Diploma in Fashion Design Management
The Diploma in Fashion Design Management (TVET CDACC Level 6) is a competency-based qualification that trains graduates to both design garments and manage the business side of fashion enterprises, reflecting Kenya's rapidly professionalising fashion industry.
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 127,500 a year at a private one.The detail
- Who can get in
- A KCSE mean grade of C- or above. There is another way in without it.The detail
- How long, and when
- Takes 2 years (competency-based, modular), full-time, online, with 3 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 71 institutions.The detail
- Where it leads
- 8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Forensic Audit Investigator, at 17 out of 100.The detail
The programme
What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.
Overview
Students work through competency units covering fashion design principles, computer-aided design (CAD) for fashion, garment construction, fashion business management, and visual merchandising, building both creative and managerial competence. Skills RequiredFashion Design PrinciplesComputer-Aided Design (CAD) for FashionGarment ConstructionFashion Business ManagementVisual MerchandisingKey SubjectsFashion Design PrinciplesCAD for FashionGarment ConstructionFashion Business ManagementVisual MerchandisingCertificationsTVET CDACC Certificate of Competency (per unit)SpecializationsFashion DesignFocus on garment design and CAD-based design development. Fashion Brand ManagementFocus on building and managing a fashion label or brand business.
Social media has accelerated the growth of Kenya's fashion sector, shifting perceptions of fashion design from informal tailoring toward a professionalised, business-savvy creative industry needing management-literate designers.
Training combines studio-based design and CAD practicals with business modules on costing, marketing, and brand management, assessed unit-by-unit against national occupational standards.
Graduates work as fashion designers, fashion brand managers, and boutique/label owners, applying both creative and business skills across Kenya's growing fashion retail and design sector.
The programme suits creative students who want to build and run their own fashion label or brand, not just design garments for someone else.
What you study
6 subjects- Fashion Design Principles
- CAD for Fashion
- Garment Construction
- Fashion Business Management
- Visual Merchandising
- Research Methods
Modules
10 in the programmePattern Construction
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Pattern drafting and grading covering materials, techniques, safety procedures, and quality standards for construction projects.
Fashion Design and Sketching
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Fashion illustration and design including design principles, material selection, and production techniques for creative industry practice.
Fashion Design Principles
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Core principles of garment design, aesthetics, and fashion trend analysis for professional practice and competency development in the field.
CAD for Fashion
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Using computer-aided design software for fashion design work for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Garment Construction
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Techniques for constructing designed garments, including stitching for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Fashion Business Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Costing, marketing, and managing a fashion business for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Clothing Construction
Year 2Semester 14 creditsCore
Garment construction techniques covering materials, techniques, safety procedures, and quality standards for construction projects.
Textile Science
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Properties of textile materials as applied to technical principles and practical applications in the course curriculum.
Visual Merchandising
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Presenting and displaying fashion products for retail for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Fashion Marketing
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Marketing for fashion businesses including market analysis, promotion strategies, and customer relationship management techniques.
Specialisations
Fashion Design
Focus on garment design and CAD-based design development, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Fashion Brand Management
Focus on building and managing a fashion label or brand business, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Fashion Retail Management
Focus on fashion retail operations, merchandising, customer experience, and retail strategy for fashion businesses in the Kenyan retail environment.
Fashion Production Management
Focus on garment production planning, quality control, supply chain coordination, and manufacturing management within Kenyan fashion and apparel production environments.
A day as a student
Days combine design studio work — sketching, CAD design, garment construction — with business modules on costing, marketing, and brand management, assessed unit-by-unit against national standards.
The trade-offs
| In its favour | Against it |
|---|---|
| Combines creative design training with business skills needed to run a fashion label profitably. | Independent fashion business success still depends heavily on capital, market access, and brand-building beyond the qualification. |
| Aligned with Kenya's growing, increasingly professionalised fashion industry. | As a newer CBET credential, some employers may be more familiar with conventional KNEC fashion diplomas. |
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 coursesAnnual 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 67,189/yr. Inceptor 127,500/yr (inceptor.co.ke).
Students can access HELB loans and county bursaries; the Youth Enterprise Fund and similar programmes support graduates starting fashion businesses.
Funding options
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
Loan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.
County Government Bursaries
Bursary
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.
Scholarships
2 recordedCounty Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.
Scholarships you could apply for
1 usable where it is taught- Moringa School Craftbyte Scholarship
QuarterlyFullMoringa School
Full software development course
Getting in
The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.
What you need
A relevant certificate or equivalent qualification determined by KNQA.
When it next starts
Taught at 71 institutionsIncluding Kisii National Polytechnic, Mabera Technical and Vocational College, Bushiangala Technical Training Institute.
Including Kisii National Polytechnic, Mabera Technical and Vocational College, Bushiangala Technical Training Institute.
Including Kisii National Polytechnic, Mabera Technical and Vocational College, Bushiangala Technical Training Institute.
How you are assessed
2 componentsCompetency-Based Unit Assessments
Coursework60% of the mark
Practical demonstration of design and business competency in each unit.
TVET CDACC National Assessment
Examination40% of the mark
Standardised national assessment for the Level 6 qualification.
Accreditation
TVET Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council
National competency based (cbet) qualification, level 6Required
Assessed against national occupational standards for Fashion Design Management.
Nationally examined by TVET CDACC as a competency-based (CBET) Level 6 qualification.
Where it leads
The roles it opens, and what you leave with.
Where graduates go
4 rolesFashion Designer
Moderate demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 45,000
Designs garments for a fashion label or independent client base.
Fashion Brand/Boutique Manager
Moderate demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 48,000
Manages operations, sales, and marketing for a fashion brand or boutique.
Fashion Brand Manager
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 85,000
Manages fashion brand strategy, product development, marketing, and retail operations for fashion companies and brands in Kenya.
Fashion Retail Manager
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 80,000
Manages fashion retail operations, oversees store performance, manages inventory, and coordinates customer experience for fashion retail businesses in Kenya.
Graduate outcomes
Graduates work as fashion designers, fashion brand managers, and boutique/label owners.
Where these fields lead
8 careers- Forensic Audit InvestigatorBusiness17Low exposure
- Ceramics DesignerArt and Design18Low exposure
- Franchise Operations ManagerBusiness18Low exposure
- Infrastructure Finance SpecialistBusiness18Low exposure
- Intermodal Reefer TechnicianBusiness18Low exposure
- Theatrical ScenographerArt and Design18Low exposure
- Ceramic Product DesignerArt and Design19Low exposure
- Circular Fashion DesignerArt and Design19Low exposure
Tools you will learn
CorelDRAW/Adobe Illustrator
SoftwarePrimary
Common design software used for fashion CAD and illustration work.
Certifications
Industry links
Common misconceptions
This is the same as the Diploma in Fashion Design and Clothing Technology.
This CDACC qualification places more emphasis on fashion business management and brand-building, alongside design, than the more production-focused Clothing Technology diploma.
Fashion is only a hobby-level career in Kenya.
Kenya's fashion sector, boosted by social media exposure, is increasingly viewed as a serious commercial industry.