BACHELOR OF DESIGN /
FASHION DESIGN
FASHION DESIGN OVERVIEW
The Bachelor of Design with specialisation in Fashion Design, prepares students for professional careers across the global fashion industry - combining garment design, pattern making, construction and illustration with the business and marketing knowledge the industry runs on. With this degree, you're not just studying fashion design, you're entering the fashion industry with the strongest foundation available in the southern hemisphere, positioning yourself ahead of the competition.
The curriculum is refreshed every 12 weeks to reflect current design trends from Paris, London, Milan and New York, so what you're studying stays connected to what's actually happening in fashion right now, not a fixed syllabus written years ago.
You'll move between hand and digital skills throughout - flat pattern cutting, modelling on the stand, garment construction and tailoring finishing, alongside fashion illustration and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite (including Illustrator, InDesign and StyleCAD). With 20–22 hours of face-to-face studio contact per week - more than double the national average - this is one of the most hands-on fashion design programs in the country.
WHY STUDY FASHION DESIGN AT WHITEHOUSE
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Through hands-on fashion studio projects, you'll develop both the construction skills and creative eye the fashion industry demands.
- Flat pattern cutting, modelling on the stand and garment construction
- Tailoring processes and professional finishing techniques
- Textiles exploration with designing your own print pattern
- Fashion illustration, in both hand and digital styles
- Adobe Creative Cloud: Illustrator, InDesign and StyleCAD
- Trend forecasting, research and design development
- Marketing, business and professional practice for the fashion industry
WHAT YOU'LL GRADUATE WITH
By the end of the degree you'll have:
- A professional portfolio built from versatile design and construction projects
- A final graduate collection, presented at the annual Whitehouse Graduate Exhibition and Fashion Runway
- Confident garment construction and tailoring skills, from concept through to finished piece
- An industry-aware understanding of trend forecasting, sourcing and the business of fashion
The Bachelor of Design specialising in Fashion Design comprises 18 core subjects (Design Contexts, Digital Design + Illustration for Design) and 12 specialisation subjects (Fashion Design + Fashion Workshops), at a full-time study load this is delivered across 6 trimesters (2 years). To be awarded the Bachelor of Design, candidates must accrue an aggregate of 288 credit points, including satisfactory completion of all subjects.
The course is offered both full-time and part-time. At a full-time study load, students complete the degree in two years, undertaking five subjects each trimester as follows:
DESIGN CORE SUBJECTS
|:----|:----|:----|:----|
|DC1 to DC6|Design Contexts 1 to 6|Builds students' understanding of the cultural, historical and sustainable contexts that frame contemporary design, revealing the broader relationships between styling practice and the history and culture of design, art and the marketplace. In the second year, the subject evolves into design in business, marketing and professional contexts.|6/36|
|DD1 to DD6|Digital Design 1 to 6|Develops the skills to create professional visual images and a design portfolio for both print and digital. Students use the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, including Photoshop, Lightroom and InDesign, to describe, develop and market their projects, mastering how digital media produces effective, meaningful communication.|6/36|
|ID1 to ID6|Design Illustration 1 to 6|Builds the knowledge and skills to create visual images across a variety of illustrative media and styles in support of design projects. Students explore hand and digital illustration to communicate design outcomes, developing a visual language that transcends words and equips graduates to work on a global scale.|6/36|
FASHION DESIGN SPECIALISATION SUBJECTS
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|FD1 to FD6|Fashion Design 1 to 6|Fashion design methods and processes explores the "how to" of the design process. This subject investigates and interrogates design innovation in Fashion Design. Design Methods has a strong focus on putting your ideas into practice and preparing for industry.|6/36|
|FW1 to FW6|Fashion Workshop 1 to 6|Each trimester integrates and applies learning from every other subject into a major industry-style project, developing both creativity and discipline-specific technical practice. Projects progress from a fashion daywear skirt, fashion daywear pants + blouse/shirt, soft jacket, print, intro to tailoring and menswear, culminating in a signature project and graduate exhibition. See The Projects tab for more detail.|24/144|
The Industry-Focused Projects You'll Learn
In this accelerated two-year degree, you'll complete five industry focused projects through briefs that you're issued at the commencement of each trimester. You're given a client, a design problem to resolve, a colour palette from the latest trend research and then together with your design teacher, you come up with an original design solution.
TRIMESTER ONE - THE SKIRT + CUSTOMISED SHIRT
You'll start out simply with a skirt, this is a foundation project to get you used to industrial machines, pattern-making and garment construction techniques. Over the ten weeks you'll design, toile, sample your garment and work with your design and workshop teachers to bring your 2D illustration to life in 3D form. Your task is to design a trans-seasonal fashion forward daywear outfit featuring a skirt for womenswear and a re-worked shirt. You'll end up producing two pieces and presenting them, styled together for a runway or editorial to create an entire look.
TRIMESTER TWO - FASHION DAYWEAR PANTS + BLOUSE/SHIRT + OPTIONAL SOFT JACKET
Design a capsule collection of five-six pieces which can be worn across two-three bodies. You'll learn how to create a powerful contrast between functionality of traditional design garments and non-fashion utility garments. Luxe volume and high fashion textures. You're tasked with working for a high-end concept store to create an innovative, captivating womenswear collection that is design directional, functional and commercial. You'll examine silhouettes and proportions in current hybridised utility wear collections.
TRIMESTER THREE - PRINT DESIGN (DRESS + SOFT JACKET)
In an exploratory journey of advanced colour, print, bold design and styling, you'll design and produce your own signature fabric print. The task, you'll design a daywear dress and one jacket / outwear piece inspired by the trench coat. The project has a higher degree of complexity as you need to work with bold print and interesting colour combinations to create high-end design impact. You'll need to then use your trench coat pattern-making skills and adapt it for a soft jacket and reconfigure the proportions, scale, purpose and position all while maintaining a fashion-forward commercial tone.
TRIMESTER FOUR - TAILORING & MENSWEAR INTRODUCTION
Through trade design lectures, speedy design sessions and original product design you'll explore and learn an introduction to techniques for high end menswear jacket tailoring. You'll use elements and principles of design to apply scale, proportion, texture, colour and fabrication to menswear. Radical thinking and experimentation are required alongside research and exploring deeper methods of design, industry practice and sustainability. Your task is to design three bodies of six to eight pieces that are innovative and executed to a professional standard.
TRIMESTER FIVE - SIGNATURE HERO GARMENT
The hero garment is your personal design aesthetic realised. The is the introduction to your graduate collection, the hero garment should be outlandish and wonderful, but still wearable. It is the garment that opens or closes the show, it's the garment on the front cover of magazines. You will spend the trimester deep in research, experimentation, looking at colour, pattern and texture, fabrication and styling and then sampling to focus on the production of one body of work. This signature piece showcases who you are as a designer and it forms the basis for your graduate collection.
TRIMESTER SIX - GRADUATE COLLECTION
This is the moment where everything comes together – the grand finale of your design journey at Whitehouse. Building on the signature hero garment you created in Trimester Five, you’ll now bring your vision to life through commercialisation of your signature piece, culminating in a complete Graduate Collection.
Fashion Design is one of the most established qualifications in the design industry. Our graduates go on to work as Fashion Designers, as well as into related creative and commercial roles across the industry.
GRADUATES GO ON TO WORK AS
Design & studio practice
Fashion Designer / Pattern Maker / Machinist / Costume Designer / Assistant Fashion Designer / Textile Designer
Retail & commercial
Own Label / Fashion Business Manager / Fashion Buyer / Merchandiser / Trend Forecaster
Media & creative
Fashion Illustrator / Fashion Writer / Creative Director / Fashion Stylist / Fashion Editor
Whatever direction you take, you'll graduate with a professional portfolio and the industry-ready skills to back it, from concept and creative direction through to production and delivery.
FEATURED ALUMNI
With purpose-built design campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Whitehouse students work within professional-standard environments designed around the way the industry actually operates. Not lecture halls, but studios, workshops and resources you'll use in your specialisation every week.
Professional atelier studios
Fully-equipped studios give you the space to move between manual and digital design methods - from pattern cutting and garment construction to digital design in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and StyleCAD.
Design Collection (Sydney Only)
At the Sydney campus, students have rare access to one of Australia's most significant design archives, including original pieces from Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Sacai — a hands-on resource for studying construction, detail and the language of luxury up close.
Adobe Creative Cloud suite
Every student receives free access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite, giving you the same tools used across professional styling, editorial and creative direction. From week one you'll work in Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign and Illustrator.
Industry partnerships and sourcing network
Whitehouse connects students to the network the fashion industry runs on - fabric and materials suppliers, industry competitions and brand partnerships with organisations including LVMH, Christian Dior, Carla Zampatti, Mariam Seddiq, Camilla, Melbourne Fashion Week, Australian Fashion Week and The Woolmark Company.
Research services
Fashion Design students draw on industry-grade trend-forecasting services and a specialist design library, developing the research rigour behind every strong creative decision, from mood and colour direction to sourcing and concept.
Whitehouse continually updates and expands its resources to ensure every student has extensive design research support throughout their degree.
DOMESTIC FEES
All Design courses are FEE-HELP eligible for domestic students. No upfront payment for tuition fees needed if eligible.
|:----|:----|
|Trimester Tuition Fee (full-time study)|$14,610|
|Indicative Average Unit Fee (5 units)|$2,922|
Fees exclude course materials.
INTERNATIONAL FEES
See International section for information on international fees.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for the Bachelor of Design with specialisation in Fashion Design, submit a direct application through the Whitehouse Institute of Design website.
Whitehouse has no application fees.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Domestic
* **Academic:** Completion of year 12 or equivalent
* **Design Meeting:** All applicants attend a Design Meeting
* **Portfolio:** All applicants provide a portfolio
See link below for full entry requirements.
INTERNATIONAL
In addition to standard entry requirements, international students must have a minimum level of English language skills as well as a valid and appropriate visa for studying in Australia. See link below for full entry requirements.
IMPORTANT DATES
Applications for Whitehouse's Bachelor of Design with specialisation in Fashion Design are open year-round, with three main intakes each year - February, June and September. Applications typically open within 6 to 12 months of the intake commencing. We recommend applying early to secure your preferred campus and start date.
There's a lot of overlap between our Digital Design subjects and graphic design. The Digital Design subject is best described as a graphic design course within your degree. You'll develop core graphic design principles and skills using the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, including Photoshop, Lightroom and InDesign, applied to photography, editorial layout, digital imaging and portfolio creation. The difference is context: rather than studying graphic design in isolation, you'll apply these skills directly to your fashion projects, learning how to describe, develop and market your creative work across both print and digital formats.
The creative portfolio is a selection of your best work, which demonstrates your creative potential. A portfolio usually consists of between 4-6 examples, and can use a variety of mediums which may include illustration, digital design, photography, film, creative writing, textile design, fine artworks and other evidence as appropriate to your chosen specialisation. Whitehouse uses your portfolio to assess your creative potential for success in the Bachelor of Design. We look at how your work demonstrates:
- An understanding of design, a connection with the current design industry and innovation in your creative thinking.
- A desire to learn and the ability to investigate and develop ideas independently.
If you do not have a Creative Portfolio, or have questions about yours, call us on 1300 551 433 or email study@whitehouse-design.edu.au to talk to us.
Whitehouse offers short workshops throughout the year, which assist students and applicants with their portfolio development. We recommend anyone considering a career in design or applying for the Bachelor of Design, to attend a workshop with us.
Details of all of Whitehouse's Workshops can be found here:
To assist you in your tertiary level design studies, recommended year 11 and 12 subjects include: Design & Technology, Visual Arts, Visual Communication, Textiles & Design, Modern History or Ancient History.
Whitehouse does not have any compulsory pre-requisite subjects.
Whitehouse offers a Certificate III in Design Fundamentals (VET for Secondary School Students) course, which offers its graduates direct entry into the Bachelor of Design at Whitehouse. Students can take this course in Year 10, 11 or 12 of High School.
Absolutely, we are here to help. We recommend meeting with us, giving us a call or coming in for a tour. You can do any of those by clicking on the links below.
Call now 1300 551 433
Email us study@whitehouse-design.edu.au
All Whitehouse courses now have no ATAR requirement as an ATAR does not assess how well a student will succeed creatively.
If you have been made an offer of enrolment but you are not quite ready to commence study, you may defer commencement of studies until the next intake without the need to reapply, but this must be done prior to the census date. For more information on application, enrolment or deferral, you can discuss your options with Admissions.
ACADEMIC CREDIT / RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)
Credits for single subjects may be awarded to accredited subjects previously undertaken at another education provider and/or relevant industry experience.
To apply for Academic Credit:
- Download and complete the Application for Academic Credit
- Fill in the form including all subject titles and descriptions of the units for which you are applying for RPL
- Submit completed form with supporting documentation and evidence to Whitehouse Institute
ADVANCED STANDING
Advanced Standing may be awarded to students who have completed courses in a similar field of study. Depending on the level of study completed, you may be eligible to receive direct articulation into study period two, three or four of the Bachelor of Design. Download or request the Application for Direct Entry - submit with your current/previous qualification and transcript of academic results. If advanced standing is awarded the length of your study may be reduced.
For more information on Academic Credit and Advanced Standing, simply contact Whitehouse Admissions or discuss during your Design Meeting.