What colleges have good Fashion Design programs

Hi Darla,

This was a frequent question from several of my students when I was a school counselor. There are several options; some pricey and some more reasonable, depending on preference.

Some students begin by designing clothes, either by artistry or by sewing. This allows them to put their product "on the street." I had students first design t-shirts or simple clothing and later transition to more elaborate styles. It helps to be assertive and develop networking skills because that's how they market their product.

Since your daughter is in HS, she might consider doing an internship at a fashion boutique. Usually, the owners can give guidance on a career path regarding fashion design education, pros/cons of the career, and an introduction to the business aspect of fashion design. If she has designs to show, get their advice. They might even suggest showing her designs in a local fashion show.

Many colleges require a portfolio of the student's work as a part of the application process, so if she hasn't started, she should begin to create designs and use them for this purpose. If she's a talented artist, that will be a great asset for creating designs. She can display both a visual and completed product. The skill of drawing her fashion AND actually sewing/developing it is enormous as a showcase of her talent!

You both may be exposed to all the talk of excellent fashion colleges only in Paris; however, there are excellent options in the U.S. also. The U.S. schools typically offer internships and/or study abroad fashion programs in Europe. U.S. colleges have programs in fashion design and/or fashion merchandising, so do your research. Many colleges offer or require "co-ops" which can be helpful for obtaining a job after graduation.

Google the website of the colleges below; I've toured many of them and discovered their uniqueness.

Fashion Design:
Albright C (PA)
Art Institute of Chicago (IL)
U of Cincinnati (OH)
Cornell U (NY)
U of Delaware
Drexel U (PA)
East Carolina U (NC)
Fashion Institute of Technology (NY)
Florida State U
Indiana U at Bloomington
Kent State U (OH)
Marist C (NY)
Parsons School of Design (NY)
Philadelphia U (PA)
Pratt Institute (NY)
Purdue U (IN)
Rhode Island School of Design
Savannah College of Art & Design (GA)
Syracuse U (NY)
Virginia Commonwealth U
Virginia Tech U
U of Wisconsin at Madison

Hope this helps!!

Hi. I would like to recommend the Univ of Cincinnati, DAAP. My son is in his 5th and final year in Industrial Design. I also hosted a graduate from the fashion program as she was moving into her NYC apartment for her new job. It is a 5 year co-op program with co-op counselors that assist with getting portfolios out to employers all over the US. DAAP has programs in Fashion, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Communications & Architecture. Must have strong GPA and SAT scores to be accepted to DAAP.

Also, FIT in NYC. Very well known across the country.
Good luck!

Hi,

If your daughter is interested in becoming a fashion designer, I am sure she must be very creative minded.

PFB a few colleges in LA that are specialised in fashion designing courses -

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
919 S Grand Ave · +1 800-624-1200

PRISMA Fashion Design School
3470 Wilshire Blvd 500 · +1 213-559-7835

Academy of Couture Art
8484 Wilshire Blvd 730 · +1 310-360-8888

These colleges are amongst top few.

Wish you the best.

Regards,
Archana Jain