Sew your way to success with a career in fashion! Enrolments are now open at Waiariki Institute of Technology. We take a look at two Waiariki students in Fashion Technology; Vincent Pirovano and Cathrine Mitchell…
Sew your way to success in a career in fashion! Enrolments are now open at Waiariki Institute of Technology.
We take a look at two Waiariki students in Fashion Technology; Vincent Pirovano (picture above left) and Cathrine Mitchell…
The Diploma in Fashion Technology L5 is designed to provide students with the skills required for employment within the fashion industry.
Content focuses on a wide range of technical specialist skills such as analytical interpretation of garment design, drafting and construction techniques. Students can pursue areas of specialisation through the selection of courses that best suit individual talents and interests.
For further information see the Waiariki website.
Vincent Pirovano – Diploma in Fashion Technology
Vincent Pirovano“I left my job as a builder of four years to pursue what I had always wanted to do….fashion!” says Vincent Pirovano, who enrolled in the Diploma in Fashion Technology Level 5 at Waiariki in 2009.
“I was always cutting up garments from an early age, so to study fashion and learn the design processes and the making of garments, was something that had always interested me. My girlfriend is also enrolled in the same qualification, so it seemed like the right choice to make.”
Waiariki Institute of Technology offers the Certificate in Fashion Technology Level 4 by both distance
and on-campus delivery, and the Diploma in Fashion Technology Level 5 delivered on-campus. From there students can pathway to a one or two year fashion programme at the Instituto di Moda Burgo in Milan, Italy or the Bachelor of Fashion Design at Whitehouse Institute of Design in Melbourne or Sydney, Australia.
“The machines here at Waiariki are wonderful, I don’t think I will ever go back to using a domestic machine again! They are also looking at purchasing a CAD PAD machine of industry standard, which will give us even more experience resulting in us becoming more employable on completion.”
Vincent says “the electives offered within the qualification are also very good, fashion photography and computer aided design to name just a few. These compliment what I ultimately want to get out of this qualification.”
“I hope to enter a job working with a team of designers, for a well known company and immerse myself in that process. A lot of what I have learnt here will help, and the tutors are fantastic!”
Cathrine Mitchell – Diploma in Fashion Technology Level 5
Cathrine Mitchell, who is now into her final year of the Diploma in Fashion Technology Level 5 at Waiariki, created her first garment aged 12.
“Fashion has always dominated my life and when I found out the diploma was available here at Waiariki, I signed up straight away! Waiariki offer’s extremely knowledgeable tutors and students are offered an amazing amount of one on-one-tuition, providing us with industry standard skills, which is quite possibly the most important aspect.”
“The facilities available on campus such as straight sewers, overlockers, the incorporation of CAD with illustration and state of the art digital pattern cutting technology which is currently being used by leading companies such as Pumpkin Patch, are wonderful.”
Cathrine says by gaining the skills in her first year at Waiariki, she had the confidence to put herself forward when an amazing and insightful opportunity arose to work on the 3D movie set ‘Yogi Bear’ in the wardrobe department, which was filmed in Taupo earlier this year.
“Waiariki also has a connection with Instituto de Moda Burgo in Milan. This offers the chance to gain a higher qualification and the added bonus of an in international experience.”
“I will be looking for graduate jobs very shortly and I am confident that through gaining this qualification and all the practical techniques learnt over the two years, I will find and work in the career of my choice.”
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