There are fashion courses to choose from all over Australia, but the hotspots for studying fashion design seem to be in Melbourne and Sydney. You can even study online fashion courses at institutes like The Fashion Design Academy.
When you study fashion design, you could find yourself bringing your designs to life, predicting trends, working as a professional shopper or in fashion marketing – you could even use the degree to become a fashion journalist. These courses can take anywhere from six months to four years to complete.
Fashion courses are really popular, competitive, and, unfortunately, they’re often costly. The Australia government provides fee-help for some of the courses we’ve listed below, but it’s best to give the provider of the course you’re looking into a call to figure out what your best option is!
Australia has some of the best fashion design schools in the world, with UTS ranking number 13 according to 2017’s Business of Fashion. We’ve listed some fashion design schools that have an excellent reputation below that you can peruse if you’re interested in studying fashion.
1. UTS
This UTS course is ranked at number thirteen in the world according to 2017’s Business of Fashion.
Course offered: Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles.
Location: Sydney.
Cost: Contact UTS on (02) 9514 2000 for more information on prices and to see if you’re eligible for financial support.
Time to complete: Three years full time or equivalent part-time.
Entry requirements: This is a very competitive degree, meaning that if you’ve just finished high school, you’ll likely need an atar that’s in the 90s range. You can also apply to do a Special Tertiary Admissions Test if you have experience working in the field.
Alumni: Rachael O’Brien and Donald Chung.
Learn more here: https://www.uts.edu.au/future-students
2. FBI Fashion College Sydney
For a hands-on, practical experience, FBI Fashion College is one of the best fashion schools in Australia. You won’t just learn how to fine-tune your sewing techniques. You’ll also gain insight into what it takes to run a fashion label. You’ll also get to present your own range at their End of Year Fashion Parade and be provided with a personal fashion kit.
This college also has excellent reviews. Olivia left a Google Review, writing, “FBI is the best starting point for a career in fashion. The staff and trainers are so supportive, and FBI has built a great reputation within the fashion industry.”
Name of course provider: FBI Fashion College Sydney
Course offered: Diploma of Fashion Design.
Location: Sydney.
Cost: You will need to contact FBI Fashion College on (02) 9566 2020.
Time to complete: Eighteen months flexible, part-time.
Entry requirements: You just need your High School Certificate!
Alumni: A lot of their students have moved into fashion editorial. Among their past students includes Mitch Steed, the stylist and creative producer editor-in-chief at Alchemy Magazine; Chloe Hill, the stylist and fashion market editor at Oyster Magazine, and Danica Osland, the bookings editor, Vogue.
Link to institution: www.fbifashioncollege.com.au.
3. The Fashion Design Studio, Tafe.
This world-class institution is ranked in the top 20* fashion schools in the world, according to Fashionista. “A huge university system with lots of resources; it has been churning out high-profile Aussie designers at an impressive pace,” the fashion news site reports.
Name of course provider: Fashion Design Studio
Course offered: Bachelor of Fashion Design.
Location: Ultimo Tafe, Sydney.
Cost: This course can cost up to a whopping $50,400, but fee-help is available. It’s worth enquiring to see if you can get any fees cut.
Time to complete: Three years.
Entry requirements: Due to being home to some heavy hitters in the fashion industry, you’ll need a pretty bedazzling portfolio to get into this course. You’ll also need to have your high school certificate or a recognised tertiary preparation certificate.
Alumni: Nicky Zimmermann, Lisa Ho, Dion Lee.
Link to institution: sydneytafe.edu.au and fdsfashiondesignstudio.com.au
4. RMIT
RMIT’s fashion course is ranked at number thirteen in the world according to 2017’s Business of Fashion, and is one of the best in the country. The pace is fast, so make sure you have some textile skills before you start your studies.
Name of course provider: RMIT
Course offered: Bachelor of Fashion Design.
Location: Melbourne
Cost: $27,840 to $29,760.
Time to complete: Full-time three years.
Entry requirements: This is one of Australia’s most competitive fashion courses, so you’ll need a stellar portfolio and to crush a face-to-face interview.
Alumni: Toni Maticevski, Karen Webster, Vanessa Coyle.
Link to institution: www.rmit.edu.au.
Other honorary mentions of institutes that host great fashion design courses:
- QUT University Queensland
- The Fashion Institute Sydney
- The White House Institute of Design Melbourne
- Melbourne Fashion Institute
- Australian Institute of Creative Design
- Flinders University Adelaide
- Curtin University Perth
- TasTafe
