Showing posts with label learn fashion design online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learn fashion design online. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

How to Become a Fashion Designer Without Going to Design School

 


Do you dream of becoming a fashion designer — but don’t want to spend four years and thousands of dollars on a traditional fashion degree? You’re not alone. More and more aspiring designers are asking, “Can I build a fashion career without going to design school?”

The answer is yes — absolutely.

The world of fashion is changing. The rise of digital tools, online learning, and creative entrepreneurship has made it easier than ever to start your fashion journey without waiting for permission. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how to become a successful fashion designer without stepping foot in a traditional classroom.

~ Why You Don’t Need a Traditional Fashion School Anymore

For decades, fashion schools like FIT, FIDM, or Parsons were seen as the only path to becoming a “real designer.” But times have changed. The industry now values skill, originality, and portfolio over formal degrees.

As someone who taught at FIDM and worked in the industry at brands like Ralph Lauren, I can tell you firsthand: what matters most is your ability to create and communicate your vision. If you have that — and you’re willing to learn — you can thrive in fashion without going the traditional route.

~ What You Actually Need to Become a Fashion Designer

Instead of spending years in a lecture hall, here’s what truly matters when launching your fashion career:

1. A Strong Creative Vision

Your style, your voice, your aesthetic — this is what makes you stand out in a crowded industry.

2. A Professional Portfolio

Your portfolio is your calling card. It shows how you think, how you design, and what you’re capable of.

3. Understanding the Design Process

From mood boards to flats to color stories and line development — these are core skills that can be learned online.

4. Tech Skills

Knowing how to use tools like Adobe Illustrator, Canva, or even hand sketching tools gives you a competitive edge.

5. Confidence & Mindset

You’re not just designing clothes — you’re designing a future. A winning mindset, consistency, and creative self-trust are just as important as design skills.

Want to see what’s possible? Try our Free 10-Minute Fashion Mini-Course and get a glimpse of what’s waiting for you inside.


~ Online Learning Is the New Fashion Education

Today’s top designers and creative entrepreneurs are learning fashion design online — and doing just fine. In fact, many brands are being launched by self-taught designers who learned everything from courses, YouTube, mentorships, and hands-on experimentation.

Online learning offers:

  • Flexibility — learn at your own pace, on your own time
  • Affordability — a fraction of what traditional schools cost
  • Practicality — learn the exact skills you need without the fluff

At Fashion Premier Academy, we’ve designed our curriculum to meet you right where you are — no matter your background, age, or location.


🚀 Why Fashion Premier Academy?

We’re not just another online platform. We are:

  • A premium alternative to traditional fashion schools
  • A launchpad for beginner designers and brand builders
  • A community that helps you succeed — in fashion and in life

Founded by a former Ralph Lauren designer and FIDM educator, Fashion Premier Academy is built around real industry skills, professional development, and empowering creative minds to design their futures.

You’ll find:

  • Step-by-step fashion portfolio courses
  • Brand development programs
  • Confidence-boosting creative training
  • A supportive, empowering tone — with zero gatekeeping


You Don’t Need Permission to Start

You don’t need a certificate from a traditional school to be a designer. What you need is a clear path, a strong foundation, and the courage to begin.

So, if you’ve been waiting for a sign… this is it.

🔹 Start your journey today with our Free 10-Minute Fashion Mini-Course.
🔹 Or explore our beginner-friendly online portfolio course here.

🙋‍♀️ Quick Q&A

Q: Can I really become a fashion designer without going to design school?
A: Yes — many designers today launch careers without formal degrees. As long as you develop strong skills, a portfolio, and a personal brand, you can absolutely make it.

Q: Where do I start?
A: Start by exploring our free mini-course — get a taste of our teaching style and what’s possible for your future in fashion. 

Monday, May 13, 2024

Why Choose Fashion Premier Academy


 At Fashion Premier Academy, the vision is to redefine the fashion industry by nurturing a community of passionate individuals who cultivate excellent design skills and embody social responsibility and environmental consciousness — the vision of a future where fashion is a force for good, ensuring everyone's well-being in a harmonious ecosystem.


Fashion Premier Academy is committed to revolutionize and empower fashion education through creativity, innovation, and inclusivity. The online courses equip you, the student, with knowledge, skills, and ethical foundations to become industry professionals. I believe that fashion can encourage and celebrate self-expression, cultural appreciation, and empowerment.


Fashion Premier Academy is more than a platform; I am committed to inspiring individuals to realize their potential and contribute to a better world. Together, we can and will create a future where fashion drives positive change, where creativity and sustainability coexist, and dreams become the reality of a thriving, inclusive society.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Properties of Fabric ~ A must for ALL designers.

 


Link to YouTube VIDEO --> https://youtu.be/aY1JgNASCnQ


So on that note, let's look at properties of fabric. The video you're about to watch is a preview from one of my fashion design courses available online on Fashion Premier Academy. Roll it. When we look at some basic properties of fabric, there are certain features which we have to consider, such as, weight W E I G HT.

Refers to the thickness, the weight, how light or heavy is it? A top weight or a lightweight, for example, is suitable for blouses, um, whereas a bottom weight would be used for pan. Or coats or dresses and so on. The next is drape, which means how does it drape, how does it hang, how does it move? Is it fluid or is it stiff?

Does it have liquid like properties, silk, chiffon, rayon, satin fabrics are some of the. Fabrics that drape really nicely. Next is durability. In simple terms, it just means will it last a long time? How long will this garment last before it's worn out and must be thrown away. Next we have softness, fabric.

To enroll in the course, visit: fashion-premier-academy.teachable.com  

Softness has different meanings, but it refers to the comfort performance, and. Uh, Cotton would be a perfect example of that. Next is construction or structure can be as simple as, is it knit or is it woven? But it also refers to the density of the yarns. In the warp and the west direction. The tighter the weave, the more yarns you will use and the more expensive the fabric.

And lastly, breathability is the ability of the fabric to permit water vapor to pass through and allow air to circulate through the weave of the fabric. ' That's It? So these are some of the properties of back. Okay, I will see you next class. Thank you for watching this video. Check out all the videos available on Fashion Premier Academy, and don't forget to hit the subscribe button and the bell next to it so you'll be notified every time I post a new video, which is every week.

I'll see you in class.

To enroll in the course, visit: fashion-premier-academy.teachable.com  


 


Saturday, October 15, 2022


 Here's a quick tip on improving your Fashion Sketching:
more lessons on my website:
Weekly lessons on my YouTube channel:

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Learn Fashion Design Online ~ Fashion Premier Academy

 

In this Fashion Designing Course, on Fashion Premier Academy,  you will learn the necessary steps needed to create and develop a Fashion Collection, also known as a Line.  Designing a Collection/Line is a complex step-by-step process executed in a sequential order: starting with inspiration, and mood boards, and sketching ideas and so on... Patterns are created using draping and pattern-making techniques... Further steps into the production and manufacturing process... and the use of social Media to promote and sell the Line/Collection.  This Course is packed with valuable information for anyone interested in entering the world of fashion design.

On Fashion Premier Academy, this Course Create a Fashion Collection & Launch a Brand", covers the process from A to Z , including exercises in discovering "Who You Are" as a fashion designer.  It is truly inspiring for anyone passionate about fashion designing.

  • Designing a Fashion Collection (aka Line) is a complex process involving many steps executed in sequential order to best produce optimum results. 
  • I will take you through the components and tools to prepare, organize, and execute the designing of your Collection/Line. 
  • You will learn new terminology such as Slopers, Mood Boards, Draping process, Pattern drafting, Cost Sheets, Tech Packs. 
  • You will learn how to sketch your ideas.
  • You will learn about silhouettes ("shapes").
  • You will learn the different types of textiles/fabrics (woven vs knits).
  • Learn to identify Target Customer. 
  • You will explore Social Media and its importance in the promoting and selling of your Brand.

On Fashion Premier Academy, you will discover what inspires you, where does inspiration come from, how to observe and save visual images and pictures and sources into a "fashion journal" which will be used as a "pool" of information and inspiration when it comes to sketching new ideas for future Collections.

You will learn basic Sketching techniques that will help you put down on paper new ideas and designs.You will use the Croquie to help you quickly draw on paper what you see in your mind's eye.

Fabric is very important in fashion design: learning the different types of fabrics, and colors, and textures, not to mention knowing the difference between woven fabrics and knit fabric.  Color plays an important role in creating new designs: understanding the infinite shades of a color will help you become a better designer.

Learning the methods and techniques used to create a pattern (used to make a garment) such as Draping and Pattern Drafting is essential in the construction of a garment.  The learning and use of all the different tools used in the Draping/Drafting of patterns is necessary in order to execute perfect garment.

Sizing and grading is necessary as part of the production process. Learning the manufacturing process is crucial in the execution and delivery of a collection to the marketplace. The knowledge and use of Tech Packs and Cost Sheets is mandatory for anyone working in the fashion design industry.

Knowing who your customer is, and who you're designing for, is very important in the success of a Brand: identifying your customer and designing with a specific goal in mind, will help you achieve the success of your company and the development of your Brand.

Social Media plays a crucial role in the visibility and thus success of your Brand and knowing all the different and available channels to you, will empower you to make the right decisions and choices.  

If you are wondering whether fashion design is an area that you might venture into, this Course will definitely answer that question for you: given the complexity of the process, learning all the different aspects of it will empower you to make the right decision.

And if you are curious to learn more about the fashion industry, this Course will deliver a tremendous amount of information that will definitely expand your knowledge of the industry. The content of this Course covers a large span of knowledge given that it covers the entire process of designing a fashion idea and executing it and delivering it to the customer -- a process that encompasses a complex series of steps that need to be executed in sequential and exact order for the entire process to work smoothly.

Students from other industries (such as lawyers, and engineers, etc.) who have taken this Course, claim that it has expanded their understanding of the fashion design process and that it was very informative, clear, well delivered and made a big difference in their decision to make the right choice in career direction.

The material covered in this course will help you determine how to best enter into the fashion industry, which area of the industry is best suited for you, whether it's the creating and designing of the collection, or the manufacturing process, or distribution, or social media and marketing. Being equipped with the right information is crucial when making career choices --choosing the right path can mean the difference between a happy and joyful life or a life of struggle.

As the Internet increases its power and span, reaching global visibility and productivity becomes the norm -- This course, Create a Fashion Collection & Launch Your Brand,  gives you access to valuable information as to how to go about achieving that. Today's customer is smart and educated and you must be prepared with the right education and knowledge in order to compete in the marketplace, and succeed.

Being educated in all the steps necessary to make a great fashion collection is essential when dealing with other industry professionals.  Communicating and sharing your ideas is part of the networking element in a professional environment, therefore knowing all the steps involved in the designing a fashion collection becomes necessary part of turning ideas into reality.




Thursday, March 17, 2022

How To Start A Career In Fashion Design

How do you start a career in fashion design, where to begin: getting started.... different choices... different paths...Click: https://youtu.be/L9ia2xTeoEs  There are 11 Fashion Designing Courses on my website: https://fashion-premier-academy.teachable.com

~ from Fashion Sketching and Fashion Draping, Pattern Making and Collection Development, Business of Fashion, Fashion Branding & Marking, and Fashion





Saturday, October 24, 2020

Now you can LISTEN to my Course(s) on Listenable.io

https://listenable.io/web/courses/173/how-to-create-and-promote-a-fashion-brand-marketing-strategies/ 

"How To Create & Promote a Fashion Brand"

Listen and learn... at your leisure... while commuting, walking, exercising, cooking, waiting, etc...  


Thursday, October 22, 2020

SARTORIAL: What does it mean? (if you were a tailor, you'd know)


 SARTORIAL: what does it mean?
Check out the video on mu YouTube channel:

Want to learn Fashion Designing ONLINE:
Fashion Premier Academy at:
Learn on your own time schedule...
and save tuition money!

Monday, July 27, 2020

The Business Side Of Fashion


"The Business Plan"

 This is Video #4 of one of my Courses on Fashion Design:
The Business of Fashion.
All Courses available at:

A Business Plan is essential in the success of a fashion Brand.
In this video we cover ingredient #4 and #5.

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Fashion Draping Online (part 3)


Fashion Draping Online

Here is a Demo on transferring muslin draping to dotted paper to create a pattern.

Here is a YouTube link:

Using Draping techniques to create new fashion design ideas.  Draping is used to develop basic Bodice, Basic Skirt, Basic Dress, a Circle Skirt, etc.  Check out Fashion Premier Academy for all Courses.
You will learn how to manipulate muslin, create Darts, how to mark muslin, which will then be used to draft a pattern. 

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

As mentioned in:

FASHIONISTA . com

COVID-19 PUSHES FASHION DESIGN SCHOOLS INTO AN INCREASINGLY DIGITAL FUTURE

Online classrooms present particular challenges for students seeking hands-on skills — but creative solutions are on the horizon.

MOLSHREE VAID -   UPDATED: MAR 23, 2020

ACADEMIA ON ITS TOES

Pre-recorded videos are one of the obvious solutions and taking a page from online instructor Nino Via's handbook might be helpful. He teaches pattern-making, draping, sketching, collection development courses on Fashion Premier Academy, an e-learning platform. 

"Use good visual editing tools to highlight close-up details clearly and explicitly of the technique that's being demonstrated," he says. "Anticipating students' questions, I focus specifically on certain areas of design in the video that support students to achieve the objectives of the class."


How to Become a Fashion Designer Without Going to Design School

  FASHION PREMIER ACADEMY Do you dream of becoming a fashion designer — but don’t want to spend four years and thousands of dollars on a tra...