’s a full time study (3 years) (360 points) at the Wellington Campus.
- The approximate fee for the course would be NZD 39,550 per 120 points.
- Proficiency in English can be evidenced by 6.5 bands in IELTS with no band less than 5.5 in each module.
- Secondary school subjects that can also help, would be, English, graphics, Design, Digital Media, Art, Media Studies and Technology.
Whitecliffe College-Bachelor of Sustainable Fashion Design
With the core belief that they care for the land and the people, Whitecliffe College wants to be more responsible and ensure a sustainable and progressive future for fashion industry.
This program redesigns the value of fashion by integrating skills and knowledge that are more innovative, superior and sustainable than the conventional ways with which the industry used to operate. This will help promoting to learn relevant standards of sustainability, ethical and futuristic fashion while study in New Zealand.
Programme Structure
In year one, pattern making, fashion practices, fashion history and creative fashion studio project along with earth- centered designs and culture sustainability will be taught as it is fundamental to fashion and sustainability practice with the ability to balance traditional and contemporary skills.
In year two, students will participate in a tailoring module, upcycling, draping and illustration and making collections using relevant industry methodologies that are sustainable, to present at annual Whitecliffe Fashion show.
The projects will be industry-partnered projects to gain relevant experience. The studio-centric projects are majorly lecture initiated but also student-directed and based around a serious of in-depth fashion design topics that would support students to evaluate complex issues and discuss critical frameworks relevant to the contemporary fashion and sustainability.
Year three will have more advanced skill application and knowledge. Students will have to critically reflect on their research and have the ability to apply the knowledge in their studio practice.
Entry Requirements
- For students with in New Zealand Study visa the fee would be NZD 27,000+ NZD 300 Student levy services. The second and third year fees may vary.
- Students with New Zealand study visa must be at least 18 years of age during their first semester of study.
- IELTS Academic overall score of 6.0 with no band less than 5.5 or equivalent.
- Portfolio: Students need to present 12 – 24 representative samples of creative work that will reflect their skills and potential to successfully complete the programme.
- This programme has a, bring your own device, requirement whose details can be checked on the university’s website.
Otago Polytechnic-Bachelor of Design (Fashion)
This Internationally recognized programme helps you become a professional who is industry-ready. This degree will provide a chance to truly develop your identity as a designer and form an individual style. It focuses on industry connections, and sustainability and is a degree with hands-on experience. This programme reflects on the current trends and industry practices that help form technical skills and extend the knowledge of the market in order to explore enterprise opportunities.
Graduating as a work ready designer and understanding of responsibilities, better design experiences and more creatively responsive products and services in consideration to the people and the planet will be taught.
Programme Structure
Year one will allow focus on practices and developing skills and techniques that allow one to be a fashion designer. This would include fashion design, manual and digital pattern-making, fabric and textile development, research and reflective practices. A project including all the learning and design to create your own patterns and garments using drawing would be expected.
In second year, more advanced garment construction methods and advanced pattern making will be taught including methods like draping and tailoring with various types of materials and development of collection. The designing and related thinking will be more in-depth and critical.
There will be a design studio project that would involve being aware of responsibilities as a designer and making a small collection and later on, an opportunity to work with an external fashion retail client will be the main focus in order to design, produce and market a commercial range for a targeted market.
Year three would involve finding strengths and best fit in creative industries, refining individual styles and direction as a designer. Opportunities for larger projects can be created to extend the portfolio to represent outstanding design and technical skills.
Entry Requirements
- It a three year (full time) course with 360 credits.
- Located in Dunedin, the fee would NZD 19,000 in the first year with grants followed by NZD 26,000 for the following two years or NZD 78,000 (without grants)
- For New Zealand Student Visa, the IELTS band score should be 6.0 bands with 6.0 bands in the writing module and 5.5 bands in other modules for the last two years.
- A portfolio showing creative potential and passion for the chosen specialty in design should also be submitted.
Ara Institute of Canterbury-Bachelor of Design (Fashion Technology and Design)
This degree provides students with tools to become a garment producer or an independent designer helping them learn key skills in drawing, garment construction, pattern making and design strategy. This degree will also provide a learning environment helping students develop a designer identity and provide inter-disciplinary learning opportunities.
Programme structure
In year one, a real industry experience will be offered as guest speakers will talk about their inspirations and journeys and that would benefit the students in learning about their career paths, competition and fashion event opportunities will be given to expose the creative amount of work to the wider industry market.
A 40-hour industry placement will be undertaken in year two. It will be collection-based and a real world learning about the marketing methods and current trends will be experienced by the students study in New Zealand.
In the final year, a further 80-hour work placement to design your own collection based on the designated brief will be provided with the guidance of the Ara fashion staff.
Entry Requirements
- It is a three year course.
- Fee for international students is NZD 26,000 per year for three years which approximates to NZD 78,000
- For students with English as their second language, an IELTS overall 6.0 bands with no less than 5.5 bands in all modules is required.
- A portfolio of design and art inspiration to prove the passion for the subject is to be submitted.
Job Opportunities after Bachelor of Fashion Design in New Zealand
Bachelors of fashion design helps a person with New Zealand student visa become a work ready graduate with a fashion identity and unique creative flair that would lead to exhibitions, international competitions helping build them into fashion professionals who later go on to work for internationally acclaimed designers and create successful labels.
West Highlander Immigration- New Zealand visa experts
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