1. Welcome to the course

An introduction to the fashion design course
What skills do you need?
Career paths
Your strengths and weaknesses
Getting inspiration

2. The history of fashion design

Garments in ancient society
Fashion in the 18th Century
Fashion in the 19th Century
Fashion in the 20th Century onwards

3. Types of fashion design

Women’s fashion
Men’s fashion
Children’s fashion

4. Understanding the fashion cycle

What is a fashion cycle?
The introduction
The rise
The peak
The decline and obsolete stage
Fashion cycle importance in trends
Why some trends last longer than others

5. Predicting trends

Forecasters
Forecasting and trends
Predicting what’s next
Pop culture and trends
Other cultures

6. The youth fashion market

The power of denim
Why is fashion so important to youth?
What influences the youth fashion market?
Celebrities and peer pressure

7. Equipment

Equipment for patternmaking
Equipment for cutting
Sewing machines
Ironing

8. Fabrics and raw materials

Raw materials
Natural fibres
Chemical fibres
Textile materials
Woven Fabrics
Knitting
Finishing

9. More on raw materials

The trend books
The trade fairs
The yarn fairs
The fabric fairs
The order

10. Materials

Threads
Interfacing
Interlining
Wadding
Buttons
Zippers

11. Producing garments

Pattern making
Sample making
Production
Sewing and assembly
Inspection
Pressing/finishing
Packing and distribution

12. Clothing design vs. Product development

Clothing design
Research, design, prototype/sample making
Product development
Merchandising, buying, financial roles, customer knowledge
Visual merchandising

13. Patternmaking by hand

Basic measurements
Skirt patterns
Top pattern
Sleeves
Trouser modification

14. Modifying basic patterns

Skirt modification
Top modification

15. CAD systems

Grafis systems
Assyst-Bullmer Systems
Gerber systems

16. The sewing process

Darts
Pockets
Zippers

17. Design work

Where to start
Working with trends
Planning a collection
Designing a garment
Fashion week

18. Your target market

Department store or boutique?
Ready-to-Wear versus Couture

19. Fashion drawing and collection collages

The proportions
The medium
The painting technique
Perspective and movement
The colours
The pattern
The collage

20. Creating a collection

Designing a collection
Designing skirts

21. Setting up your business

Setting up your business on a small budget
Your place of work
Types of business
How to write a business plan
Business operations and accounting

22. Marketing

Marketing your fashion design business
How to look for work
Printed materials
Printed advertisements
Using PR to get business
Creating a website
Networking

We supply all the modules at the beginning of the course. That means you can study topics whenever you choose. You don't have to wait weeks to get to a section that you need. Though we recommend you take the modules in the order shown, you can tackle them in any order you choose. To help you get the most from the course, we aim to be completely flexible.

Read more: What you'll find in the pack