Do you dream of showcasing your artistic flair by creating beautiful clothing ranges? Take the next step in your professional development with our online fashion design courses.
We offer both Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses. Both give you the chance to learn from senior experts within the fashion industry, and provide you with the opportunity to enter an exciting, dynamic and glamorous profession.
Explore our course breakdown below or enrol now to get started.
Course Outline
When you enrol on our fashion design courses, you will complete the following units of study:
1 Fashion and Design - What is fashion?
- Why we buy
- Fashion history
- Fashion categories
- Garment design and drawings
- Materials
- Sketching designs
- Pattern making and manufacturing
2 Fashion Design Skills - Textile and sewing knowledge
- Sketching by hand
- Computer-aided design (CAD) skills
- Creativity
3 Fashion Design Careers - Finding your ideal job
- Types of employers and positions
- Finding jobs: advertised positions and unadvertised positions
- Your portfolio, resume and cover letter
- Interviews: how to prepare, how to dress, make a great impression, questions to expect, following up and discussing salary
4 Starting Your Own Business - Business plans
- Your marketing plan
- Your financial plan and projections
- Choosing a name
- Equipment and supplies
- Fabric supply
- Manufacturing needs
- Hiring assistants or contractors
- Outsourcing
- Price setting
5 Fashion Design Marketing - Define your market
- Type of garments
- Who will wear your designs
- Your price range
- Your unique selling point (USP)
- Promotional tools
- Advertising, websites, catalogues and publicity
- Finding wholesale buyers
- Speciality stores and boutiques
- Trade shows / runway shows
- Getting into a fashion magazine
How Will You Benefit?
There are many benefits associated with studying our fashion design courses online. For example, you will:- Fast track your career in fashion
- Study a course that has been designed in consultation with the fashion industry
- Save time and money by learning remotely rather than in person
- Have access to your own personal tutor for support and guidance
- Study at your own pace, allowing you to fit your fashion design course around other commitments
- Receive a 10% reduction in your course fee by paying upfront, or choose our interest-free weekly payment plan
Sign up to our fashion design courses online today to start experiencing the advantages of learning with ICI!
Career Prospects
A career in fashion design is something many people dream of. This industry offers a plethora of exciting opportunities. You could work for leading label fashion houses or design clothing for mass-market manufacturers of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel. You could even start your own fashion design business, giving you total creative freedom and allowing you to establish your own distinctive style. There are also opportunities to travel.
What to expect
Working as a fashion designer, your day-to-day tasks could include:
- Analysing and predicting fashion trends
- Creating designs according to specific briefs
- Creating concept and mood boards
- Producing designs, either by hand or utilising computer-aided design
- Estimating costs for materials and production
- Sourcing suppliers of materials
- Making and delivering presentations, for example to merchandisers and finance departments
There are many opportunities to progress within this industry. For example, with experience, you may have the chance to become a senior designer, design director or head of a fashion department. You could also move into other areas within fashion, such as buying or marketing, and there’s the option of becoming a teacher and passing your skills onto students.
Course Levels Explained
Our fashion design courses lead to the awarding of either a Diploma or Advanced Diploma, depending on which level you enrol at. The different levels are determined by the amount of course content and assessments involved within each module at the intermediate (Diploma) and advanced (Advanced Diploma) levels. Learn more about the differences between the two levels below:
Diploma
Qualifications recognise graduates’ capacity for initiative and judgement across a broad range of technical and management functions. Diploma holders typically have personal responsibility and autonomy (semi-independence) in performing technical operations or organizing others in the workplace.
Advanced Diploma
The graduate is able to apply a significant range of principles and techniques across various contexts and functions. Graduates can expect to be involved in significant judgements, planning and leadership/guidance functions that relate to workplace products, services, operations or procedures.
Prerequisites
There are NO previous employment or educational requirements to enter into either course level. You can enrol directly into the Diploma or Advanced Diploma without having previous qualifications.
Note that you can expect higher course levels to result in a higher potential salary, positions and skill capabilities.
Course Length
The average time within which students complete their studies is:
Diploma Level 24 weeks Advanced Diploma Level 31 weeks However, one of the major advantages of studying fashion design with ICI is that you’re in control of your timetable. With no assignment deadlines, you decide the pace at which you work through the course material.
If you wish to graduate quickly, you can do so in a matter of months. Alternatively, if you would prefer to take longer, you can. We allow up to three years to complete this course.
Study Mode: Online Learning
This entire fashion design course is carried out remotely via distance learning. Also called correspondence learning, this gives you the flexibility you need to fit your studies into your lifestyle. It is particularly useful if you need to balance your studies with existing commitments, such as work or family. It is also a convenient option if you want to fast track your learning.
You can work through our course material and assessments at a time and place that suit you, wherever you are in the world. And throughout the programme, you will be supported by your own personal tutor.
Our fashion design course has been tailored to be highly relevant and engaging too, helping to ensure that you get the most from your studies.
Recognition & Accreditation
Our fashion design courses are recognised and accredited by the International Association of Private Career Colleges (IAPCC) and the International Approval and Registration Centre (IARC). ICI courses are not NZQA qualifications. ICI is an independent global awarding body that develops and administers career-related curriculum and training programs. When you graduate from an ICI training program you join ICI graduates in over 150 countries around the world.Like all ICI learning programmes, they take a very practical approach to the subject matter. Written and tutored by professionals in the fashion design industry, they provide you with key skills that will help you to thrive in this fast-paced, dynamic profession.
Already in the Profession or Industry?
Already working in fashion or a related area of design? This course is for you. It will help you to enhance and update your knowledge and skills, better equipping you to flourish as a designer.
Note that course fees can be claimed as a tax deduction as long as the course is sufficiently connected to your work activities.
What Do I Get?
All the materials you need to complete our online fashion designer courses are included in the course fee. When you enrol, you will receive:
- All required study materials and course notes
- Assignment projects with constructive tutor feedback
- A tutor who will answer all your course and career questions and provide guidance
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive:
- A graduation certificate officially recognising your completion of the course and qualifications as a fashion designer
- Transcripts indicating the units completed
- A letter of recommendation and validation for current and future employers
- Post-nominal letters placed after your name which indicate that you hold the relevant qualification (for example: John Smith, DipFDsgn)
- Job search assistance: discover more about our Graduate Career Services Programme
Cut Off Date
Friday, 8th November 2024 is the next enrolment cut off date. Places are limited, in demand and entry into the course is on a first come first served basis.
Your enrolment is processed and acknowledged within 24 hours of the Institute receiving your application. You can expect to receive your course within days of enrolling. When you start your ICI course it’s at your own pace and you determine when you finish.
Don’t miss out. Enrol today!
Course Investment & Payment Plans
Select diploma level to see payment options