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| RMIT University School of Fashion and Textiles | |
|---|---|
| Name | RMIT University School of Fashion and Textiles |
| Established | 1991 |
| Type | Public |
| City | Melbourne |
| Country | Australia |
| Parent | RMIT University |
RMIT University School of Fashion and Textiles is an Australian tertiary school offering vocational and higher education in apparel design, textile technology, and fashion business. The school is situated within the Australian urban campus network of RMIT University in Melbourne and connects with regional, national, and international creative industries such as Vogue (magazine), D&AD, and London Fashion Week. Its activities intersect with institutions including National Gallery of Victoria, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, and Melbourne Fashion Week.
The school's origins trace to trades and technical training institutions influenced by models like Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology predecessors and comparable schools such as Central Saint Martins, Parsons School of Design, and Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Throughout the late 20th century it engaged with initiatives led by bodies such as Australian Trade Commission, Creative Victoria, and collaborations with entities like Textile Institute, Fashion Council of Australia, and International Woolmark Prize. Milestones include program reforms mirroring trends from Council of Australian Governments policy shifts, partnerships reminiscent of British Council cultural exchange projects, and exhibition exchanges with Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Cooper Hewitt. The school’s expansion paralleled developments in Melbourne precincts referenced alongside Docklands, Victoria, Federation Square, and Southbank, Victoria cultural hubs.
The school offers undergraduate degrees, postgraduate coursework, and research higher degrees comparable to offerings at University of Technology Sydney, University of Melbourne, and Monash University. Programs encompass fashion design, textile design, knitwear, patternmaking, and fashion business with curriculum elements referencing standards from Australian Qualifications Framework, accreditation echoes with TEQSA, and industry-facing units aligned with Australian Fashion Council and Victorian Skills Authority. Cross-disciplinary electives draw on partnerships with faculties similar to RMIT School of Art, RMIT School of Engineering, and collaborations modeled after joint initiatives with Swinburne University of Technology and La Trobe University.
Research themes include sustainable textiles, circular fashion, smart materials, and digital fabrication, engaging with funding bodies such as Australian Research Council, NHMRC, and project partners like CSIRO. The school’s research labs have produced work in areas resonant with projects at MIT Media Lab, Fraunhofer Society, and Fashion Innovation Agency, and have contributed to international fora including United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change-adjacent sustainability dialogues, Ellen MacArthur Foundation circularity research, and presentations at International Textile and Apparel Association conferences. Collaborative grants involved partners such as Woolmark Company, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and multinational firms like Nike, Inc. and H&M in pilot studies.
Primary facilities are located on inner-city campuses with studios, textile laboratories, computer-aided design suites, and runways comparable to those at Royal College of Art and Otis College of Art and Design. Technical workshops house equipment for dyeing, weaving, knitting, and laser cutting paralleling resources in labs at Tampere University of Technology and Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology. Exhibition and retail spaces engage with partners like State Library of Victoria, Queen Victoria Market, and Melbourne Museum for public display and pop-up events, while satellite teaching occurs in precincts similar to Brunswick, Victoria creative clusters.
The school maintains industry links with brands, agencies, and cultural institutions including Country Road Group, Gorman, Cue Clothing Co., and international partners such as Gucci, Prada, and Zara (retailer). Internship and capstone programs mirror industry placements with firms like ASOS, Net-a-Porter, and design houses akin to Alexander McQueen and Calvin Klein. Strategic alliances include joint projects with Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) industry organizations, collaboration models from Singapore Fashion Week, and exchange agreements reflecting connections with Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten and Polimoda.
Student collections are routinely showcased in fashion shows, biennales, and festivals such as Melbourne Fashion Festival, Arab Fashion Week, and London Fashion Week. Graduating collections have been exhibited at venues including Royal Exhibition Building, National Gallery of Victoria, and international platforms like Paris Haute Couture Week presentations and Salone del Mobile crossover events. Competitions and awards participation involve programs such as Graduate Fashion Week, L'Oréal Professionnel Colour Trophy, and collaborations with curatorial partners like Design Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Alumni and faculty have included designers, researchers, and creative directors who have worked with entities such as Zimmermann (fashion label), Roksanda Ilincic, Rebecca Vallance, Akira Isogawa, Collette Dinnigan, and creative academics with affiliations to Moncler research projects, Nike, Inc. collaborations, and institutional roles in galleries like TATE Modern and National Gallery of Australia. Visiting scholars and guest lecturers have included figures connected to Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Stella McCartney, Diane von Furstenberg, and curators from Victoria and Albert Museum and Cooper Hewitt.
Category:RMIT University Category:Fashion schools