I am starting from nothing
Course 1: Beginner Pattern-Making, then Course 2. Two courses in, you can draft and build a dress from measurements without a printed pattern. That is the foundation everything else stands on.
Fashion Design Course in Cape Town
Fashion design is usually taught from two directions that never meet: illustration at one end and sewing at the other. We teach the middle — the drafting and construction that turn an idea into a garment somebody can actually wear.
That does not mean sketching is ignored. It means the sketch is a working document: a flat drawing with a pattern behind it, not a portfolio piece that no workroom can build.
Which route through the school
There is one ordered path — Courses 1 to 4 — and the only question is where you join it.
I want to design streetwear or a label
Course 3: Streetwear Design & Construction takes retail trends and your own sketches into drafted patterns, with textile choices to match. It requires Courses 1 and 2 first.
I want structured, tailored clothing
Course 4: Tailored Jackets & Waistcoats is the tailoring course, and Course 5 covers corsetry, bra drafting and draping. Course 5 is taken by arrangement rather than open enrolment.
I want the whole thing at once
The Courses 1 to 4 package is one enrolment for the full path, at R9 000. It is what the students who now work in the industry took.
What a fashion design course here actually is
No illustration portfolio required
You will draw flats and working sketches to communicate a style, but the design work happens in drafting and construction. Artistic ability is not the entry requirement — willingness to unpick is.
Four disciplines, in order
Pattern making, garment construction, streetwear, tailoring. Each course assumes the one before it, which is why the school refuses to let people skip ahead.
Small groups, real machines
Classes run in our Parow studio on industrial machines and overlockers, in groups small enough that your seams get looked at.
Costs you can plan around
R2 250 per course, R9 000 for the package. Three interest-free instalments are available through Payflex at checkout.
Questions about studying fashion here
Is this a degree?
No. These are practical short courses taught in studio, not a degree or a diploma. If you need a qualification with academic accreditation, a design college or university is the correct route — we teach the making.
Do I need to be good at drawing?
No. You need to be able to communicate a garment on paper well enough to build it. The design decisions in these courses are made through pattern and construction, not illustration.
Can I start in the middle of the year?
Yes. Registration is open throughout the year and students join at the next intake. The courses run sequentially, so your starting point depends on what you have already completed.
How much does studying fashion cost here?
R2 250 per course. The full Courses 1 to 4 package is R9 000. Fabric for assignments is not included, and fees can be split into three instalments via Payflex.
Are there items I need to buy?
Machines, overlockers and studio equipment are provided. Students supply their own fabric and a basic sewing kit — we sell a beginner kit at the studio if you would rather not shop around.
Look at the courses before you commit
The course pages carry the full curriculum for each stage. If you would rather talk it through, phone the studio and describe what you want to make — we will tell you where to start, including when that answer is Course 1.
Phone the studio on (081) 330-8775 or email info@schooloffashion.co.za.