Portfolio Requirements

The Wilson School of Design uses an online submission portal, Slideroom, to collect, evaluate, and store portfolios. Once you have completed your online application to KPU, you may upload your portfolio onto Slideroom.

Please ensure you have completed your online application and reviewed the requirements for your portfolio submission before uploading to Slideroom. Please be aware there is a supplemental fee and data privacy consent required when creating a Slideroom profile.

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Fashion design student showing her portfolio.

The Fashion Design & Technology Program is a limited intake program with first year seats available each Fall intake. Once you have completed your application, you will receive instructions on how to submit your Portfolio through an online submission platform. Eligible applicants who have met the application and documentation submission requirements will be contacted for an online portfolio review session. Portfolio Requirements are further detailed below: Please contact design@kpu.ca if you have any questions about these items. 

Video Introduction: Applicants must include a short video with their entrance package. This submission should give us an introduction to who you are and provide rationale for your pursuit of a fashion education.

Video Requirements

  • Video must feature and be created by the applicant
  • Maximum length - 5 minutes
  • Format: video file - maximum 250 mb 

Video Guidelines

  • Introduce yourself, tell us a bit about you. What are your pronouns?
  • What is your rationale for pursuing fashion education? Why have you chosen to pursue further education in fashion design and technology
  • What is your background interest in fashion and creative pursuits?
  • Describe your goals and aspirations for a career in the apparel industry. What would you like to do with a fashion education
  • Why have you decided to apply to the fashion and technology program at the Wilson School of Design at KPU?
  • If you aren’t from the Vancouver area, why are you hoping to study fashion here?


CV / Resume: In addition to paid employment, also indicate volunteer and extra-curricular activities. Expand on a list of skills such as specific computer applications, handcrafts, fine arts and any prior experience in the apparel industry. Preference will be given to applicants with prior fashion experience, paid or volunteer.

Design/Art Components

Art/Design Examples:  Include any two recent pieces of your art or design work. Remember to include a brief overview of each piece, touching on your inspiration and thought process behind it, and a rationale of why you included these two pieces to show your skills and interests.  Examples could be painting, sculpture, jewelry, textile art, photography, knitting, or other. 

Sketchbooks:  We are looking to see 8-10 current pages from your sketchbooks. Work should show an exploration of (fashion) design concepts, evidence of how frequently you draw, how much you experiment with ideas and materials, and how you develop your ideas. Sketchbooks will give us a sense of how you work; content can include drawings, garment ideas, writing, photos, fabric swatches, colour chips, and other items of inspiration. Remember to date all work and show your written thoughts and analysis of your work.

We would prefer to see your experimentation, drawing out of ideas, and reflecting on your concepts rather than seeing skillfully drawn "finished" images. Show us all your sketches, drawings, and "rough" work!

Sewing Requirements:  Document 2 garments that you have sewn by machine as specified below. Both garments should be clean, pressed and on suitable hangers. Please do not alter the shirt pattern; keep it in its original format for accurate assessment of garment construction. Images of your sewn garments for your digital portfolio upload should include the following photos: front, back, inside front, inside back, and 3 or 4 close up photos focusing on details.

Garment 1 (Shirt): 

A classic button up shirt featuring:

  • 2 piece collar
  • center front buttons and buttonholes 
  • set in sleeves with cuffs and plackets

Choose a fabric that best shows off your sewing and construction skills such as cotton shirting or cotton poplin. 

To meet this garment requirement, we recommend working with the Cameron Shirt (view A) by Helen's Closet Patterns which can be found here or complete our Continuing Education course offered Fall 2023 "FSDP-Introduction to Sewing (Sewing Collared Shirts)". 

Garment 2 (Applicant Choice):

Select a garment of your choice.  This can be a pair of pants, a skirt, jacket, dress, or other and may contain sewing techniques such as zippers, buttonholes, pockets, linings, working with a difficult fabric and more.  We are looking to gain a sense of your sewing skills and knowledge so choose something that will show off your interest, skills and abilities. If you know how to pattern draft this would be a great place to feature a self-drafted garment.
 

Advanced Entry

Advanced entry means that you have prior education or learning from another fashion program and are seeking to enter the program at a point beyond first year.  If you are seeking advanced entry to the Fashion and Technology program please send an email to fashiondesign@kpu.ca with questions that you might have, and reference the following document for your portfolio requirements. Advanced Entry Portfolios will be submitted by email.

Advanced Entry Requirement Form
 

The Portfolio Review Process

Images of your sewn garments for your digital portfolio upload should include the following photos: front, back, inside front, inside back, and 3 or 4 close up photos focusing on details. Sketchbook pages should be scanned as well as any other hard copy work you wish to showcase. Make sure you are putting together a cohesive package. Once you have submitted your portfolio items, you will be contacted regarding an interview. 

Online Interviews

During the online interview, we will reference the images and documents uploaded to the online review platform.  We ask that you have your portfolio components nearby should your reviewer have any questions during this virtual interview. Further directions regarding online interviews will be shared with applicants via email.

Portfolio Review Assessment

Your complete portfolio is assessed on all materials (design, sewing, and paperwork) in order to determine a recommendation for placement in the program. KPU Admissions will be in touch once your portfolio has been reviewed and decisions made.  

Forms