By Calynn M. Lawrence
@fairytalefacesbycalynn
Are you considering going to school for fashion design? Well, if you are it is a sure thing that you probably have seen the many schools that offer that major! This article is going to help you see some of the best schools to go to for fashion design and to compare them when making your final decision!
FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, FIDM, takes pride in focusing their curriculum on preparing students with a real world experience of working in the fashion design industry. They claim to use state of the arts technology software and to instill both theoretical and practical principles within their students! They graduate having created an entire collection from scratch with their unique visions as the basis! Their program is structured to challenge students so that they can build up both character and talent so as to be fully ready for their career. Some of their recent partners include Disney, GUESS? Inc, Pamela Skaist Levy (from Juicy Couture), Just Fab, Cotton Inc. , Beta Brand, Project Runway Junior, Mattel and countless others! The cost for the entire program is approximately $70,000 but they do offer a wide range of scholarships.
FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
The Fashion Institute of Technology is the self proclaimed leader in world wide fashion education. Their program is also well acclaimed by outsiders for their amazing school! They harp on the fact that they teach students with a diversified curriculum that gives them experience in a little bit of everything from haute cotoure to casual wear, and has been doing so for over 65 years. Also, their program is known to be ever changing and evolving along with the fashion industry itself. However, they keep their core concepts the same. They will never move away from the technical and practical elements of their program that includes a rigorous study of the construction of all fashion genres. Things such as professional draping, pattern making, sewing techniques and computer aided design will all become second nature to you as these are fundamentals in any realm of fashion design. A couple of main highlights of their program include that they are partnered with top designers as their critics such as Carolina Herrera, Norma Kamali, Gemma Kahng, Calvin Klein and Bob Mackie. Also, they offer top tier fashion internships at places like Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.
Tuition rates vary depending on location and enrolment status but rates may range anywhere from $2000 per semester to $11,000 per semester!
PARSON’S SCHOOL OF DESIGN
Parson’s School of Design is a heralded household name for fashion design as they have more than made a presence in the industry! They focus on providing a unique community for students that helps develop critical thinking skills and applies them to challenges ranging from environmental degradation to physical accessibility and humanitarian crises. They want their students to gain a sense of consciousness and collaboration. Through their multi site system, students gain real world experience and diversified learning opportunities. Also, the students can gain benefits from both teacher instruction and mentorship by some of the world’s most accomplished artists, designers, architects photographers, illustrators, scholars and critics. Under such guidance, they can be have such motivation to change the design industry for the better! For such an astounding school, it is reasonable to expect to pay a hefty price. Full time students can expect to pay about $20,000 a term.
As you can see from these three top design schools, there are certainly pros and cons to each one. Some may offer a more appealing program but they also offer more debt or vice versa! When choosing a school, it is best to make sure that you weigh these characteristics carefully so that you can make the best decision for you.
