certificate of fashion design & garment production

The Certificate of Fashion Design & Garment Production will equip you with skills you’ll need for a career in fashion design, fashion illustration, pattern making or couture dressmaking. While we specialise in couture and high-end ready-to-wear design and construction techniques, our students have a strong all-round fashion foundation and are equipped with the business knowledge and savvy to succeed in the fashion industry. The Certificate course covers street wear while the Diploma course covers street wear, lingerie, tailoring and evening wear.

Diploma of fashion Design & Garment Production
Start Your Own Label | 2 Day Intensive workshop
Fabrics & Textiles | 2 Day Intensive Workshop

 
certificate-fashion-design-draping

Entrance Requirements

Students may apply through an interview or have achieved their NSW HSC or equivalent. Previous practical or academic experience is recognised and exemptions from units may be granted.
 

Certificate Duration

The Certificate program may be completed in 1 year (4 terms) attending 3 days per week plus 3-4 weekend workshops and homework. The course design is flexible and you may choose to attend part-time. All work undertaken in the Certificate Program is credited if you continue to complete the Diploma.

certificate-fashion-design-couture

Certificate Teaching Format

You will work at your own pace to achieve a professional level of expertise. You won't be required to keep up with others or have to catch up on information if you miss a class. Teaching is face-to-face and the teacher to student ratio is 1 to 10 (for workshops, the ratio is 1 to 15).

Certificate Costs

Our tuition rates are competitive, starting from $22 per hour for subjects taught in the studio. Fees are charged on a term by term basis with half of the term fee due on commencement and the balance due 6 weeks into the term. Text books, tools and fabric are an extra cost.

CAFA 2025 TERM DATES

Term 1: 20 January - 5 April 2025
Term 2: 14 April - 28 June 2025
Term 3: 7 July - 20 September 2025
Term 4: 29 September - 13 December 2025

CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM

 
 
 

CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM

 

DESIGN SUBJECTS

  • Fashion Design Principles I
    Elements and principles of design
    Colour theory and colour schemes for fashion
    Application of design principles to students own designs

  • Fashion Design Principles II
    The fashion cycle and the psychology of fashion
    Image consulting & styling for figure types and occasions
    Principles of fit that apply to different garment types
    Planning alterations to completed garments to enhance fit
    Adjustment of garment styles and proportion to suit different figure types
    Trend forecasting, research and inspiration

  • Manual Drawing Workshop

  • Fashion Illustration
    Mood boards and fashion communication
    Development of fashion 8 & 9 head templates
    Development of poses to convey mood and display garments
    Drawing garments on the fashion figure
    Application of watercolours, markers and coloured pencils to finished work
    Flat or technical drawings and trade drawings

  • Fabric & Textiles Workshop

FASHION BUSINESS SUBJECTS

  • Fashion Business
    Designing a range
    Garment development
    Specifications
    Costing and sourcing materials
    The legal and regulatory environment
    Overseas manufacturing
    Business planning and understanding balance sheets and profit and loss statements
    The Australian fashion industry past and present and its relationship to the worldwide industry
    Safety, sustainability & ethics in the fashion industry
    Marketing and merchandising

  • Start Your Own Label

PATTERN MAKING & GARMENT PRODUCTION MAKING


Manual grading techniques
Pattern making and grading

  • Garment Production
    Construction techniques and finishes for commercial, high end ready to wear and couture garments
    Use and maintenance of industrial and domestic sewing machines and pressing equipment

  • Module 1: Basic Blocks
    Basic blocks for skirts, bodices & pants, pattern enlargement and variation techniques, necklines, collars & sleeves

  • Module 2: Complex Garments
    Complex dresses and blouses, unstructured jackets capes and hoods

  • Module 3: Lingerie & Stretch
    Lingerie and stretch pattern making

    Note: Certificate students complete a condensed version of the Diploma modules and will not complete as many samples as Diploma students.

PORTFOLIO & COLLECTION

  • Design and production of a co-ordinated range of garments

  • Preparation of a portfolio for those wishing to work in industry or marketing information and look books for those wishing to start a label.

  • Completion of a dossier of the garments you have experience in pattern making, constructing and fitting for use in your career

    Note: This is the final subject. The Certificate collection requires fewer garments that are less complicated than those required in the Diploma collection.

PROGRAM DURATION

Our Certificate is designed to be taken over one year (4 terms) with an attendance pattern of three days per week. Homework is required to finish the program in this time. As we allow students to attend on a part time and short course basis the course duration is flexible based on the students’ abilities and available time. Students unable to complete work at home should allow more time to complete the program. Those who wish to complete projects using couture sewing techniques in class should allow more time to complete the course.  

CAFA Sewing & Design Studio

Come and visit our spacious studio in Pymble on Sydney’s North Shore. We’re a short walk from the Pymble train station and we have ample free parking onsite.

Contact details & directions.

 
 

Sessions for the Certificate program are run each term on:

 
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 8.30am – 4pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings: 8.30am – 12pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons: 12.30pm – 4pm
Wednesday evening: 6pm – 9.30pm

You can attend from a half day to 4 days per week during the 11-week term.

Full time attendance is 3 days per week during the 11-week term.

The program is charged in term blocks of 11 weeks.  Students may change their attendance pattern each term.  The course can be undertaken on a full time or part time basis.

How You'll Learn

The Certificate course has a master curriculum that  is tailored in consultation with you to ensure that classes are targeted to your skill level and requirements. Our programs are self-paced, so you'll learn at your own speed with the right level of support. Maximum class size is 10 students per teacher for practical classes and 15 students per teacher for theory work.