Knitwear Design

What is it?A multidisciplinary framework of study leading to an original body of practical work, for example innovative knitwear collection of women swear, mens wear or children wear and or children wear, a technological investigation into new methods with prototypes, or a dissertation on a design-based subject. The concept for the final diploma project is proposed and negotiated by the student.Who is it for?Self-motivated individuals with flair for designing looking to develop both their career prospects and their intellectual potential in a specialist aspect of knitwear design building on their natural abilities and skills.Course ContentThe 3-year Diploma in Knitwear Design will be across three levels:Year OneThe first year provides inputs at a basic level; the students are introduced to design & technical subjects. It emphasizes the importance of knit structure, machine skills, pattern making & construction, textiles, drawing, illustration, and computer skills. The emphasis of the two semesters is to understand basic concepts of designing, pattern making & garment construction, & understanding of raw materials. The students develop designs sensitivity & gain skills to start formulating design ideas & appreciate designs individually. The input provided in these semesters prepares the students to equip themselves with design & technical skills to progress to the next level of application.Year TwoYear Two aims to promote technical expertise, further honing their designing skills & understanding business management subjects. It also introduces the students to the various commercial aspects of the apparel of the industry. The students are introduced to CAD & surface ornamentation for garments. The students are introduced to business management subjects, quality assurance, costing & pricing, merchandising & human resource management. Students learn to work independently and to interact with the industry for projects. They learn to integrate different subjects for design development. Students are expected to research, analyze, and critically evaluate their work. A mature approach & independent working will give the students as insight the real work environment. Year ThreeStudents will undertake a 10-week industrial internship, which provides them with hands on & practical experience, & an opportunity to consolidates and practice their classroom learning. The internship experience enables the students to learn real life work environment, constraints of the industry, cost effectiveness, time management & experience team. The internship is monitored by the faculty. The students will prepare an internship report which elucidates the learning experience. This year also focuses on self-study under tutorial guidance, for an independent working culture. The year culminates in a portfolio collection which includes market research, client profile, market segment, fabric development & final garment. The students should analyze, evaluate &synthesize all taught aspects of the program to culminate for the final design collection which reflects the holistic learning experience.Future ProspectsGraduates of Diploma in Knitwear Design have an acknowledged advantage in the employment market, obtaining work in a wide range of vocational and academic fields related to fashion. They will be in a position to gain employment as innovators within the broad field of knitwear design and may identify a fashion house, large corporate company or alternatively choose to build their own identity through the launch of their own design label. Further employment opportunities include Fashion Coordinators, Visual Merchandisers, and Fashion Illustrators, Trend Analysts, product Development Managers, Technical Designers, Pattern Makers, Cost Analysts and many others which are lucrative and have tremendous scope of growth.What are we looking for?Individuals who can respond to challenge, are articulate and contribute original ideas and a keen awareness of current issues in many aspects of fashion. We aim to recruit students who demonstrate creativity, a high level of commitment and energy, and who will strive for success within the highly competitive fashion industry.