Fashion Design Course 2025 - Empowering the Next Generation: Shaping the Future of Tasmania’s Fashion Industry

Fashion Design Course 2025 - Empowering the Next Generation: Shaping the Future of Tasmania’s Fashion Industry

Empowering the Next Generation: How Our Kids Fashion Course Is Shaping the Future of Tasmania’s Fashion Industry

This year, a group of passionate young designers made history, taking to the runway at the Tasmanian Fashion Festival (TFF) as part of the  kids’ fashion showcase. Behind that moment stood our Kids Fashion Design Course, a local initiative proving that creativity and opportunity can thrive when young people are given the tools and belief to pursue their passions.

For us, this isn’t just about sewing and sketches. It’s about empowerment, access, and the future of creative education in Tasmania.

About the Kids Fashion Design Course

Our 15-week Kids Fashion Design Course is a hands-on creative program for young people aged 8-17 who want to explore the world of fashion.
We offer two levels, Beginner and Intermediate, designed to nurture creativity, technical skills, and confidence.

Students learn how to:
Design for diversity – draw fashion illustrations for a range of body types and styles
Create and manipulate patterns – customise and innovate with pattern shapes
Explore textiles and sustainability – use techniques like embroidery, beading, felting, dyeing, and applique to create unique, eco-conscious fabrics
Develop sewing and construction skills – from basic stitches to fully finished garments ready for the runway
Manage creative projects – taking a design from concept to completion with purpose and pride

This course isn’t just an art class, it’s a pathway into the fashion industry, and for many of our students, it’s their first step toward a creative career.

Creating Real-World Opportunities

The highlight of our program is seeing our students’ work featured at the Tasmanian Fashion Festival, the state’s premier event celebrating sustainability, diversity, and local creativity.

For many of our students, this was their first time seeing their designs on a professional runway. It’s a moment that changes how they see themselves, not just as children, but as creators with a voice in Tasmania’s fashion culture.

We take it one step further with a professional photoshoot day after the festival, where students have their designs photographed and displayed on mannequins. This professional presentation helps build their confidence and gives them a glimpse of what a real career in fashion could look like.

Why This Matters

Fashion design is a powerful way to express individuality, but opportunities to study it in Tasmania are shrinking. With the TAFE fashion course set to close in 2026, many young people will have to leave the state to pursue their dreams in fashion and design.

Our program fills this gap by providing a local, accessible, and inspiring pathway that keeps creative education alive.

A Call for Support

We run this program at a loss, because we believe in its value. Every stitch, sketch, and smile from our students reinforces that belief. But to keep this opportunity accessible and growing, we need sponsors and community partners.

Sponsorships will allow us to:

  • Continue running the course sustainably

  • Offer scholarships for students who can’t afford to participate

  • Expand opportunities for exhibitions, materials, and mentorship

We’re not just teaching kids to sew — we’re giving them a future in fashion, a platform to express themselves, and a reason to believe that their creativity matters.

Looking Ahead

In 2026, our next group of students will once again submit their work to the Tasmanian Fashion Festival, take part in a professional photoshoot, and exhibit their garments in our Wild Stitch Exhibition at Rosny Barn in early 2027.

Our goal is simple but urgent: to ensure Tasmania remains a place where young people can learn, create, and dream without leaving home.

Join Us in Keeping Creativity Alive

Tasmania deserves a thriving fashion future, one built on sustainability, innovation, and opportunity. By supporting this program, you’re helping to grow an industry, inspire the next generation, and keep creative education alive in our state.

Become a sponsor, help us provide access to creative education for every child who dreams of design. Send an email to hello@wildstitch.com.au if you think you can help. 

Join our waitlist for early enrolment opportunities: send an email to hello@wildstitch.com.au with your child's name, age and expression of interest.

 


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