Associate Degree in Fashion and Textile Merchandising

at EduCo - RMIT University - Brunswick Campus Australia

Technology innovations and improved environmental, social and ethical practices will fundamentally change how clothes are made, consumed and experienced. To support the development of sustainable solutions for the fashion industry, capabilities in technology and sustainability need to be developed and combined with traditional fashion and textile craft-based knowledge and skills.

The Bachelor of Fashion and Textiles (Sustainable Innovation) provides you with the capability to work in diverse roles across the fashion and textiles sector with these principles in mind. You will gain practical, theoretical and technical skills to develop solutions, products and systems, using user-centred approaches at the intersection of design, technology, science, and art.

In this cutting-edge degree, you will delve into sustainability as a concept and goal within fashion and textiles.

You will explore industry-relevant knowledge and projects, ethical and sustainable practices, and material and digital technologies. You will also have the opportunity to minor in either fashion design, textile design, or fashion enterprise.

Textile designers work across multiple contexts and collaborate with other disciplines, such as fashion, interior, architecture, industrial, automotive industries, as well as developing emerging, custom and niche independent design practices.

Your studies will cover diverse and contemporary practice, including commercial, contemporary and global textile design industry, related fields and emerging markets. You will be able to customise your study when you select a minor specialisation in fashion design, enterprise, and sustainable innovation. As part of this, you’ll be encouraged to create ethical design propositions and use cross-disciplinary design strategies and collaboration to drive global and competitive practice.

You’ll work to real and simulated industry briefs and learn how to provide an individual or business with creative styling solutions for areas such as personal styling, image consultancy, social media content, fashion editorial or styling for television.

Using a combination of RMIT’s state-of-the-art studios and virtual learning spaces and guided by real practitioners with strong connections to industry, you will learn the skills and knowledge to set up your own consulting business, work for a company or simply continue exploring other areas of fashion.

To be industry-ready for a successful career in fashion styling, you will:

• Build your knowledge of body shape, colour and personality
• Gain an understanding of marketing and consumer behaviour
• Develop the skills required to establish a freelance business  
• Learn to create and execute photoshoots for fashion 
• Be able to identify current local and global fashion trends
• Have the skills to create, plan and manage an event 
• Develop technical knowledge including photography, sewing and it
• Build networks within the fashion industry.

Entrepreneurs provide leadership while continuously questioning the status quo to create added value. This degree will advance your skills as an independent and motivated thinker to recognise opportunities, take calculated risks, and to be resourceful, passionate and understand your role within a dynamic environment.

As entrepreneurs learn by doing, the Master of Fashion (Entrepreneurship) encourages you to take charge of your learning through industry engagement projects. Such projects develop business and entrepreneurial acumen while embedding practical and theoretical of the fashion system.

You will gain an understanding of the dynamics of the industry, including consumer buying patterns, and how to design, develop, source, communicate and sell fashion products.

With emphasis on the emerging markets and innovations of the Asia Pacific region, this degree incorporates the latest innovations in technology, e-commerce, sustainability and emerging consumer trends.

As a graduate, you will have the necessary foundation to further specialise and apply your knowledge in fashion enterprise as an emerging entrepreneur or intrapreneur across large, medium or small global fashion enterprises, or further study.

In addition to the multitude of fashion management areas you will cover - including fashion buying, merchandise planning and allocation, and trend analysis - this course will emphasise new practices, from data-driven approaches to interactive virtual environments, transparency of global value chains and improved practices in a sustainable and circular economy.

Study design, pattern making and cutting-edge technology to produce everything from ready-to-wear through to made-to-measure fashion.

You'll learn to blend theory with practice through a series of industry-driven and live international projects and activities.

Through your studies you will gain the skills required to be industry-ready, developing the knowledge and know-how to secure jobs in the fashion industry – especially in computer-aided design (CAD) and the global supply chains.

You will develop a broad range of skills and study the underpinning theory of the design process, including fashion range development, trend research, specification development, design and production management, and pattern and garment construction skills.

In your studies you will learn:

• Fashion design and drawing
• Computer-aided design
• Patternmaking and grading
• Computer-aided patternmaking and grading
• Fashion trend research
• Production planning
• Specifications
• Garment construction
• Supply chain management
• Sustainability

You will also work on design briefs from local and international companies such as Alpha60, Cotton On, Denimsmith, Etal, Bizwear and Nobody Denim, working to specifications relating to demographic, colour, fabric, trends and budget.

These experiences will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to work locally or internationally as part of a design team or to start your own business.

The Associate Degree in Fashion and Textile Merchandising has been designed to help you develop the high-level business acumen and creative thinking required to succeed within the fast-paced fashion industry.

In this intensive, industry-led associate degree, you will learn to research, analyse, interpret and transmit solutions to unpredictable and complex problems in the fashion and textiles industries. Building skills in teamwork, autonomy and work-readiness, you will connect theory and practice with hands-on projects in marketing, product ranging, distribution, product development, and more.

As a graduate of this course, you will be able to develop, analyse and launch successful strategies for products, brands and retail, and navigate buying and merchandising practices to find your place in this global and competitive industry

Develop your technical and practical skills to produce custom-made footwear, focusing on design, pattern, manufacturing and the presentation of finished ideas.

The Certificate IV In Custom Made Footwear has been designed to prepare you for a career in the production of custom-made footwear, or footwear in small production quantities.

By understanding the nature and environment in which footwear is created, you'll learn the skills that are applied at each stage of the construction process.

From the creation of freehand to computer aided design sketches and technical drawings, you'll learn how to prepare, cut and sew the necessary components using a variety of materials to create uniquely original shoes.

Graphic designers are visual problem solvers with highly specialised technical, creative and conceptual skills and knowledge in visual communication. You may specialise in a number of fields including corporate identity, book and magazine layout, advertising, branding, packaging, web design, way-finding and exhibition design.

This degree combines communication, design, technology and business. It will provide you with strong skills in finished art and design concept development, as well as in-depth knowledge of the design process. The rigorous research and learning experiences will challenge you to develop a deeper level of critical thinking enabling you to create high level and innovative design solutions and concepts.

You’ll explore many forms of visual and graphic communication, including:

• Illustration
• Computer aided design
• Typography
• Packaging design
• Books
• Advertising
• Publicity material
• Social media marketing

You will also become competent in industry standard software including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.

The focus of the second year is to give you a professional level of technical expertise, project management and teamwork skills, along with a clear understanding of industry business practices.

You will be qualified to take responsibility for the work of others in terms of establishing and monitoring systems to ensure the effective production of work.

The Certificate IV of Textile Design, Development and Production is a practical, studio-based course that gives you access to state-of-the-art facilities and industry-connected instructors to undertake project briefs.

Learn to create designs for knitted, woven and printed fabrics or textile products for a range of contexts, including fashion, interiors, homewares, craft and other commercial applications. You will develop skills in drawing, painting and illustration, design and concept development, as well as textile history and contemporary practice. You’ll learn how to present your concepts using computer-aided design techniques.

You will build on your skills to create experimental textile samples using a range of materials and processes, including dye technologies, digital printing, laser cutting and fabric manipulation. With a focus on industry-based projects you’ll work with major and independent Australian and international companies, giving you the opportunity to be involved in developing a collection of textiles to technical and market specifications.