Raffles offers gift of the gab

The Raffles College of Design and Commerce has ramped up its bid to become the leading provider of higher fashion education in Australia.

The North-Sydney headquartered college, formerly trading as the KVB Institute of Technology, has introduced a fashion marketing major in its Bachelor of Design course. The move comes just four months after the introduction of its Master of Design program - an accreditation it had pursued since mid 2005.

Fashion department head Robert de Giovanni said the fashion marketing major, commencing on February 11, would be the only one of its kind in Australia.

"Other providers only lightly touch on marketing in their design programs an extra or offer more generic marketing programs which do not really respond to the specific marketing needs of actual employers in the fashion industry," de Giovanni said.

The course will include a broad range of topics including branding, retail, merchandising, e-fashion, public relations, strategic marketing and international marketing. Students who undertake the three-year program will study two theory and two practical subjects per semester, with 200 hours of industry placement required in the final semester.

De Giovanni said the college would continue to develop programs which addressed the shortage of graduates with both manual and computer skills in both design and manufacturing.

"It was our aim to be able to provide a well-rounded degree in fashion, one with the important twin functions of design/marketing that equips future designers with the technical and business skills to succeed both locally and offshore."

De Giovanni said the college expected a record number of enrolments in the current year, with 200 new students expected to start in the new semester and a "growing percentage of them studying fashion".

"This year promises to be an even bigger one with our students involved in some very prestigious design competitions and the involvement of some key luxury brands and designers in the promotion of our show and program in general."

By Assia Benmedjdoub