Best Online Fashion Design Courses
Fashion isn’t Chemistry.
I bet if you had a knack for chemistry, you’re never going to escape spending 4years gaining a degree.
But I promise you no bunch of nerds is gonna ask you to spend forever and 4 days because you want to become a fashion designer.
Unleashing your inner fashionista is easy and even easier thanks to the internet.
I mean, imagine gaining access to top courses on fashion designing from world fashion experts while resting on your couch over a cup of iced tea. And In less than no time, you’ve kick-started your journey to becoming the next fashion industry icon. What a dream!
No jumping on a bus to a physical location, no competing for attention with anyone. From beginner class to advanced class, in various aspects of fashion, the internet got something for you.
Sounds interesting right?
However, finding the best of the 100s of fashion design courses might require you to comb through the internet which can be daunting.
No fears!
I’m here to take the stress off you at no cost than sparing some time to keep reading and a thank you note when you find a match for you! Deal?
Here are carefully researched top 20 online fashion design courses for you;
Nino Via Fashion Premier Academy
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Nino via is a master teacher. He has top-rated fashion design courses that cover various aspects of fashion designing especially pattern making.
Course Benefits
- Affordable tuition fee
- Flexible scheme
- Lifetime access to classes
- 11 courses to select from
- High quality pre-recorded video courses.
- Personalized coaching
Sustainable Fashion By Copenhagen Business School
Platform: Coursera
Level: Intermediate
Sustainable fashion is one of the fastest-growing aspects of the fashion industry. If you’re concerned about ecological integrity, this is the course for you. It’s rich coursework that uses business model theory as a foundation to look at how real-world fashion brands are adopting more sustainable ways of doing business.
Course Benefits
- Reset deadlines per your schedule.
- Earn a Certificate upon completion
- Start instantly and learn at your schedule.
- Subtitled in about 10 languages.
- Approximately 5hrs to complete
Fashion As Design By The Museum of Modern Art
Platform: Coursera
Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced fashion designer, here’s an insightful course that’ll take you through history, design, identity, and sustainability. It’ll challenge and inspire you to take a deeper look into the fashion industry.
Course Benefits:
- Shareable Certificates
- Self-Paced Learning Option
- Course Videos & Readings
- Practice Quizzes
- Graded Assignments with Peer Feedback and Quizzes with Feedback
- Graded Programmed Assignments
Intro to Fashion Illustration
Platform: Udemy
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
The first step to creating a beautiful piece is the ability to interpret your idea in a sketch. This class promises to teach you the basics and more of illustration using a variety of media and techniques to create stylized illustrations.
Course Benefits
- 1-hour on-demand video
- 3 downloadable resources
- Full lifetime access
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of complete
Understanding Fashion
Platform: Future Learn
Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Are you looking to get a holistic view of the fashion industry as an entrepreneur? This course will deepen your knowledge of the key success factors of the industry. Letting you learn the concept of branding and marketing.
Course Benefits
- Courses are split into weeks, activities and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical and activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Marc Jacobs Fashion Design Masterclass
Platform: MasterClass
Level: Beginner
“Experience is the best teacher,” they say! Taking this course means Learning from the award-winning Mark Jacobs wealth of experience and knowledge. The syllabus is well detailed, covers from ideation to realization to presentation to scaling your fashion business.
Course Benefits
- Free Trial Available
- Language is English
- Certificate Available
- 4-5 hours worth of material
- Self-paced
Circular Fashion: Design, Science, and Value in a Sustainable Clothing Industry
Platform: edx
Level: Intermediate
Here’s another opportunity to gain insight into sustainable fashion. This course gets you equipped with the tools required to understand the circular economy and the challenges with recycling.
Take this course in two parts;
FREE
- Limited access to course materials
- World class institutions and universities.
- Support from edX
PAID
- Unlimited Access to course materials.
- World class institutions and universities
- edX support
- Shareable certificate upon completion
- Graded assignments and exams
AIP college career Fashion Designer Certificate Course
Level: Beginner
This course is aimed at ensuring your career success as a fashion designer. Whether your dream is to work with the best fashion brand or to own yours, you’ll be able to develop your skill to be fit for your ambition.
Course Benefits
- personal teaching assistance and career advice
- (Optional) 2021-2022 membership in the IAPO International Association of Professional Fashion Designers for only $2.99 per month
- Downloadable Fashion Designer Certificate personalized with your name and the seal of the International Association of Professions Career College which you may print
- (Optional) Opportunity to order official certificates printed on fine linen paper and embossed with the gold seal of the college
- 6 weeks part-time
Sew it academy’s course
Level: Beginner
So, you just want to learn how to sew your clothes, nothing extra, learn step by step, easy and exciting teaching methods with Sewit.
Course Benefits
- Varying plan for the varying groups
- Work at your own pace to allow time to practice.
- Affordable price
- Access to Facebook group.
- Free trial to start with.
Quick & Dirty Sewing; Machine Crash Course
Platform: Skill Share
Level: Beginner
This course guarantees that you’ll be running projects with your sewing machine even if you’re numbskull about needles. Get to understand the parts of your sewing machine, set it up using a step-by-step guide regardless of the kind of machine you own.
Course Benefits
- Hands-on class projects
- 6 Lessons 25min.
- Affordable
- Access to audio transcripts
Startup Library: Sewing
Platform: Craftsy
Level: Beginner
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never touched a sewing machine, Sara Alm promises to guide you through the basics. From essential tools and materials to choosing patterns, cutting, marking fabrics and so much more. Plus, you’ll get some projects to work on, there’s no better way to get started.
Course Benefits
- In-depth instruction; over 5h 28m
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Styling and Image Making by Business of Fashion
Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Are you a;
- Professional seeking to enhance your skillset to further your career?
- Freelance stylists looking to build your portfolio and influence?
- Students, who want to strengthen your academic education with an industry-specific course and real life examples?
Don’t look back! Here’s Lucinda Chambers with 35years of experience as a fashion stylist and a director of your favorite Vogue and Elle magazine, also a consultant for Prada, Marni, and Chanel. She’s what you need to gain insight into what it takes to be a Fashion stylist and ace quickly in this
competitive industry.
Course Benefits
- 10 hours of exclusive content, including 30 video tutorials
- Downloadable learning materials enable you to revisit key theories and concepts
- Engaging activities and tests to put your learning into practice
University of Fashion
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
The excerpted videos from the courses on the website will leave you hungry and wanting to dive into the course. UOF has fashion courses that’ll walk you from a numskull beginner to a professional fashion designer.
Course Benefits
- More than 500 classes teach major fashion topics, including draping, pattern making, sewing, and fashion art.
- No charge per class. Subscriptions cost US$189 a year or US$19.95 a month for access to all classes.
- Learn at your pace.
- Get your questions answered any day including weekends.
Fashion Design and Creation By Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Platform: Edx
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Prepare for a career in the fashion industry by learning how to make garments that fit perfectly for any shape of the lower body for men, women, and children.
Course Benefits
- Verified learners will have access to the Fashion Design and Creation books, which show 20 different skirt designs, 20 trousers for women, and 20 trousers for men
- Professional certificate
- English
- 5 weeks long, 3-5 hours a week
Caroline Barulis Pattern Cutting and Making
Platform: Udemy
Level: Beginner, Intermediate
This course is the highest-rated fashion design course on Udemy. It covers the fundamentals of pattern cutting/making for any fashion enthusiast who is ready to move forward in their craft.
Course Benefits
- 1.5 hours on-demand video
- Full lifetime access
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of completion
Building a Fashion Brand
Platform: MasterClass
Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Diane Von Furstenberg, the iconic fashion brand owner, teaches her secret to building an enduring brand. In this course, You’ll learn how to create a visual identity, build loyalty, stay true to your vision, and launch your product.
Course Benefits
- 15 video classes (3hrs 7mins)
- Download and watch offline
- PDF workbooks
The Future of Fashion and Media with Condé Nast
Platform: FutureLearn
Level: Advanced
This certification course will give you the chance to produce your pieces of creative works to develop a standout portfolio and help fast-track your career. It’ll enhance your applications for jobs within the fashion or media industries. It’ll also provide you with an introduction to branding, marketing, sustainability, and social media.
Course Benefits
- Duration of appx 15 weeks (3hrs per week)
- Certificate upon completion
- Learn at your pace
Fully And Partially Free Courses
Sewing Essentials By Esewing Workshop
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
This is a detailed course on how to sew different parts of a dress and the different styles of sewing. The best part of this course is that there are lots of free lessons that let you confirm the value promised before diving in fully. Also, there’s a promise of 100% satisfaction if you subscribe to the full package. And a money back guarantee within 14days of subscription peradventure you don’t get the expected satisfaction.
Class Benefits
- Affordable membership plan to gain access to the full package
- Full and partially free lessons
- Unlimited access to online videos
- Online forum to ask questions
Diploma in Fashion Design
Platform: Alison
Level: Beginner
Who said you can’t begin your fashion design journey because you have no money? Here’s one of the best-reviewed free online fashion design courses you can find.
It promises to provide an overview of the history of fashion and how past trends can influence today’s market. You’ll gain practical skills in the areas of design development and study different textile fibers, yarns, and fabrics utilized in production including where to source them. You’ll also study how to construct garments as well as learn how to create, finance, and market a clothing label.
Course Benefits
- Completely free
- Certificate of completion
- Online self study
- 15hours duration.
- Assessments
Fashion Business Basics
Platform: Business of Fashion
Level: Beginner
You have here for free a 9 series on everything an emerging designer needs to know to start an independent fashion label. From writing business plans to raising finance, and learning about marketing, production, and distribution.
Course Benefits
- Completely free
- Read-only
- 9 series on various aspects of fashion business
Action Points To Ensure Success In Your Online Fashion Design Course
Now that you’re ready to progress your fashion career by taking an online course, you must know that having a list of the top 20 courses is just one step in ensuring success. Here are what you must do to get the most of your online course;
Be disciplined
A lot of the courses mentioned above are flexible, hence procrastination and laziness may set in. Here are ways to ensure discipline;
- Have a plan: having a plan helps you be accountable and focused. You can make plans like; When you should complete the course, how and where you intend to apply what you learnt.
- Manage your time: assume it’s a physical class and let study time be study time. You can draft a timetable and set reminders.
- Avoid distractions: what are your attention baits? Netflix, music, etc. Get away from them as far as possible.
Get required tools and materials
Some courses might require you to have stuff like sewing machines, fabrics, etc. Getting the required materials will ensure you’re carried along in every step.
Engage in the course forum
Connect and build relationships by reading what others are saying. Make relevant contributions and ask intelligent questions. Email your teachers when necessary.
Build your portfolio
Consider your assignments, tests, and practicals as your portfolio and do them intentionally. They might be what will impress a potential employer and possibly land you your dream job.
Practice your skill
In fashion designing, you must practice as much as you learn. Because at the end of the day your practical skill is the proof of your knowledge. So, get on, practice, practice, practice.
Get Internships
This point might come last but it shouldn’t be your last action plan. If you’re a beginner, an internship is a great way to launch your career. Begin to look up fashion brands that offer internship opportunities as soon as you make up your mind to kickstart your fashion career journey, learn their requirements and be ready to hit them up as soon as you’re done.
Design your dream
“I don’t design clothes, I design dreams” – Ralph Lauren.
How can you design dreams for others when yours hasn’t left your head? With that smartphone in your hand and the free courses mentioned above at least, you’ve got no excuse for not getting your fashion design dream started today.
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