Course Overview

The Whitecliffe Fashion + Sustainability pathway focuses on sustainable and ethical practices and encourages students to challenge the traditional boundaries of fashion, elevating the craft of making and fostering creativity to develop high levels of experimentation and technical skills and an understanding of fashion's environmental and social impact.

The Fashion + Sustainability pathway embeds sustainable and ethical practices within a strong focus on research informing innovative design development. Industry-targeted workshops include Pattern Drafting and Garment Construction, Design and Concept Development, Fabric Manipulation, Tailoring, and Entrepreneurship. Studio Practice is complemented by courses in Fashion and Sustainability, Fashion History and Theory, Fashion Illustration, Illustrator for Fashion, and Natural Dyeing. Classes are small and provide a nurturing environment with a strong focus on individual students and fostering their unique vision.

Students design and develop conceptually-based collections that reflect a personal design aesthetic and produce a professional Lookbook for their graduation portfolio.

Fashion + Sustainability students who continue into a postgraduate BFA Honours year specialising in Fashion + Sustainability, work independently on a conceptually-based sustainable fashion project that reflects original thinking, rigorous research, design innovation, design, and sustainable fashion theory, and executed to a high professional standard.

Industry professionals provide invaluable feedback during individual student critique sessions and are regularly invited to lecture on industry topics. BFA graduates with a Fashion + Sustainability pathway gain employment nationally as well as internationally as design assistants, patternmakers, sustainability consultants, workroom assistants, buyers and merchandisers, stylists, costumiers, and design educators as well as establishing their own brands.

General Eligibility

Domestic Student Entry Requirements:

• Completed application form

• Minimum Age: Students must turn 17 within their first year of study at Whitecliffe

• NCEA University Entrance or equivalent

• CIE / IB Award

• Discretionary Entrance is available to students who have gained exceptional marks in NCEA Level 2 and wish to embark on higher-level study. These students must display a high level of motivation and maturity

• Some of the above academic requirements may be waived for students over the age of 20

• Interview: All applicants for this programme are interviewed, and students should come to the interview prepared to discuss their work and ideas freely

• Portfolio: This is brought to the interview and should include between 12-24 examples of original work showing breadth of ability. The portfolio can be specific to one genre if that has been the student's body of work. Digital copies of your portfolio will also be accepted

• Letter of Intent: A 250-word letter of intent outlining reasons for wanting to study the BFA programme and desired pathway

International Student Entry Requirements:

• Completed application form

• Passport copy

• Minimum Age: Students must turn 18 within their first year of study at Whitecliffe

• IELTS Academic overall score of 6.0 with no band less than 5.5 or equivalent

• Academic Transcripts: School or previous tertiary results

• Interview: All applicants for this programme are interviewed. International student interviews are conducted via telephone or online

• Portfolio: This is brought to the interview and should include between 12-24 examples of original work showing breadth of ability. International students may submit their portfolio digitally

• Letter of Intent: A 250-word letter of intent outlining reasons for wanting to study the BFA programme and desired pathway

Part Time Work Details

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Language Requirement

• IELTS Academic overall score of 6.0 with no band less than 5.5 or equivalent