8 Top Fashion Schools in Melbourne, Sydney & Perth

There are top fashion schools in Melbourne and the fashion industry in Australia at large is a profitable one.

In the financial year 2021, the fashion industry in Australia contributed around 27.2 billion Australian dollars to the national economy.

The Australian fashion industry is highly interlinked with the overall economy and employs over 489,000n Australians.

In 2022, according to statistica.com, the revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of 14.86%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$16,855m by 2025.

Therefore, the fashion industry is known for its glamour and glitz. It attracts many youngsters who are aspiring to showcase their creative side through innovative designs. Read on to see the fashion schools in Melbourne and Sydney and the reasons why you should learn fashion design.

Contents hide
1 Reasons to Learn Fashion Designing
1.1 Provides Opportunities to Unleash Your Creativity
1.2 Formal Education in Fashion
1.3 Stand Out From the Crowd
1.4 Wide Range of Opportunities
1.5 Gateway to Set-up Your Own Venture
1.6 Have a Challenging and Fulfilling Professional Life
2 The List of Fashion Schools in Melbourne & Sydney
2.1 Billy Blue College of Design
2.2 RMIT University
2.3 Fashion Design Studio
2.4 The Fashion Institute
2.5 Academy of Design
2.6 FBI Fashion College
2.7 Whitehouse Institute of Design
2.8 University of Technology Sydney
3 Fashion designing courses in Australia for International students
3.1 English Language Requirements
3.2 Share this:
3.3 Like this:
3.4 Related

Reasons to Learn Fashion Designing

Are you still confused about whether you should go on with fashion designing, here are some of the reasons why you should learn fashion design?

  • Provides Opportunities to Unleash Your Creativity
  • Formal Education in Fashion 
  • Stand Out From the Crowd
  • Wide Range of Opportunities
  • Gateway to Set-up Your Own Venture
  • Have a Challenging and Fulfilling Professional Life

Provides Opportunities to Unleash Your Creativity

Fashion designing is an ideal career choice for students who have a creative mind. The sky is the limit to your creativity in this field. It is a field that gives you multiple ways to showcase your talent by designing multiple ways that they can showcase their talents.

In fashion designing, you can choose to design anything from apparel to accessories, such as handbags, shoes and scarves.


Formal Education in Fashion 

Formal education in fashion design helps you gain an in-depth understanding of the different facets of design, the history of design, and various theoretical approaches to the creation of the design.

The knowledge helps you identify the areas of your interest and subsequently develop expertise in such concerned areas.


Stand Out From the Crowd

Studying fashion design helps you create your own identity and stand out from the crown.

you are among such persons that dislike routine 9 to 5 jobs, and if you are among those who love to experiment with their looks, clothes, and accessories, then the fashion design career is for you.


Wide Range of Opportunities

Though most of us think that fashion designing involves dressing up models on the ramps and runway, the fashion industry has many avenues that it uses in providing many opportunities for people to earn well and as such make their dreams come through.

There is a galore of opportunities in the fashion design industry. As a fashion designer, you can work as a fashion designer in a renowned fashion house, work for magazines, be a fashion critique, create fashion blogs, or work as a stylist for celebrities.


Gateway to Set-up Your Own Venture

According to some research carried out, nearly 25% of the fashion designers are self-employed. Pursuing a fashion designing course from a reputed institute allows you to acquire the skills and knowledge that you need to make a head start in the industry.

You can meet like-minded people and network with influential people from the industry. As a result of that, at the end of the fashion design course, you will be equipped with the right skills, confidence and connections to start your own venture and start your entrepreneurial journey.


Have a Challenging and Fulfilling Professional Life

The fashion industry is a very dynamic field in the sense that trends keep changing every day and consequently, fashion designers are expected to be up-to-date with the continuously changing trend.

However, the joy of seeing your creations worn by famous celebrities and well-known people in society is incomparable. Moreover, you also get the opportunity to travel and attend fashion events.

The List of Fashion Schools in Melbourne & Sydney

Below is the list of fashion design schools in Melbourne & Sydney:

  • Billy Blue College of Design
  • RMIT University
  • Fashion Design Studio
  • The Fashion Institute
  • Academy of Design
  • FBI Fashion College
  • Whitehouse Institute of Design
  • University of Technology Sydney

Billy Blue College of Design

This is not just one of the fashion schools in Melbourne & Sydney, they are also known to be reputable with a high employment rate among its graduates.

In association with Torrens University Australia, students have the option to undertake full-time or part-time study which is usually delivered in a blended format that is offered of-campus and on-campus.

Billy Blue’s campuses are based in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with FEE-HELP available for Australian students.

Their courses are taught in interactive and creative technology courses, thereby giving aspiring creative hands-on, industry-level skills.

They offer the Diploma of Branded Fashion Design and it is an all-inclusive qualification that starts you on the journey of understanding the business of what we put on.

You will learn inspiring designs, how to develop your technical drawing skills and how to produce garments for the market.

Diploma of Branded Fashion Design: $3,270. Visit their Website.


RMIT University

Through their school of Fashion and Textiles or Merchandizing faculty, RMIT offers an interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on international partnerships, foreign trade and collaboration in research.

Students have the ability to choose from 22 courses with qualifications ranging from vocational to undergraduate, postgraduate and research.

With a solid academic program, students can also interact and learn from instructors in fashion and business, blending theory with actual practice.

That’s not all, there are additionally 29 short courses that are available and that includes fashion drawing, sewing, styling, and pattern making, which are all perfect for those who require some level of training in the selected skills, and also which are perfect for those who are seeking refreshers course.

RMIT is the highest-ranking Australian fashion school in the Business of Fashion‘s most recent Global Fashion School Rankings, coming in at a very credible 17th position.

The academic year of the university consists of two semesters. Obtaining a bachelor’s at RMIT is anything but cheap with tuition fees of about 21,000 USD per year.

A master’s degree of RMIT will cost a student a significant sum of about 24,383 USD per year. 

Visit their Website


Fashion Design Studio

Based at Ultimo TAFE, Sydney, Fashion Design Studio is one of the fashion schools in Australia that offers an internationally renowned education and has alumni that reads like a who is who of Australian fashion.

FDS at TAFE NSW was the first dedicated fashion design school in Sydney. In the year 2015, there was a full renovation and technology upgrade that makes their facilities one of the best in the country.

FDS is broadly recognised in Australia and abroad as a leader in fashion education because, over the years, they have graduated Australia’s top fashion designers.

When you consider technical aspects of fashion design, this might be the right school for you. The Bachelor of Fashion Design course suits aspiring fashion designers, stylists and buyers.

Students have highlighted emerging fashion technologies and digital innovation as strengths of the programme. Every bachelor student undertakes an internship at both Level 200 and 300.

Courses offered by this institution are internationally recognized globally, with the school featuring in the top 25 in Business of Fashion’s 2016 Global Fashion School Rankings.

They offer the following programs and more:

  • Bachelor Fashion Design
  • Certificate in Fashion Design
  • Certificate in Design Fundamentals
  • Introduction to Fashion Design
  • Textile Screen printing

In 2021 and 2022, domestic students will pay a tuition fee of $2,150 per 10 credit point subject and $1,075 per 5 credit point subject. Find out more about their tuition fees.

Visit their Website


The Fashion Institute

In this fashion school, students have access to industry classes that are delivered online by industry experts. They have a Diploma in Fashion Business- and Bachelor in Fashion Business courses.

Classes are repeated throughout your studies across the 2 years. Some of the industry classes they offer include:

  • Fashion Branding
  • Fashion Buying
  • Creative Project Management
  • Event Management
  • Fashion Journalism
  • Fashion Magazines & Media
  • Fashion Marketing
  • Influencer Marketing
  • Model & Celebrity Management
  • Online & Social Media
  • Fashion Styling
  • Visual Merchandising

They offer the following electives also:

+ Styling and Creative Direction
+ Fashion and Luxury Brand Management
+ Fashion E-Commerce
+ Fashion Planning and Buying
+ Fashion Production and Development

This is one of the fashion schools in Australia that focuses more on the business sector and these courses provide a pathway into the industry like marketing, events or media professional.

It is a fashion institute that gives you the opportunity to network at iconic events.

Tuition: $1800 per Unit (Diploma=12 Units, Bachelor=24 Units)

Visit their Website


Academy of Design

Fashion & Costume Design at LCI Melbourne is a unique specialization where you can explore innovative techniques in the creation and design of fashion collections and costumes for cosplay, stage or film innovation.

This major will set you up to launch your independent business or enter fashion or costume design in independent small scale operations or large-scale organizations.

By graduating with a Bachelor of Design Arts and joining the ranks of LCI Melbourne alumni, you will be included amongst some of Australia’s leading and most innovative artists and designers. You will learn the following under this course:

  • Exploration of Fashion and Costume
  • Visual Dynamics for development
  • Fashion Art and Society
  • Design Development
  • Fashion Fabrication, Art and Society
  • Folio and Presentation for Final Range
  • Theme Development and Garment Production
  • Garment Construction Methods and Applications

 The total cost will depend on the number of units enrolled in, by study period, over the course of the year.

Bachelor of Design Arts🙁 Domestic Students: $37,235.10, International Students: $44,744.25)

Diploma of Fashion Design : (Domestic Students: $25,900.00, International Students:$31,900.00). Find out more about fees.

Diploma of Fashion Styling: (Domestic Students: $25,900.00 , International Students:$31,900.00)

Visit their Website


FBI Fashion College

FBI Fashion College offers Certificate and Diploma courses in both the business and design realm and this is for students who might be interested in becoming a stylist, buyer or blogger within the business, fashion designer, Illustrator, Pattern Maker within Design, etc.

FBI Fashion College is based in Glebe, NSW with all courses delivered part-time.

Their Fashion Business course covers a diverse and comprehensive range of interrelated modules, setting up opportunities for the different variety of areas in the industry.

FBI offers qualifications in Fashion Business up to an Advanced Diploma level. Courses are delivered on a flexible and part-time basis suitable to almost any schedule.

There is also the FBI Fashion Design course where you gain extensive knowledge in the entire process of running a fashion Label.

  • Possible Career Path: Fashion Designer, Fashion Illustrator, Pattern Maker, Trend Researcher
  • Location: On Campus in Glebe or …….FBI Live Online
  • Study Mode: Part-Time, Flexible
  • Duration: 18 Months
  • Payment Plans: Available

Visit their Website


Whitehouse Institute of Design

Whitehouse Institute of Design is one of the fashion schools in Australia that offers beginner, intermediate or advanced education from Certificate III up to Master of Design. 

Each course focuses on creative development with an appreciation of design history, aesthetics and communication. Choose to study in Sydney or Melbourne either full-time or in block intensives.

Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia is 100% proudly Australian owned and it offers specialist higher education degrees and vocational education and training certificate courses at both Sydney and Melbourne campuses.

Their Bachelor of Design, Fashion Design, is for students who want to pursue a career as innovative designers.

Bachelor of Design – Domestic Students:

Trimester One / Four: 12 weeks: $13,805
Trimester Two / Five : 12 weeks:$13,805
Trimester Three / Six : 12 weeks: $13,805

Bachelor of Design – International Students:

Trimester One / Four, Trimester Two / Five and Trimester Three / Six, all last for 12 weeks and tuition is $19,968 for each.

Visit their Website


University of Technology Sydney

This is one of the fashion schools in Australia that offers a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles. Their degrees are internationally recognized and they give students the start that they need to pursue careers across all facets of the local and international industry.

The degree provides the conceptual knowledge and garment-making skills required to transform a creative vision into compelling fashion statements.

The course duration is 3 years full-time or equivalent part-time.

Visit their Website to see fees.

Fashion designing courses in Australia for International students

Before applying to any of the fashion schools in Melbourne & Sydney for International students, it is important that you visit the official Australian government website for students who plan to study in Australia at studyinaustralia.gov.au.

Whether you are going for an Undergraduate degree or an Associate degree, your application requires the following:

  • The applicant to be at least 18 years at application
  • Eligible to apply for Student Visa or hold a Temporary Residency Visa with allowance to study
  • Your latest Academic Transcripts
  • You might be asked for a creative Portfolio
  • Motivational Statement might be asked for
  • Proof of Identity and Citizenship (Passport or Birth Certificate)
  • CV showing academic, professional and work experience
  • English Proficiency

English Language Requirements

Depending o your educational background and your country of origin, you may need to provide evidence of your English proficiency in order to be able to study at most fashion schools in Melbourne & Sydney.

This is due to the fact that you need some level of understanding in English in order to cope with the lecturers, tutorials and studio classes. Find out more about the requirements of any of the fashion schools in Melbourne & Sydney on their Website.

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