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Fashion Schools and Programs in Australia

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Fashion Studies in Australia

FBI Fashion College in Glebe, AustraliaAre you thinking of studying fashion abroad? If yes, you should consider Australia. This is because the country has a lot of creative people who craft one-of-a-kind pieces, from catwalk fashion, to local street wear, home wears, kid’s stuff, and even handmade jewellery. All these works of fashion are often made with an emphasis on local production, community, and sustainability. There are a number of well known fashion designers in the country such as Alex Perry, Akira Isogawa, Wayne Cooper, Carla Zampati, and fashion labels such as C/MEO Collective, Keepsake, The Fifth Label, Jaggar, and Finders. The fashion industry in the country also organizes a Fashion Week in Sydney and Melbourne to showcase to the world the works of the best designers. This, therefore, provides a good environment for students, both local and international, that want to study fashion in the country. Besides that, Australia guarantees you high standards of teaching, and a welcoming society that is diverse.

History of Fashion in Australia

Australia has a lot of indigenous communities which are defined by language groups, tribes and nations. Before the country was colonized, there were about 350-750 different social communities. With regards to dressing, there were symbols and patterns linked with a particular group. The locals believed that the land was the lifeblood of the people and as a result adornments and clothes were made from materials found in nature. They would make their clothes and adornments using fur from animals, bark and wood from trees, shells, feathers from birds, grass, bones, twine and seeds from different plants. Colours were often sourced from clay, charcoal, ochres, and pigments. These were used as natural dyes. The country was, however, occupied in the 1800s and as a result the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders lost most of their culture even dressing as the European settlers imposed their policies on them which even determined how they would dress.

It was in the 1970s when the Aboriginal flag was designed and its colours- red, black, and yellow- are worn with pride and are still incorporated into jewellery, clothes and other types of design. The Torres Strait Islanders also designed their flag and the colours black, white, green, and blue have also been incorporated into fashion and design. It was during this era that women were taught how to sew so as to make their own clothes. This enabled them to create and design patterns for the latest fashions. This can also be said to be the era when fashion as a study began in the country.

Since settlement, fashion in Australia has been shaped by cultural, seasonal, and geographical variations, and determined by colloquial vernacular. In all eras, the designers have consciously determined the nature of how the locals dress according to local words of reference. Even today, fashion in Australia can be comprehended as the by-product of impertinence and independence.

Study Fashion in Australia

If you wish to study fashion in Australia, there are a lot of options available for you. These range from short courses, to degrees, masters, and even PhD programs. These programs vary in level and length. The fashion degrees are also different in terms of how specialized or general they are; the degree to which they concentrate on growing practical skills, or if they take an approach that is more academic; and the nature of fashion careers they prepare the students for.

For fashion students who have not yet made up their minds on which section of the fashion industry they would love to work in, there are a lot of undergraduate fashion degrees which provide a lot of information and introduction to various features of the fashion sector. For those who already know their fashion careers, there are numerous specialized fashion degrees you could pursue. You could, for example, select a whole degree that focuses on fashion design, fashion photography, fashion buying, journalism or fashion PR, fashion marketing or management, or any other sector of the industry.

If you decide to pursue a general fashion course, you will get to learn all the phases involved in the fashion design procedure, from the first concept to the actualization of a store collection or catwalk, and the establishment of an advertising campaign or accompanying PR. Some of the modules in your degree could include concept development and communication, pattern-cutting and garment production, drawing, illustration, fashion business and marketing, and trend forecasting just to mention a few.

There are a number of fashion schools you could enrol in. Some of these include the Melbourne School of Fashion, Whitehouse Institute of Design, FBI Fashion College, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, University of Technology, Queensland University of Technology, Sydney TAFE, Kangan Institute, Curtin University, and Raffles College of Design and Commerce among others.

Studying fashion in Australia will prepare you for a number of careers, such as, being a fashion photographer, fashion manager, fashion marketer, fashion journalist, fashion stylist, fashion buyer, and different other careers.

As you consider studying fashion in Australia, it is important to note that the winds of change in the industry have finally arrived in the country. Ethically-manufactured, sustainable, and environmentally-conscious fashion is becoming a very important subject in the country and not only to a small number of forward-thinking fashion designers who have had these precepts at the forefront of their enterprises. This move has been brought out clearly by the fact that ethical design shows have become a component of fashion events such as the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia. Symposiums on the same have also emerged, for instance, Bsessions. These symposiums encourage discussions on important topics in the contemporary culture, with the aim of creating awareness and developing a setting that can act as a medium for change via collaboration.

If you are a foreign student, be sure to enjoy your stay in the country as you study and get to indulge in the local culture. Make friends within the industry and network so as to learn more about the discipline and pave your way towards a successful career of your choice.