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Art and Design

Certificate in Fashion Design and Garment Making

<p>The Certificate in Fashion Design and Garment Making is a craft-level qualification examined by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) that equips learners with practical skills in fashion design, garment construction, and textile technology. The programme is designed for individuals seeking entry-level positions in Kenya's growing fashion and garment industry.

Duration
2 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 67,189
Ksh 134,378 total
Private tuition
Ksh 65,700
Ksh 131,400 total
Job market
Moderate
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 67,189 a year at a public institution, Ksh 134,378 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 65,700 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of D or above. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 2 years, full-time, part-time, with 3 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 154 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Cloud Security Engineer, at 14 out of 100.The detail

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Overview

Students develop competencies in fashion design and sketching, pattern drafting and grading, garment cutting and making, textile material knowledge, and fabric colouration techniques including tie and dye, batik, and fabric printing. The curriculum also covers entrepreneurship, communication skills, ICT, and workshop organisation, ensuring graduates can work in fashion houses or establish their own fashion businesses.

Kenya's fashion industry has grown significantly with increasing demand for locally designed garments, custom tailoring, and fashion entrepreneurship. The programme aligns with the needs of fashion houses, garment factories, tailoring businesses, and self-employment ventures in the fashion and textile sector.

The programme is delivered through full-time and part-time study at technical training institutes, national polytechnics, and technical and vocational colleges across Kenya. Teaching combines classroom instruction with extensive practical sessions in fashion design workshops, covering sketching, pattern drafting, cutting, sewing, and fabric decoration. A trade project and industrial attachment are included.

Graduates can work as fashion designers, garment makers, pattern makers, tailors, and fashion entrepreneurs in fashion houses, garment factories, and self-employment. Many proceed to pursue the Diploma in Fashion Design and Garment Making Technology.

This programme is suitable for KCSE graduates with a mean grade of D (plain) who are creative and passionate about fashion design and seeking practical skills for employment or self-employment in the fashion industry.

What you study

10 subjects
  • Fashion Design and Sketching
  • Pattern Drafting and Grading
  • Garment Cutting and Making
  • Textile Material Knowledge
  • Art and Design
  • Fabric Printing and Colouration
  • Embroidery and Batik
  • Workshop Organisation and Management
  • Entrepreneurship and Business Plan
  • Information Communication Technology

Modules

12 in the programme

  • Information Communication Technology

    Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore

    Computer applications in fashion design, use of design software, and digital tools for pattern making.

  • Entrepreneurship

    Year 1Semester 12 creditsElective

    Entrepreneurship principles and business plan development for fashion and garment enterprises.

  • Mathematics

    Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore

    Mathematical concepts applied in fashion design including measurements, proportions, and costing.

  • Textile Material Knowledge

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Textile classification, fabric properties, yarn and fabric formation, and textile material selection.

  • Art and Design

    Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore

    Art and design principles, colour theory, and visual communication for fashion design.

  • Fashion Design and Sketching

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Fashion illustration, design sketching, and creating original garment designs from concept to visual representation.

  • Pattern Drafting and Grading I

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Basic pattern drafting techniques, body measurements, and creating patterns for simple garments.

  • Fabric Printing and Tie and Dye

    Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore

    Fabric colouration techniques including tie and dye, fabric printing, and surface decoration.

  • Pattern Drafting and Grading II

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Advanced pattern drafting, grading for different sizes, and creating patterns for complex garments.

  • Garment Cutting and Making

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Garment cutting techniques, sewing operations, and construction methods for women's and men's garments.

  • Embroidery and Batik

    Year 1Semester 22 creditsCore

    Hand and machine embroidery, batik techniques, and decorative fabric embellishment methods.

  • Trade Project and Business Plan

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Practical fashion project producing a complete garment collection from design to finished products, with an accompanying business plan.

Specialisations

  • Fashion Design and Sketching

    Focus on fashion illustration, design conceptualisation, and creating original garment designs including sketching, colour theory, and collection development.

  • Pattern Drafting and Grading

    Focus on creating and grading patterns for different garment sizes, styles, and body types including pattern blocks, grading rules, and adaptation.

  • Garment Construction

    Focus on garment cutting, sewing techniques, and construction methods for men's and women's wear including assembly, fitting, and finishing.

  • Fabric Colouration and Decoration

    Focus on tie and dye, batik, fabric printing, and embroidery for fabric embellishment and surface decoration in fashion and textile production.

A day as a student

A typical day begins with a morning session on fashion design theory or textile science, followed by practical sessions in the design workshop where students practise fashion sketching, pattern drafting, fabric cutting, and garment construction. Afternoon sessions cover fabric colouration techniques such as tie and dye, batik, and fabric printing, or entrepreneurship and communication skills. Students regularly work on individual fashion projects from concept sketch to finished garment.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Provides practical skills for both employment in fashion houses and self-employment as a fashion designer or tailor.Fashion industry income can be irregular, especially for self-employed designers starting out.
Kenya's growing fashion industry and AGOA export opportunities create demand for skilled garment makers.Starting a fashion business requires capital investment in sewing machines, materials, and workspace.
Provides a pathway to Diploma in Fashion Design and Garment Making Technology.—
Creative and practical curriculum with hands-on garment making from design concept to finished product.—

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 73 art and design courses
Public56k to 67k
56k at Kitutu Masaba Technical & Vocational College67k at Kabete National Polytechnic
Private54k to 66k
54k at Naturesurf Training College66k at Musketeers Institute of Science and Technology

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

TVET 56K-67K/yr public (educationnewshub). MIST 65.7K, Naturesurf 54K/yr (mist.ac.ke, naturesurf.ac.ke).

Students can access HELB TVET loans of up to KES 40,000, government capitation of KES 30,000 per year through TVETA, and county government bursaries.

Funding options

  • HELB TVET Loan

  • TVET Capitation (Government Scholarship)

  • County Government Bursaries

  • NGAAF Bursary

Scholarships

4 recorded

  • HELB TVET Loan

    LoanKsh 40,000Kenyan

    Needy Kenyan students enrolled in TVET institutions.

  • Government TVET Capitation

    ScholarshipKsh 30,000Kenyan

    All students enrolled in public TVET institutions through KUCCPS placement.

  • County Government Bursary

    BursaryKenyan

    Residents of respective counties enrolled in TVET programmes. Amounts vary by county.

  • NGAAF Bursary

    BursaryKenyan

    Needy students from marginalised areas through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund.

Scholarships you could apply for

6 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade
Dminimum entry
Alternative entry

Relevant artisan certificate or equivalent qualification as recognised by KNQA. Some institutions accept KCPE for CDACC Level 3 or 4 fashion design programmes.

When it next starts

Taught at 154 institutions
January 2027154 institutions

Including Kirinyaga University, Technical University of Kenya, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.

May 2027154 institutions

Including Kirinyaga University, Technical University of Kenya, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.

September 2027154 institutions

Including Kirinyaga University, Technical University of Kenya, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.

How you are assessed

3 components

  • Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)

    Coursework30% of the mark

    Mid-semester and end-of-semester tests covering theory and practical garment making exercises.

  • KNEC Final Examination

    Exam70% of the mark

    National examination administered by KNEC at the end of each module, including theory and practical papers.

  • Trade Project and Industrial Attachment

    Project0% of the mark

    Practical fashion project from design to finished garment and industrial attachment at a fashion house or garment factory.

Accreditation

  • Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC)

    Academic accreditationRequired

    Statutory examination body for craft certificate fashion design qualifications under BTEP.

  • Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA)

    Institutional accreditationRequired

    Statutory accreditation for TVET institutions offering certificate programmes in Kenya.

Examined by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) under the Business Technical Education Programme (BTEP) as a Craft Certificate in Fashion Design and Garment Making Technology. Also available under CDACC Level 5. Institutions are accredited by TVETA.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

  • Fashion Designer

    Moderate demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 60,000

    Creates original garment designs, produces samples, and develops fashion collections for clients or fashion houses.

  • Garment Maker

    Moderate demandKsh 22,000 to Ksh 40,000

    Constructs garments in factories or fashion houses, operating sewing machines and ensuring quality construction.

  • Pattern Maker

    Moderate demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 48,000

    Creates and grades patterns for garment production, translating designs into production-ready patterns.

  • Tailor and Fashion Entrepreneur

    High demandKsh 20,000 to Ksh 80,000

    Provides custom tailoring and fashion design services, operating an independent fashion business.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as fashion designers, garment makers, pattern makers, tailors, and fashion entrepreneurs in fashion houses, garment factories, and self-employment across Kenya.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

  • Industrial Sewing Machines

    EquipmentPrimary

    Industrial and domestic sewing machines, overlock machines, and buttonhole machines for garment construction.

  • Pattern Making Tools

    EquipmentPrimary

    Pattern paper, rulers, French curves, measuring tapes, and cutting tools for pattern drafting and grading.

  • Fashion Design Software

    Software

    Computer-aided design software for fashion illustration, digital pattern making, and garment visualisation.

Common misconceptions

  • Fashion design is just about making clothes

    Fashion design involves design principles, sketching, pattern drafting, textile science, fabric colouration, and business management for fashion enterprises.

  • You need to be a good artist to study fashion design

    While artistic ability helps, the programme teaches fashion sketching and design principles systematically, making it accessible to anyone willing to learn.

  • Fashion design has limited career opportunities in Kenya

    Kenya's fashion industry is growing with opportunities in fashion houses, garment factories, media, film costume design, and entrepreneurship.

  • Fashion design is the same as clothing technology

    While they share similar content, fashion design places greater emphasis on creative design, sketching, and fashion entrepreneurship, while clothing technology focuses more on garment production and textile manufacturing.

Further reading

Read next