where can i go to school to be a fashion designer

Hi Kylie,

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 your preference.

Some students begin by designing clothes, either by artistry or by sewing. This allows you to put your 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 you market your product.

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

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

Sure, you 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

Fashion Merchandising:
Baylor U (TX)
Bowling Green U (OH)
Bradley U (IL)
Colorado State U at Ft. Collins
U of Georgia

Hope this helps and good luck in your research!

Hi Kylie,

NY is the place to be! hahaha no seriously the garment district and just the many opportunities centralized in one great big city. Look into working in the fashion industry wether it be through an internship or summer volunteer project that way you get "in" and see if this is really the path you want to take as well as obtain a mentor.

Best of luck to you!
Mio