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Human and Public Services
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Fashion Design & Merchandising

Fashion Design and Merchandising

The SWBOCES Fashion Design and Merchandising Program introduces students to the exciting fashion industry and is the perfect training ground for a career in the fashion and merchandising fields. Students work in a real fashion and dressmaking studio on the SWBOCES campus, equipped with sewing machines, cutting tables and mannequins. The curriculum covers such topics as the design and construction of apparel, the study of fabric and color, fashion history, fashion illustration, and jewelry and accessory design. Students learn how to read patterns, work with a variety of seams and finishes, and make alterations. The lively classroom becomes even more so as students prepare for their popular Spring Fashion Show. Students complete and model their own designs for the show, which include evening gowns and bridal gowns.

As required by the New York State Education Department, the program integrates English Language Arts and mathematics standards into the curriculum by requiring students to read instructions and patterns, learn bookkeeping skills, keep a journal, compile a portfolio of their work, and write a number of essays and research reports.

Career Paths

• Fashion Designer
• Fashion Consultant
• Fashion Coordinator
• Seamstress
• Boutique Manager/ Owner
• Fashion Buyer

> download course brochure (pdf)