Fashion is a craft you can only really learn by doing. Trends shift, materials evolve, and the way a garment gets made changes fast. That’s why industry ties are the backbone of this program. Our connections translate into guest speakers, site visits, work placements, and a curriculum shaped directly by the people hiring our graduates. By the time you finish, you won’t just understand fashion in theory. You’ll have crafted something valuable, alongside people who make things for a living.
Industry Collaboration
Our students don’t just study fashion, they live it. Work placements put you inside professional companies, from lululemon to Arc’teryx and Aritzia. Guest speakers bring their own careers into the classroom, and site visits take you where the work actually happens: on factory floors, in design studios, and backstage at shows. Faculty who are still practicing designers teach the program, so the gap between what you learn and what the industry expects stays small.
From the Wilson School of Design to Aritzia:
Career Options
As a graduate of our Fashion and Technology program, you’ll be ready for a variety of careers:
- Fashion designer - creating original garments and collections, from concept sketch to finished piece.
- Technical designer - translating design concepts into precise specs and patterns ready for production.
- Product developer - managing how a garment moves from design through manufacturing.
- Costume designer - designing wardrobe for film, television, and stage.
- Textile designer - developing fabrics and materials, including sustainable and technical options.
- Textiles teacher - bringing your design and technical skills into the classroom at the high school level.
- Buyer or merchandiser - selecting and managing product lines for retailers and brands.
- Entrepreneur - launching your own label, drawing on the design, business, and production skills you built here.
Some graduates go on to build fashion careers at major companies like Canada Goose, Nike, Nordstrom, and Volcom. Many of our alumni also launch labels of their own, including Allison Wonderland, Osei-Duro, Jolie Couture, and Taylor Hart Design.
Testimonials
“Without the internship program and technical development skills I received at Kwantlen, working for my dream company in this position would not have been possible.”
Tanya Maglio - former Designer, lululemon athletica
“I miss the group atmosphere, being able to bounce ideas off classmates and professors, and the opportunity to design for diverse markets. Industry links with MEC and Off The Wall challenged us with real-world projects and when I graduated I felt like I was already part of the industry. The program definitely prepared me for the fashion industry.”
Edina Bartell - Independent Senior Product Developer
“Not only will you leave the program grounded in the fundamentals of the industry (design, marketing, production) but you will also leave with industry experience and contacts. Whether you want to work in New York City or Vancouver, this program helps you build your career and take you wherever it is that you want to go.”
Celeste Makow - Freelance Fashion & Costume Designer
Advisory Committee
Our Advisory Committee gives local industry leaders an ongoing voice in the program. Companies like Canada Goose, Debrand, and Texavie Technologies tell us what’s shifting in the field, so we can respond to changes in the market and keep the curriculum aligned with current industry needs.
That same input shapes the tools you train on. It’s why we’ve built a reputation for equipping students to use the most current, industry-standard technology. This puts you at the front of the line when you apply for jobs.
Harishkumar Narayana
Softgoods Engineering Lead (Textiles & Wearables), Texavie Technologies Inc.
harishkumar-narayana-phd-ba | harishkumar7290.wixsite.com
Industry Support
Every year, dozens of industry partners work directly with our students: hosting internships, developing meaningful projects, and hiring our graduates when they finish. We’re grateful to all of them for the time, mentorship, and opportunities they bring to our students.
Allison Wonderland
Arc’teryx Equipment Inc.
Aritzia
Barbara Duggan
Black Press
Blushing Designs
Bootlegger
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd.
Catapult Agencies
Carol Prantner and David Hollands
Charles Chan Kent
Chris Waller
Chloё Angus Design
Christine Vancouver
Christopher Pike Photography
Closet Crows
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Devonshire Properties
Diane’s Lingerie
Digital Darlings Creative
Donald Reagh
Dutil
Eco Fashion Week
Enda B Men & Women
Emma Norris
Envision Financial
Ethical Profiling
Fabricana Imports
Family Business Distributions
Fairchild TV
Glacier Media
Gordon’s Fabrics
Gravity Pope
Hailey Gerrits Designs
Helen Pearce
Helly Hansen
Hills of Kerrisdale
Holt Renfrew
Indochino
International Fashions
Ivan Sayers
ivivva
Janice Larsen
Jeff Norris
Jennifer Rainnie Marketing
John Fluevog Boots & Shoes Ltd.
Julie Hobart
Karma Athletics Ltd.
Kendor Fabrics
Kensie
Kemp Edwards
Kit and Ace
Kwantlen Student Association
Laura Tanner
Lifetime Collective
Lija
Little White House
LK Collections
lululemon athletica
lululemon lab
Make Good Agency
Make It Vancouver
Mara Moldonado
Manuel Mendoza
Momentum Magazine
Modern Home Tour
Moule
Mountain Equipment Co-op
Mustang Survival Corp.
Nicole Bridger
Nicole Picco
Nocturnal Workshop
Oak and Fort Corp.
Oddball Workshop
Osei Duro
Painted Pink Productions Inc.
Peekaboo Beans
Pfaff Sewing Centre of Vancouver
Play on Trading/Orb
Plenty
Plum Clothing
Portobello West Market
Pure Magnolia
Quantum Apparel Group Inc.
Raymond Heung
RCG Group
Rewind Consignment
Richmond Centre
Robyn Ross
Rogers Broadcasting Limited
Ron Marchuk
St. Geneve
S Lee
Simon Chang and Phyllis Levine
Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear Ltd.
Social Concierge
Sodexo
Steven Schelling
Strike MVMNT
Sugoi Performance Apparel
Suki’s Salon •Spa • Academy
Tamoda Apparel Inc.
Teeny Weeny Bikini Co.
Télio Fabrics
THII
TJX Canada
Truvelle
Urban Spaces
Vancouver Foundation
Vancouver Magazine
Vertical Design Group
Viktoria Langton
Westcomb
Western Living Magazine
White House
Wing Sang Gallery
Y.P. Heung Foundation