The swimwear industry stands as one of the fastest-growing and most profitable segments within the apparel sector, boasting a multi-billion-dollar valuation. In 2023 alone, Americans invested a significant sum in swimwear, increasing their swimsuit collections from a mere 2 to 7-10 pieces per person. This surge is amplified by the rising demand for beachwear and accessories, driven by increased vacationing and amplified by social media exposure.

In this thriving market, having the right education and training becomes a vital stepping stone to successfully navigate the demands of this industry. FIT's Swimwear Designer program emerges as a crucial resource, providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to launch a thriving swimwear line. Through a comprehensive curriculum encompassing marketing, branding, fashion trends, design, sewing, pattern making, and enriching field trips, students delve into both the technical and creative facets of swimwear design, coupled with a profound understanding of the business principles governing the swimwear industry.

Students will receive discounts at fabric stores, a database of resources for starting their clothing line, and many other opportunities to help them succeed in the fashion industry.

SWIMWEAR DESIGNER – 4 MONTHS

During this immersive 4-month program, students will delve into the intricate process of conceiving, crafting, and organizing a stunning swimwear collection. From drawing inspiration to developing detailed illustrations, sourcing quality fabrics, mastering pattern making, refining sewing techniques, understanding costing, creating tech packs, and constructing samples, participants will gain comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience.

Furthermore, students will embark on a transformative journey, building not just swimwear but also their brand identity and effective marketing strategies. They'll broaden their perspectives and gain real-world insights by engaging in two impactful field trips to garment factories in Miami.

Each week, participants will hone their practical skills in patternmaking and sewing, gaining a profound understanding of bathing suit anatomy and fit. Fueled by creativity and imagination, they will design marketable collections. Additionally, students will receive training in vital business, marketing, and legal aspects integral to the industry.

Upon completion, students will exit the course with a fully swimwear/resort wear collection primed for sampling, production, and sale, and even more exciting, they will showcase a 3-look collection during the Miami Swim Week 2024 Fashion Institute of Florida's fashion show.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THIS COURSE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

You are serious about launching and building a successful swimwear brand.

You have the time, money, and energy to invest 4 months with us to prepare to launch your brand.

You are disciplined, focused, and persistent.

You want to show your designs on the major cities' runway shows with us or by yourself.

You want to learn how to design, sample, sell, and distribute a profitable swimwear collection.

You want to get inspired, connect and network with vendors, manufacturers, fashion show producers, other designers, and fashion industry professionals in general.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Crucial knowledge on how to design, create, and organize a swimwear collection from inspiration to illustrations, fabric sourcing, pattern making, sewing techniques, costing, tech packs, sample making, and selling; in order to launch a successful bathing suit line.

How to open a legal business, create a brand and marketing strategy.

Students will learn hands-on patternmaking and sewing skills to help them understand a bathing suit's anatomy and perfect fit.
How to grade patterns and create your company's size chart.

Attend two life-changing field trips to swimwear factories and/or fabric trade shows and receive a list of all sample makers, cutters, fabric printing, fabric shows, and wholesale shows.

At the end of this course, students will walk out with a complete swimwear/ resort wear collection ready to be produced and sold.

Ultimately, you will do a runway show to learn from this fantastic yet every designer's dream experience.

BONUS!

Over ten documents and templates worth $500+ to make running your business easier, so you can concentrate on what matters: designing and selling.

Bathing suit sloper, step-by-step instructions

Swimwear fabrics guide

Set of technical flat templates

Fashion brushes set for Procreate. Stitch, zipper, lace, and many more brushes.

Upcoming swimwear trend report for 2024-2025

Color of the year palette

Line sheet template

Cost sheet template

Cutter must template

Grading guide

Grading measurement chart

Profit and loss template

Sales projection template

Elevator speech examples of pitching your business successfully.

Social media marketing calendar template

Access to more than 100 hours of videos tutorial in our Virtual classroom.

Not only will we show you how to use those documents and templates during this course, but you will get to keep a customizable copy for you and your business.

Who we are…

The Fashion Institute of Florida was founded in 2016 upon the belief that quality fashion design education should be available to all students who want to learn the art and craft of fashion design. We teach complete fashion and apparel design program in addition to short fashion courses in swimwear, sewing, pattern-making, fashion illustration, fashion business, fashion trends, and many more courses.

We take pride in teaching with love and patience to ensure all students can learn in our small class environment.

At The Fashion Institute of Florida, our mission is to empower aspiring designers and entrepreneurs. We are committed to providing the essential tools, resources, strategies, and mentorship necessary to create thriving and impactful clothing brands.

FIF is licensed by the Commission for Independent Education (License # 6337), Florida Department of Education.

Testimonial

Olga Nikoza. Class of 2021

@NIKOZA_COLLECTION

Olga Nikoza embarked on her journey with the Fashion Institute of Florida in the Fall of 2019. Her background was in real estate, and she lacked the skills in design, pattern-making, or sewing. However, her passion for becoming a fashion designer burned brightly. Taking several courses, she persevered through the pandemic years, absorbing lessons from our virtual classroom and attending a few in-person sessions. Her dream of launching a swimwear line never wavered. In the early months of 2021, we assisted her in developing samples of her designs and connected her with sample rooms and cutters in Miami. By July 2021, she confidently debuted her collection during Miami Swim Week. Since then, her designs have graced the racks of department stores and boutiques nationwide. Also garnered attention in prestigious publications like British Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Notably, on September 30th, she earned the Rising Star Award, a prestigious accolade awarded from a pool of five finalists chosen by an expert panel of judges in the fashion industry. Learn more and listen to her advice by watching the video below. https://youtu.be/ijrzbIQQUg0 and https://youtu.be/kW4Ayv0Btrw