People tend to think that the only place where one can get fashion education or do a course in design is through varsities, wrong…

There are quite a few independent institutions that offer design as a course and focus solemnly on design throughout the institution.

Here’s a list of the Top 10 Fashion Schools In South Africa and a little insight on them and what they’re about:

Xela Fashion Studio & Design College

Xela Fashion Studio & Design College is located in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. Owned by Alex Asman, Xela offers individually designed and made to measure garments as well as a City & Guilds Accredited Fashion Design College.

The studio has over 24 years experience in creating unique one-off couture wedding and evening gowns that are tailor made to suit every bride or ladies individuality and style. Our list of services includes:

Wedding gowns
Evening & matric dance dresses
Affordable imported gowns
Special occasion outfits
Men’s suits & accessories

Xela Fashion Design college offers a comprehensive 2 year full time in-house diploma course in Fashion Design where students will learn everything about design, pattern cutting, garment manufacture, fabric and business skills. Xela also offers a online course which consists of 10 modules to completed in your own time

LISOF School Of Fashion

The Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion offered at LISOF is a fully accredited, three-year, full-time programme that offers a wide range of subject choices relating to fashion and retail, from the design disciplines through to business courses. Their fashion design courses have been developed by leaders in the fashion and retail industry, with a view to giving you the most progressive and relevant education in the business.

FEDISA

Unlike most fashion schools, FEDISA was created to deliver more than seamstresses and pattern-makers to the world of fashion. FEDISA graduates can today be found in an astounding array of careers across the globe. These range from working for Marchessa and Diane von Furstenburg in New York to Christopher Cane in London and Haikure in Milan. There are designers and buyers, editors and stylists, visual merchandisers, fashion technologists, and costume archivists. The list of local and international employment opportunities simply keeps growing for these talented and committed graduates.

FEDISA has also significantly contributed to exporting some amazing talent into the African continent, with Temitope Williams – FEDISA Graduate 2009 launching her own teaching academy in Lagos, Nigeria recently.

Another great success of FEDISA is the large number of students that the institution continues to attract from across South Africa and the rest of the world. To this end FEDISA has developed students from as far afield as the United States of America, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Slovakia, Jordan, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and many more.

Design School Southern Africa

The Design School Southern Africa was founded in 1990 and grew to become one of the leading design education and training institutions in the country priding itself on providing an inspirational learning environment. Whether it’s Fashion Design, Graphic Design or Interior Design, we will nurture your talent for planned creativity.

Today the Design School Southern Africa is a key division of The Independent Institute of Education (pty) Ltd which is the country’s largest, most accredited provider of private higher education.

Graduates from DSSA are well respected throughout the design industry. This is because they enhance your natural ability with real-life skills, giving you the best chance to break into the professional world.

Design Academy Of Fashion

Established in 1999, Design Academy of Fashion has built an outstanding reputation as a leader in fashion education. Constantly striving towards excellence and innovation in the ever-evolving world of fashion, DAF is committed to adequately prepare its students for the fast pace of the industry, staying on the forefront of design, technology and business savvy. A holistic curriculum, combined with the expertise of passionate facilitators, ensures the equipping of each student to enter any sphere of interest within the fashion industry, from the commercial retail environment to the art of the avant-garde.

In an industry where networking and making the right internal connections are vital for optimal exposure for those about to enter the world of fashion, DAF’s reach into the industry is well established, with a commitment to making every opportunity available to its students. Based in Woodstock, the creative hub of Cape Town, the academy is set up in an open studio layout, where the students’ workspace lends itself to an inviting, interactive and inspiring environment. With a contemporary approach to education, the academy fosters inquisitive learning through the encouragement of individual development, focusing on the strengths of each student and the exploration of possibilities in engaging the world through their unique point of view as designers.

Uberglam Fashion Design School

UberGlam School of Fashion Design in Gauteng offers sewing classes, patternmaking classes, fashion illustration classes. Courses are flexible and specifically aimed at individuals who are eager to learn about fashion design and sewing without the stress of exams and overdue assignments.

Studio 05 School Of Fashion

Studio 05 is a Fashion Design Institution in South Africa that provides theoretical grounding and practical experience in the Clothing Design and Manufacturing industry. Aimed to grow and develop local talent and educate students with a tertiary qualification. Situated in Rosebank, Johannesburg Studio 05 School of Fashion prides itself in providing the highest quality education in the local fashion field catering for individual attention to grow fashion entrepreneurs. Established in 2003 Studio 05 was created to encourage and nurture the development of emerging Fashion Designers who are equipped with entrepreneurial skills to survive and grow in this constantly evolving industry.

The schools approach to its education module is designed to take into account individual career directions, be it Fashion Illustration, Pattern Construction, Garment Construction, Lingerie, Fashion Branding, Fashion Buying & Merchandising, Fashion Styling and Computer Aided Design. The intensive three year programme gives you not only a reputable qualification, but you gain practical knowledge and insight that enables you to create your own Fashion Brand.

The school also offers part-time evening classes every Mondays and Wednesdays and Saturday day classes designed for corporates wanting to up skill their staff and individual professions with a passion for fashion. Lecturers are all active Fashion Designers, who together hold a wealth of knowledge in the fashion industry.

North West School Of Design

NORTH WEST SCHOOL OF DESIGN and its courses offer an entrepreneurial learning experience with real relevance.

From 1998 to 2012, NORTH WEST SCHOOL OF DESIGN has successfully offered a 2 year diploma course in Clothing Design & Technology as a private FET (Further Education & Training) college. In 2012 NORTH WEST SCHOOL OF DESIGN changed its status from FET to INTERNATIONAL with the registration and accreditation with City and Guilds of London.

NORTH WEST SCHOOL OF DESIGN offers a variety of part time courses but our main focus is the fulltime training of future fashion professionals in either Fashion Design and Fashion Management & Communication (&buying)

Both these 3 year fulltime courses have been developed with the vision that South African Fashion education not only needed to globalize, but also needed to adapt to the changes within the global fashion industry. Both these fashion degree equivalent courses have been developed with focusing on globalization of communication, supply and manufacturing in the fashion industry.

Spero Villioti Elite Design Academy

Unique and revolutionary in its approach, dedicated to educating graduates with the confidence and conviction required to lead in the fashion industry. Extensive training with attention to detail and refinement offers our students multiple and diverse job opportunities within the realm of the fashion world. Not only creatively but also intellectually. This distinguished experience is only available to a gifted few who are chosen for their creative flair, passion and talent.

Modelled on Spero Villioti’s personal experience of running a successful fashion brand in South Africa for more than 25 years, the Academy presents a sophisticated and deliberate combination of design flair and entrepreneurial ability that equips our graduates with the expertise to thrive in the fashion industry. Solid, pure principles that forecast success rather than fixate on idle, impractical peripheral content. The teaching and learning approach incorporates valuable project-based, work-integrated learning wherein the students can apply skills that they have learnt within the confines of a successful fashion business.