Majoring in Fashion Design in Canada

What knowledge and skills do students learn in the Canadian fashion design major?

The skills you will learn in this major are:

• Fashion illustration:This is a crucial technique that must be acquired in fashion design. Fashion illustration lessons teach students about proper body proportions and attention to clothing details. By creating a collection of sketches, your personal style as a designer will be develoiped over time.
• Fashion technology:These vital skills are taught in increasingly advanced courses. Students learn about basic fabric selection and clothing construction, and learn how to create more intricate works with greater speed and accuracy.
• Draping:It is an important fashion design technique that must be learned. In the course of a bachelor's degree in fashion design, this skill requires three to four courses. Draping involves the draping of different types of fabrics in different shapes. For example, it may include covering satin on a mannequin and creating a dress tied only with a tie or pin. No sutures are used when hanging.
• Design patterns:Students must also learn the techniques for designing patterns, including creating, drawing, and cutting patterns used to make clothing or accessories. Students learn the skills of creating completed designs from patterns and how to make adjustments to completed designs.
• Master the knowledge of fabrics:This is an important skill to ensure the durability and comfort of the clothing. Sometimes, fashion designers are asked to show a batch of designs on the fashion show to display fashion concepts to creative director and consumers.
• Organizational skills:Learning how to organize, market and conduct fashion shows is also a skill that must be learned. The course also includesEvent Planner andtrend forecasting。
• Understand current fashion trends:To succeed in a fashion design career, the skills you must master include understanding current fashion trends and learning how to design and make clothing. Students must also learn how to organize fashion show activities, like how to promote them. In addition, students must be creative, learn how to envision original ideas, and learn how to reproduce and improve existing designs. One usually enters the fashion design field as an assistant and is eventually promoted to chief designer. They can specialize in a specific kind of apparel, such as skirts or drama costumes.
• Interpersonal skills:Good interpersonal skills and good organizational and business skills must also be learned. You may need to deal with buyers, sellers, models and famous designers.

The fashion industry is usually fast-paced. It is important to have qualified and sufficient fashion design skills. A good professional education helps you create a series of original designs and get a high-paying career in the fashion industry.

Employment prospects of Canadian fashion design graduates

Graduates can choose to design swimsuits, evening dresses, shoes, handbags, or any specific accessories. Some fashion designers have reached the peak of their own careers and become trend leaders, sought after by celebrities and elites. Most fashion designers work for fashion companies and apparel manufacturers and design new apparel collections for the general market.
Before entering the world of high fashion, you must first obtain a degree and develop the necessary fashion design skills.

》The Portfolio

Fashion designers usually need to present their portfolio before being hired to ensure that the designer’s fashion sense meets the company’s vision. It is important to keep up with trends in this area, so colors and styles can match consumer preferences. Internship positions are usually available, and may be paid. Generally, any position in the design field is highly competitive, including internship positions. Some positions require designers to graduate with a relevant major, while others rely solely on the talent and experience of the designer.

With the development of technology, most designers will create a portfolio website for themselves. At present, there are many built-it-yourself platforms for portfolios, including Wix, SquareSpace, WordPress and so on. Among them, WordPress has become one of the popular choices.

》Job description of a fashion designer

According to the PayScale description,a fashion designer needs to be familiar with various design software. The designer's main job is to digitally create design illustrations for clothing, shoes and accessories. Usually, the clothing concept and design drawings will be submitted to the director for approval before the initial execution. After the director approves, fashion designers are usually required to possess sewing skills in order to produce the first set of samples. At the same time, the design drawings will be handed over to the factory or other clothing manufacturers. During this period, the designer must supervise the manufacturing process to ensure that the clothing meets the company's quality standards.
In summary, the tasks of a fashion designer are:

• Draw the patterns and specifications of the designs and other aspects (such as design, color, materials and production methods)
• Promote designs by displaying clothing samples at sales meetings and fashion shows
• Follow fashion trends by researching customer preferences, attending fashion shows, and reading fashion publications
• Develop design ideas based on the preferences of the target group and managers or customers
• Supervise assistants to produce clothing patterns and samples

》Salary for fashion design graduates: The decisive factors & how much money they earn annually

According to PayScale statisticsin Canada, the average annual salary of entry-level fashion designers is $42,632 CAD, and the lower-end salary is at $31,029 CAD.

The best schools for fashion design in Canada

Students can apply for a two-year college diploma program, a four-year undergraduate degree program, or continue to pursue a master's degree in fashion design.
The level of education you choose to pursue depends on your career goals. If you want to enter the fashion industry as quickly as possible, then a two-year degree will provide the necessary skills. After graduation such program, one can serve as a fashion design assistant and begin to accumulate experience in this industry.

Schools offering fashion design:

》George Brown College

George Brown College has a Fashion Techniques and Design major for students who want to work in clothing manufacturing in design studios. The courses on technology, production standards, and equipment provided in this major are similar to those in the industry. Students have a chance to use professional equipment for processes such as plate making, clothing cutting, drawing, and printing.
The school offers2-year program in Fashion Techniques and Design. This major allows students to choose other related majors, such as fashion management, product development, and apparel technical design to improve the overall competence of students.

》Fanshawe College

Fanshawe College is the 6th largest public college in Canada, founded and managed by the government of Ontario. The school is located in London, Ontario, Canada, only 200 kilometers from Toronto and Detroit, Michigan.
The school offers3-year Fashion Design，and 1-year Design Foundations programs.。

》Sheridan College:

Sheridan College, was founded in 1967, and formerly known as Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology. It is currently the second largest art and design college in North America. There are about 25,000 full-time students in the school.
The school provides a 4-yearBachelor of Craft and Design (Specialty In Textile）。

》LaSalle College

LaSalle College is the largest fashion school in Canada. It has more than 40 branches around the world, with its main campus based in Montreal. The design major at LaSalle College is divided into two parts -- one of them is the fashion design department.

》Dalhousie University

Founded in 1818, Dalhousie University is one of the world’s leading schools, one of Canada’s top universities, and the most famous and largest university in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The school offers a four-year undergraduate degree in Costume Studies

》Ryerson University

The fashion design program at Ryerson University leads Canada's fashion industry. The students of the school's fashion department design and display their works independently. Many students choose Ryerson University not only because they can practice flexibly, but the courses offered by the university provide a broad prospect for their future employment.

For real-time updates, please refer to the following:
https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/programs?q=fashion%20design&page=0