professional fashion design program
Diploma of fashion design & Garment production
The two year Diploma of Fashion Design & Garment Production will equip you with the creative and business skills to launch your career in the fashion industry or start your own label.
Certificate of Fashion Design & Garment Production
Our one year Certificate program is based on the Diploma course, with some abbreviations in the pattern making subjects. You can upgrade to the Diploma with credit for work completed in the Certificate
Short on time?
All of our courses are available as single units.
What’s so great about CAFA?
We’d say everything (but we’re a tad biased : ) These are the things we’re most proud of:
Our Philosophy
We combine the classical techniques used in French couture houses with cutting-edge, luxury ready-to-wear design and construction methods. You'll learn European draping techniques to produce beautiful, well-fitted garments based on your own original designs. We're proudly different to other colleges.
Flexible Classes
The full-time course takes two years to complete. We have two semesters per year (22 weeks ) with a choice of weekday, evening or Saturday classes. Full-time students attend three days per week and part-time students from one day per week. Mid-term enrolments are also possible, so you can start when it suits you.
Hands-on skills
We focus on hands-on skills and practical knowledge to launch you into any aspect of the textile industry. In addition to fashion design and garment construction, you'll learn the business skills to manage your own label or work with suppliers, arguably the most important competency of all.
Expert Teachers
You'll learn at your own pace, with one on one instruction from highly-skilled instructors with real-world industry experience. The course is intensively taught and you'll get the most out of it if you allocate additional time away from class to practise techniques and complete assignments.
Fully-Equipped Studio
Our studio is bright and airy with loads of natural light. We have a range of domestic and industrial sewing machines, overlockers and computerised equipment. We also stock high quality haberdashery items (pins, needles, threads, fusings and drawing supplies) at very reasonable prices.
Affordable Fees
Many of our students work part-time, taking advantage of our flexible study options enable them to fund their program as they go. Our courses are well-priced and a great investment in your future.
Course Details
As a student at CAFA, you'll master various textile skills including garment design, pattern making for unique designs and grading, sewing and finishing garments to an advanced level. We focus on hands-on skills and practical knowledge to launch you into any aspect of the textile industry.
We'll prepare you to enter the commercial textile industry with the help of Adobe Illustrator pattern making programs, which combine industrial and couture design techniques in order to provide commercially viable production methods for ready-to-wear and couture garments.
The Diploma of Fashion Design & Garment Construction will also arm you with a strong business knowledge to enable you to thrive in a commercial environment. Specific units include fabric, design elements, marketing, merchandising and the social context of fashion. The Certificate offers all of this is a shortened format.
On completion of this program, you will have attained the knowledge and skills required to work as a fashion designer, pattern maker, dressmaker or illustrator, or to work as a freelancer with retailers and manufacturers.
You'll graduate having completed a design collection, a portfolio of your work and a dossier of the designs you've constructed during the course. After graduation, you'll have access to a support program to assist your entry into the commercial fashion world.
How You'll Learn
Students are taught in small groups in a face-to-face environment equipped with specialised pattern making and computerised equipment. Our fashion design vocational course in Sydney allows students the flexibility to study at their own pace and also offers specialised tuition in areas they find difficult. Students are advised of their progress at the end of each semester.
DIPLOMA CURRICULUM
CERTIFICATE CURRICULUM
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