Fashion Design Major

This major suits creative individuals who have a keen interest in fashion and a passion for contemporary design.

You will learn the foundations in creative thinking and the relationship between garment and body. You'll use theoretical and contextual frameworks to understand the cultural significance and practice of fashion design and global trends, and expand your knowledge beyond the history of Eurocentric fashion to explore non-western pattern-cutting, to reflect global changes in society and culture.

You'll learn the principles of design and creative studio practice, and also explore innovative design practices that respond to local and global issues faced by the fashion industry.

At our advanced fashion studio - equipped with industrial machinery, specialist equipment and digital design and digital pattern-cutting software - you'll also develop skills in fabric manipulation and construction, design, pattern making, styling and fashion illustration

This major encourages you to take an innovative approach to design, achieve technical competence and gain industry experience. You'll graduate with the skills, knowledge and contacts to prepare you for a range of career opportunities within the fashion industry.

Graduating fashion students may also present their work to industry professionals at an end-of-year fashion show.

Fashion Design is offered as part of the Bachelor of Design. You will be able to enhance your degree by selecting to study either two additional minors or one minor and four elective units to support your career goals.

• apply the principles and technology of garment design and construction; independently research and manage the application of new skills and knowledge to the garment design process
• apply critical thinking and evaluation to the practice of contemporary fashion design; apply the language and semiotics of garment to the expression of an idea or concept
• apply the principles of garment design through an investigation of 2D and 3D media; develop a collection through the synthesis of a body of independent research
• clearly communicate design solutions through the application of written, verbal two and three dimensional information; apply a high level of professional practice in the presentation of work to industry
• analyse garment technologies for appropriate application to garment design and production; assess the impact of technology on sustainable design practice
• independently sustain their intellectual curiosity, apply critical thinking and evaluation to the practice of contemporary fashion design
• research and analyse contemporary garment technologies in relation to global sustainability; integrate knowledge gained from research into the design and construction of new garments for the 'global village'
• recognise the theoretical underpinnings of garment and its cultural context; respect and value the diversity of garment design and structure from different cultures
• develop and demonstrate professional and personal attributes necessary to success in the fashion industry, including interpersonal skills, and an appreciation of business ethics; apply leadership skills to working both independently and in small teams