Singer Fashion Academy, being in operation for over 60 years, has birthed many entrepreneurs in the area of fashion designing and dressmaking. These entrepreneurship stories are laced with immense gratitude from individuals to the stepping stone provided by the Singer Fashion Academy, as well as success achieved through years of hard work.  Singer Fashion Academy has unmistakably opened up a world of opportunities for those seeking to build a fruitful career and ever-growing businesses out of what they love, following the achievement of professional qualifications centered on a craft that is vital and calls out to their passion.

One such aspiring entrepreneur is W.S. Hansani Madhushani Fernando. Hailing from Chilaw, it was her enthusiasm for dressmaking and fashion designing that drove her to successfully complete four basic courses under the Singer Fashion Academy. She had received word of the Academy through a promotional leaflet and was thrilled to discover that a branch was available in her home town.

“In rural areas such as Chilaw, it’s indeed very hard to find affordable academies and other education centers with subjects that we would like to make a career out of, such as dressmaking. When I discovered that a branch of Singer Fashion Academy was opened, I was very keen to register and pursue the qualifications required to build my career,” Hansani said.

Her entrepreneurial venture “Hansi Bridal Palace” serves as a rental shop situated in Chilaw that provides bridal dresses and sarees. Being in operation for a time span of over six months, “Hansi Bridal Palace” also delivers ready-made school uniforms and other clothing items on orders. As owner and dressmaker of her venture, she has also collaborated with her sister to offer wedding decorations for sale as well.

Hansani entered the Singer Fashion Academy in the year 2017 in hopes of transforming her passion into a stable and successful career, pursuing basic courses in Fashion Designing, Scientific Dressmaking, Tailoring and Saree Jacket tailoring. Under the guidance of her instructor, Ruwani Nisansala, Hansani weaved her way through her courses with immense enthusiasm for the subjects she indulged in. She noted that all her lecturers were immersed in assisting their students throughout their journey to graduation. They also encouraged them in their path to entrepreneurship and offered valuable advice to help them further.

The Certificate courses in Fashion Designing, Dressmaking and Tailoring lasted for 6 months respectively and the Saree Jacket Tailoring Certificate Course was completed in 4 months. In 2019, Hansani graduated from the Singer Fashion Academy with a B grade in the area of Fashion Designing and began her new venture in Chilaw. As of now, she has stated that most of her income is generated from the rental of bridal dresses and sarees.

“My humble venture in the field of fashion designing focuses on combining creativity into the skills I learnt through the Singer Fashion Academy. I hope to expand it into a store where aspiring brides in Chilaw could realize their wedding outfit dreams. I am very grateful for the services, management and all other aspects of the Singer Fashion Academy for equipping us with the tools to develop our careers,” commented Hansani.

When asked about her plans for the future, Hansani revealed that she is to commence her diploma and degree in Fashion Designing at the Singer Fashion Academy to further her qualifications in order to expand the “Hansi Bridal Palace”. She is confident that the Fashion Academy will provide her with the necessary tools to develop her business and offer progress in her career path.

The Singer Fashion Academy offers over 20 different programs, which include 03 diploma programs, 08 certificate programs and 11 short courses. They also offer a new fashion designing program with a degree pathway at an extraordinarily affordable cost. Their branches are available across 62 strategic locations island wide and this offers a level of convenience for students from across the country to follow their course of choice. Highlight of the courses they offer is the inclusion of both academic and industry based knowledge incorporated into these courses.

The academy was also named the first and only institute in the country to receive course validation status from the Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) in the UK. The CSD validation ensures that the following courses; Certificate in Fashion Designing, Certificate in Scientific Dressmaking, Certificate in Machine Embroidery, Certificate in Saree Jacket     Tailoring, Diploma in Scientific Dressmaking and Diploma in Machine Embroidery are recognized globally. Therefore, students who follow any of these courses will automatically receive a certificate from The Chartered Society of Designers (UK) apart from the certificate they recieve from the Singer Fashion Academy. Such credentials greatly assist the students in carving a pathway into fashion sectors worldwide.