Fast-track fashion design & business course
To learn more about the Fast-Track course and its potential impact on your fashion aspirations, we invite you to join us at our upcoming Open Day. Get an inside look at the program, connect with our dedicated instructors, and visualize your path to success.
Experience the Amsterdam Fashion Academy like never before during our exclusive Open Days. These personalized experience, led by our experienced lecturers, offer an in-depth exploration of the fashion world.
Explore our campus, including captivating fashion exhibitions, receive detailed explanations about our programs, and seize the opportunity to connect with our community of current students and accomplished alumni. Plus, prepare to immerse yourself in our exciting hands-on workshops, allowing you to discover your passion and potential firsthand.
Applications for the Academic year 2024 are open.
Have you just finished school and don’t know what you want to do next? Perhaps you’ve always had an interest in fashion but were unsure whether it’s the right career choice for you? Or maybe you know that your future lies in fashion but can’t commit to a full year of study or visa issues will limit your time in The Netherlands?
Then the Amsterdam Fashion Academy’s Fast-Track Fashion Design & Business course is perfect for you. This taster course runs for 3 months and is a fantastic option for both the fashion-curious and those who already have their heart set on a rewarding career in the industry.
Our Fast-Track programme is an ideal introduction to the world of fashion business and design. Over the 3 months, students become familiar with a wide range of fashion related areas, from branding, styling and marketing for the business minded, to more design-led elements like illustration, colour theory and design development.
This short course teaches you the fundamentals of fashion and is fantastic opportunity to see how your interest in fashion can become a career option for you. After completing the Fast-Track course, students can decide to continue their fashion studies with the Foundation Diploma that runs until June.
Level: Certificate of Completion
Duration: 3-month full-time programme. Students can switch to the Foundation Diploma.
Language: English only
Dates: September to December 2024
Credits: 0
Tuition fee: € 5.800*
Application fee: € 150
Admission: applications for September 2024 are open
Maximum number of students: 20 students divided in small groups
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy’s Fast-Track Fashion Design & Business course runs for 3 months and provides you with a comprehensive overview of the processes and methodologies of the fashion industry. It’s the ideal course for those who want to delve deeper into fashion but cannot commit to long-term study. The programme’s contents are similar to our Foundation diploma course but condensed into a shorter timeframe.
The course contains practical elements, giving you a deeper understanding of fashion’s place in history and culture. There is also an emphasis on entrepreneurship, sustainability and ethics in fashion; at Amsterdam Fashion Academy, we pride ourselves on producing informed, conscientious and well-rounded students who will become the next generation of progressive fashion designers.
You will learn to progress your design and research talents and develop critical appraisal skills, allowing you to contribute to the future of fashion. Those with a keen interest in the business side of fashion are well catered for with study modules that explore the structure of the industry and typical job roles. You will graduate with a creative digital portfolio to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to future employers and will gain a broad understanding of Photoshop, an industry standard digital design tool.
By the end of the 3 months, you will have fully explored your creative instincts, have a solid grounding in a number of key disciplines, will have the confidence to express yourself and know exactly which sector of the fashion industry is right for your future career. Our Fast-Track programme provides you with the skills that matter and is the first step to fulfilling your fashion dreams.
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is based in the heart of Amsterdam, a cool, creative and multicultural European city. Our campus building provides a beautiful and inspirational space for you learn the skills you need to fashion your future.
Fashion Business Awareness (301)
Within this module you will explore your business understanding alongside your creativity. This module focuses on showing you what the fashion industry looks like in relation to job roles and market levels but also how it functions practically. You are encouraged to develop an entrepreneurial and ethical approach to identifying gaps in the market.
Fashion Media & Visualisation (302)
This module focuses on communicating ideas effectively for the development of a fashion portfolio. You will explore and develop skills using a range of different media and fashion illustration techniques.
Over the course, you will develop personalised illustrative styles and learn to create a portfolio that is distinct to you while gaining knowledge of the relevant industry tools and materials.
Ideas Exploration for Design (303)
This module will introduce you to key concepts in visual arts to develop your sensitivity to and awareness of fashion design. Students will be encouraged to explore experimental design development techniques to create ideas of silhouette, colour and fabrication within a capsule collection. The fundamental principles of design will be introduced through a series of workshops, which include: research, drawing, draping and collage.
Professional Development (306)
This module gives you the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of briefs that will enhance your skills in multiple areas.
This module is designed to underpin the other modules by supporting your understanding of professional practices. You will be given the opportunity to work in groups to develop networking and team building skills and undertake live project briefs with industry practitioners.
Step 1: Fill out the Request for Information form or sign up to an Open Day;
Step 2: We will send you more details by email and we will schedule a call or meeting with you;
Step 3: After the call or meeting, we will send you by email the Application form;
Step 4: Submit the application form; letter of motivations, secondary school diploma or transcript of grades or proof of enrolment. A portfolio is not requested.
Step 5: We will invite you to attend an interview on campus or online.
We don’t have specific requirements for this programme. You need to be at least 16 years old and have studied at secondary school until then.
After completing the Fast-Track Fashion Design & Business course in December, you can decide to transfer onto the Foundation Diploma in Fashion and keep studying with us from January to June.
Portfolio
- It is not required only if you apply to the Fast-Track Fashion Design & Business course.
- Students applying to the Fast-Track Fashion Design & Business course will be asked to complete an assignment.
Non-EEA students only need a turist visa for the Netherlands as the course lasts less than 90 days.
Application fee: € 150
The application fee is due at the moment of application and is non-refundable unless the Amsterdam Fashion Academy won’t accept you in the programme. This is a one-time fee, so you only need to pay during in the process of admission.
Tuition fee: € 5.800
A deposit (20% of the tuition fee) is required after your acceptance and before the 29th of March, 2024. The remaining amount must be paid before the 15th of July 2024.
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is a non-governmental and non-subsidized institute.
This programme is not eligible to receive student finance (studiefinanciering) from DUO.
Fees are equal for Europen and non-EEA students.
After evaluating your application, we may invite you to attend an Interview Day.
The Interview Day is a big opportunity to experience the Amsterdam Fashion Academy for a full day, meet other international applicants, explore Amsterdam and work with your future lecturers. Thanks to the Interview Day, you will have a clearer idea if the Amsterdam Fashion Academy is the right place for you.
The Interview Days 2024 will be held on the following dates:
- On-Campus: Friday, 2nd of February 2024 from 10:00am to 5:00pm CET;
- On-Campus: Friday, 17th of February 2024 from 10:00am to 5:00pm CET;
- Last Online and On-Campus Interview will take place on Friday, 22nd of March 2024 from 10:00am to 5:00pm CET.
Depending on that date of the submission of your application, we will invite you to the first available Interview Day.
We will communicate you the result of your Interview Day on March 2024.
Important information:
Our application deadline is on 9th of February, 2024. We encourage you to submit your application before this date to have the opportunity to attend an Interview Day and have the best chance of being offered a place.