Hi my name is Karina, and I have recently completed my Bachelor of Creative Arts (Fashion) degree at Flinders University.
I was indecisive when I left High School as to which study path to take. I was very interested in clothes and fashion and so I started my fashion study with a Certificate II in Fashion Technology and Design at TAFE SA. I then chose to do a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Fashion) at Flinders because it offers a nationally recognised fashion degree qualification. Through the course I learnt how to draw fashion illustrations; trade sketches on the computer; how to make patterns; how to grade patterns; how to create prints and illustrate using Adobe programs; how to sew by hand, as well as with embroidery and beading techniques, and with a variety of different machines.

We learnt how to create garments through every stage: from designing to completing the garment. There was plenty of opportunities to create our own garments and the lecturers were very willing to help us at every stage. The university components of the course covered topics such as Introduction to Business, Social Media Marketing, Marketing Principles and Tourism. The staff at Flinders were more than willing to help and suggest topics as electives. I did some topics that were not so relevant to fashion but were highly enjoyable, including an Ancient World archaeology topic.

I was given many opportunities throughout the course, for example last July our class went to Hong Kong and China to source fabrics and develop network contacts. There were also multiple competitions, events and runways where I was able to show my designs and garments. At the end of the course I was involved in a runway parade where I designed, pattern made and constructed six garments which were showcased by models on a spectacular 40 metre runway. I was honoured to win the ‘2016 HomeStart Graduate Collection of the Year’ at the TAFE SA Flinders 2016 Graduate Fashion Parade: ‘One’ .

The staff at both Flinders University and TAFE SA go out of their way to help students and they have amazing talent, real world fashion experience and are highly knowledgeable. I can truly recommend this course to anyone interested in pursuing a career in fashion. I learnt so much about employment opportunities in the field and gained skills which are very relevant to working in the fashion industry.