Teaching so much more than winners in Fashion Design
Friday, 11 October 2019
According to Fashion Design teacher Deidre Liston, all her students are winners! Not just the ones whose garments win awards.
The Fashion Design program at Wodonga TAFE includes the Certificate III in Clothing and Textile Production as well as the Certificate IV in Clothing Production. Students from both courses complete a range of garments throughout their course, including some suited for entry into the annual Natural Fibre Fashion Awards. For the past six years, a student from Deidre’s classes has won the student section of these awards with a garment designed and developed through their studies at Wodonga TAFE.
The finely finished details and clever use of patterns and fabrics presented in new and innovative ways for each fashion piece attract the judges’ eyes each year. A selection of creations from Wodonga TAFE’s Clothing Production students consistently stand out under the close scrutiny of picking the winning entry. Finalists and Winners!
As well as completing these winning garments, students gain skills across a range of unique industry-focused areas within clothing and textile development and production. “This is such a practical course”, said Deidre. “More than 90% of this course is focused on practical content. Students need to be skilled in very industry-specific areas so they have skills to suit a range of workplaces within the fashion sector.”
The focus of the garments for Certificate III is around learning to use a sewing machine for fashion design, patternmaking, and learning the skills to be able to sew a simple garment (or few!). Fashion inspiration is sourced from the 20th century. The Certificate IV students are more accomplished in their sewing and production skillset and their patternmaking skills, and extend their creativity to many more garments, inspired by the fashions of the early 1900s.
Deidre explained that working on projects throughout the course allows the students to find their creative niche while covering all course requirements. This enables students to develop and consolidate the broader technical skills required for future success in the workplace, particularly where multi-tasking across a range of projects is commonplace.
“Students spend a lot of their time in the studio, working on their pieces”, said Deidre. “Whether it is drawing and refining a concept, or creating the actual garment or even a full range – the students are able to make the most of their access to the studio and machines, refining and perfecting their skills and their creations at the same time.”
Students are using the skills and knowledge gained through their clothing production courses for so much more than entries into a fashion award. Winners are everywhere when they take the skills and knowledge learned in the Fashion Design studio at Wodonga TAFE and apply them to their own creative niche!
Previous students are finding their success in many ways, including students such as Daniel who completed in 2018. Daniel used the course as a gap year to build solid skills in clothing production, design, and patternmaking - skills that have given him a head start on further studies in fashion design at university in Melbourne – where he can apply his technical skills that are streets ahead of his classmates. And Cheryl, who completed the course in 2017 as a mature age student and now operates her own small business in regional NSW, using the local market network to regularly showcase and sell her handmade range. And Cameron, ex-army and a dad, who has turned his creativity and skills to creating costumes – real ones like Darthvader – and ‘normalish’ clothes.
Find your own creativity with Fashion Design in 2020. Choose your course and apply online now, www.wodongatafe.edu.au/fashiondesign