Fashion designing courses: Fees, Duration, and Online Options

Fashion design is a way of expressing a person’s creative ideas, who can give life to the ideas, inspirations, and thoughts into wearable art forms. A fashion designer is a person who basically designs and creates clothes and accessories. Explore fashion designing courses to gain technical knowledge and become a fashion designer.  

The fashion design course improves the creative and technical skills of the future fashion designer. It guides the students through various designs, creating patterns, making garments, and other fashion illustrations. This blog will take you through different types of fashion design courses, fee structures, eligibility criteria, and career paths.

What is Fashion Designing Course?

The fashion trends of the current generation are evolving daily, and the need for fashion designers is increasing. Many people ask: What is a fashion designing course? Well, a fashion design course provides training regarding various aspects of fashion design to people who are willing to create designs. These courses aim to improve the technical and professional skills of a person that are essential for a career in the fashion industry.

A fashion design course teaches you about the different types of garments, colours, styles, and textures of clothes. It provides enough practical skills to improve a candidate’s creativity.

The fashion design course helps you create a piece of art. The students of these courses learn valuable insights regarding every aspect of fashion. These courses also guide them regarding internships and career opportunities. Now that we have learnt what a fashion design course is, let’s explore more about its types, the syllabus, and the eligibility criteria. 

Types of Fashion Designing Courses

Fashion designing courses come in various types, each catering to different aspects of the fashion industry. Here are some common types of fashion designing courses:

1. Degree Programs:
   • Bacherole’s degree is typically a 3-4 year program. It covers various aspects of fashion design, including textiles, pattern making, fashion illustration, and fashion history.
   • A master’s degree is an advanced program typically lasting two years. It often focuses on specialisation, and the areas it covers include luxury fashion, fashion management, and sustainable fashion.
2. Diploma and Certificate Courses:
   • Diploma course in Fashion Design is a 1-2 year program. It provides a foundation in fashion design.
   • Short-term or certificate courses are usually a few weeks to a few months. These courses focus on specific skills or areas.
3. Specialised Courses:
   • The Textile Design course helps to focus on the creation and development of textiles.
   • The Fashion Illustration course helps to create sketches of fashion designs.
   • Pattern Making and Garment Construction is a technical skill necessary to create patterns and making of garments.
   • Fashion Styling teaches the art of styling clothes for photoshoots, shows, and personal clients.
4. Workshops and Short-Term Programs:
   • Intensive Workshop is a short and focused session on specific skills such as draping, sewing, or digital fashion design.
   • Summer Programs are often conducted by fashion institutes to provide experience for students over a few weeks.

Online Fashion Design Courses

• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): These online courses are usually conducted by online teaching platforms like edX, Coursera, and Udemy. These courses cover topics from basic skills to advanced techniques.
• Online Diplomas and Certificates: These are online programs offered by universities and fashion schools. They provide more comprehensive knowledge of fashion than MOOCs.

Fashion Designing Course Syllabus

The syllabus for a fashion designing course can vary depending on the level of the course, the institution, and the country. However, here is a general overview of the topics typically covered in a comprehensive fashion designing course:

Diploma in Fashion Design:

According to INSD, the syllabus for diploma courses in fashion designing is given below:

Semester I syllabus:

1. Fundamental designing
2. Introduction to pattern making
3. Fashion illustration
4. History of costumes
5. Stitching Method and Application (Practical 1)
6. Dummy draping presentation (Practical 2)
7. Color theory
8. Basic sketching
9. Kids anatomy

Semester II syllabus:

1. Fashion concept
2. Introduction to textile
3. Introduction to PMT & GMT
4. Basic Embroidery
5. Draping (Practical 1)
6. Portfolio making (Practical 2)
7. Basic CAD – Photoshop
8. Inspiration & research project

Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design (B.Des, B.Sc, B.A):

The students of the NIFT college who opted for a B.Des in Fashion Design can undergo Inter-Disciplinary Minors (IDMs) such as Fashion Exploration (UG) and Fashion Representation (UG).

The syllabus included in the Fashion Exploration (UG) course:

1. Modern and Post-Modern Fashion
2. Pattern Development
3. Garment Construction
4. Trade Sketching
5. Wearable Art

The syllabus included in the Fashion Representation (UG) course:

1. History of Clothing and Fashion
2. Stylised Illustration
3. Fashion Visage
4. Fashion in Fiction
5. Fashion Styling

Certificate course

According to IIFT, the syllabus for 6-month certification course includes the following:

• Fabric Studies
• Surface Ornamentation
• Fashion Accessories
• Fashion Illustration
• Pattern Making & Garment Construction

Online and Short-Term Courses:

• Specific Skills Development:
  • Focus on particular skills such as fashion illustration, sewing, or pattern making.
  • Short, intensive workshops.
• Specialised Topics:
  • Sustainable fashion
  • Digital fashion design
  • Fashion entrepreneurship

Eligibility for Fashion Designing Courses After 12th

Eligibility criteria for fashion designing courses after completing the 12th grade vary depending on the type of course and the institution. Here are the general requirements for different types of fashion design courses:

1. Bachelor of Design (B.Des) in Fashion Design:
   • Educational Qualification: Completion of 12th grade (10+2) from a recognised board.
   • Minimum Marks: A minimum of 50% marks in 12th grade is required, but this can vary by institution.
   • Entrance Exams: Some institutions require candidates to clear entrance exams such as NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology), NID (National Institute of Design), or other university-specific exams.
2. Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Fashion Design:
   • Educational Qualification: Completion of 12th grade (10+2) from a recognised board.
   • Minimum Marks: Usually, a minimum of 50% marks in 12th grade.
   • Entrance Exams: Some colleges may require entrance exams or a portfolio submission.
3. Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Fashion Design:
   • Educational Qualification: Completion of 12th grade (10+2) from a recognised board, often with a preference for science stream students.
   • Minimum Marks: Typically, a minimum of 50% marks.
   • Entrance Exams: Some institutions might conduct entrance tests or consider portfolios.

Diploma and Certificate Courses:

• Diploma in Fashion Design:
  • Educational Qualification: Completion of 12th grade (10+2) from a recognised board.
  • Minimum Marks: Varies by institution, but generally around 40-50%.
  • Entrance Exams: Usually, no entrance exam is required, but some institutions may conduct interviews or portfolio assessments.
• Certificate Courses:
  • Educational Qualification: Completion of 12th grade (10+2) from a recognised board.
  • Minimum Marks: Typically no minimum mark requirement.
  • Entrance Exams: Generally, no entrance exams are required.

Fashion Designing Course Fees

The fees for fashion designing courses can vary widely based on the type of course, the institution, and the country where you study. Government fashion designing course fees for colleges such as NIFT can go up to 2 lakhs per annum. Here is an overview of the fashion designer course fees:

Bachelor’s Degree Programs:

1. As per NIFT, the Fee structure for non-NRI students in the year 2023 is approximately 1.3 lakhs per annum.
2. As per NIFT, the Fee structure for NRI students in the year 2023 is approximately 6 to 10 lakhs per annum.

Diploma and Certificate Courses:

1. Diploma in Fashion Design: The fee structure for the diploma course at IIFT is around 1.75 to 2 Lakh per annum.
2. Certificate Courses: The fee structure for certificate courses varies based on the specialisation you prefer.

Additional Costs:

• Materials and Supplies: Students should also budget for materials and supplies.
• Living Expenses: Accommodation, food, and other living expenses in the major cities..

Elevate your fashion game

Fashion designing courses equip students with the skills needed to succeed dynamically and competitively in industry, providing both creative and technical training. Through a combination of theoretical learning and practical exercises, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of fashion designing course details, including its cultural and practical processes. By the end of the course, students will have gained valuable knowledge and skills that will help them on their journey toward a future in fashion design.

To be a good fashion designer, you have to be good at drawing and able to express your ideas in sketches. You should also know the current trends and market requirements. Know what attracts your customers and show uniqueness in your designs. Always update your knowledge to create a trend in the fashion market.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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