Art and Design

Certificate in Fashion Design and Garment Making

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.

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.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Private, up to: Ksh 65,700
Job market: Moderate

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Certificate

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 favour

Provides practical skills for both employment in fashion houses and self-employment as a fashion designer or tailor.
Kenya's growing fashion industry and AGOA export opportunities create demand for skilled garment makers.
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.

Against it

Fashion industry income can be irregular, especially for self-employed designers starting out.
Starting a fashion business requires capital investment in sewing machines, materials, and workspace.

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.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: D
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.

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

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.

Accredited by

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.

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.

Industry links

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.