DIPLOMA OF DESIGN /
FASHION DESIGN
FASHION DESIGN OVERVIEW
The Diploma of Design specialising in Fashion Design is your fast-track introduction to professional garment design and construction. Across two trimesters, you'll build the skills to design, pattern and construct real garments in a studio environment, developed the same way Whitehouse teaches its full Bachelor of Design. Graduate with two constructed garment projects in your portfolio, ready to continue into further study or take on entry-level roles in pattern cutting and garment production.
WHY STUDY FASHION DESIGN AT WHITEHOUSE
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Through hands-on studio projects, you'll build the creative and technical foundations of garment design:
- Patternmaking and garment construction, from basic through to more intricate technique
- Working with toiles: interpreting, analysing and refining a prototype garment
- Fashion illustration, starting from observation of the human form
- Digital design and visual communication tools
- Colour, materials and the technologies used in garment production
- Design history and the movements shaping fashion today
- Academic research and critical writing
WHAT YOU'LL GRADUATE WITH
By the end of the Diploma you'll have:
- A portfolio of two constructed garment projects
- Confidence with foundational patternmaking and construction technique
- The ability to take a design from concept sketch through to a finished garment
- A developing fashion illustration style
- Direct credited entry into the Associate Degree or Bachelor of Design
The Diploma of Design specialising in Fashion Design comprises 6 core subjects (Design Contexts, Digital Design and Illustration for Design) and 4 specialisation subjects (Fashion Design and Fashion Workshop). To be awarded the Diploma of Design, candidates must accrue an aggregate of 96 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 undertake five subjects each trimester and complete the Diploma across 2 trimesters (7 months), as follows:
DESIGN CORE SUBJECTS
|:----|:----|:----|:----|
|DC1 & DC2|Design Contexts|Builds critical awareness of the history of design and the movements that continue to shape practice today, alongside research and writing skills. Examines the frameworks used to understand and review design across different periods, giving students methods for reading any designed object.|6/12|
|DD1 & DD2|Digital Design|Introduces the digital tools designers use, building skills in Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator to produce mood boards, design boards and technical sketches. Range planning and print design, developing the trade sketches, technical sketches and specification sheets that communicate a garment to whoever has to make it. |6/12|
|DI1 & DI2|Illustration for Design|Introduces fashion illustration, from the fashion head and hands to contrast in line, building the foundations of drawing the figure. Rendering with tints, shades and tones, developing colour control and the fashion figure used in design folios.|6/12|
FASHION DESIGN SPECIALISATION SUBJECTS
|:----|:----|:----|:----|
|FD1 & FD2|Fashion Design 1 to 2|Introduces the design process: research, ideation and moodboarding, with the elements of design applied to a skirt and customised shirt project.|6/12|
|FW1 & FW2|Fashion Workshop 1 to 2|Introduces sewing, seams and construction technique, building a skirt toile through skirt workshops. Blouse, pants and soft jacket workshops: drafting patterns, reviewing toiles and finishing garments in final fabrics. See The Projects tab for more detail. |24/48|
CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY
On completion, you'll be ready to take your craft to the next level. The Diploma provides a direct and seamless pathway into the Associate Degree of Design and Bachelor of Design with full credit for your completed trimesters, so you can continue building your styling and creative direction skills without starting over.
The Industry-Focused Projects You'll Create
In this accelerated 7-month course you'll complete two industry focused projects. You're given a design problem to resolve, a series of colour palettes from the latest trend research and then together with your design teacher, you come up with an original design solution.
Trimester One - Fashion Daywear Skirt + Customise 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 t-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 two-three pieces which can be worn across two 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.
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 Diploma of Design specialising 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:** No portfolio requirement
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 Diploma 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.
Whitehouse's diploma level courses have no portfolio requirements.
To assist you in your tertiary level design studies, it is recommended that a combination of the following subjects be undertaken during years 11 and 12: Modern or Ancient History, Design & Technology, Visual Arts, Visual Communication and Textiles & Design.
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
Congratulations! 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. 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 Institute Admissions or discuss during your interview.