SYDNEY: The institute responsible for training the likes of Alex Perry, Lisa Ho, Akira Isogawa, Wayne Cooper and Dion Lee is preparing to take on the world.
The TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio, formerly known as East Sydney TAFE, is finalising plans for graduates of the Advanced Diploma of Fashion Design to continue their studies at select international fashion institutes. Head teacher Nicholas Huxley said this will involve a fourth year of study and earn participating students a fashion degree qualification.
Two 2009 Studio graduates, Chloe Brown-Beck and Phoebe Langdon, look set to be the first to take up the opportunity after being offered placements at the Pearl Academy in Jaipur, India. The placements are due to commence in August 2010.
“The programs offered will be based mainly on electives in the areas that the graduates choose as a career path, for example merchandising, styling, design, marketing and business,” Huxley said.
“I have confirmed [programs] with the Swedish School of Textiles in Boras, Sweden, The Pearl Academy in Jaipur, India, Amsterdam Fashion Institute in the Netherlands, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and am continuing discussions with London College of Fashion and Institute of Vocational Education in Hong Kong.”
Huxley said gaining an international qualification would assist graduates in securing overseas employment.
“The Fashion Design Studio is considered one of the world’s top providers of fashion design education and, with that, should be the same qualification,” he said.
Currently the Fashion Design Studio’s highest fashion qualification is the advanced diploma. Other local colleges such as the Whitehouse Institute of Design offer a Bachelor of Design.
Despite the disparity, Fashion Design Studio graduates currently constitute a large portion of Australia’s fashion industry with over 18 graduates hitting the runway at this year’s Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. Recent alumni include Dion Lee, Christopher Esber and Elliot Ward-Fear and established labels Hussy, Lisa Ho and Alex Perry.
Erin O’Loughlin