If you dream of working in fashion, attending a fashion school is the first thing that may come to mind. In fact, it may seem like the only way to get a job in fashion.
On one hand, attending a fashion school is a totally legitimate thing because fashion schools have trained many iconic fashion designers and professionals in other fields, and they offer high-quality education.
On the other hand, studying at a fashion school represents a big monetary investment, and the truth is – paying such a high price does not come with a guarantee of securing a job in the fashion industry.
So, is fashion school worth it? There are many pros and cons. So if you are wondering if you should attend a fashion school, and you are looking for information that will help you make a decision, let’s dive into the subject.
Is Fashion School Worth It?
If you have been reading Glam Observer for a while, you know that we always try to show you that there are many different degrees you can take that are not related to fashion if you want to work in this industry, and there are many strategies to get your foot in the door. So let’s see the reasons why attending a fashion school is not absolutely necessary, and you may want to give it a second thought if you ever felt like this is your only and direct way to break into the fashion industry.
Reasons why attending a fashion school isn’t absolutely necessary
Reason 1: Attending a fashion school is not your entry ticket to getting a job in fashion
That’s right – studying at a fashion school will not automatically get you a job in fashion. There are many factors that make a successful job application, and it’s not enough to have a prestigious fashion school on your resume to get a job easily.
It may come as a surprise if I tell you this, but those who study fashion have the same difficulty in getting a job compared to those who have not attended a fashion school. Imagine that like you, there are also all your fellow students and thousands of other young fashion enthusiasts who are attending yours and all other fashion schools in other cities as well. Therefore, you are not the only one to have access to this privilege.
Reason 2: Your experience and skills matter more than having “fashion school” on your resume
In the modern world, companies give less and less weight to education when it comes to choosing whom to hire – and this doesn’t only apply to fashion. Why? Because nowadays, going to university is not something exclusive, and almost everyone has access to education. Therefore, companies look not only at your educational background but also your work experience and skills during the application process. They are looking for that one thing or two in your application that makes you stand out from the other applicants.
Reason 3: Fashion companies hire people from all the fields
Did you know that around 90% of people who work in the fashion industry did not attend a fashion school, and hold traditional degrees like economics, marketing, or journalism? For the past 10 years, I have been working in the fashion industry, and I have interviewed many people who work there as well, and I can tell you that the majority of people working in fashion have a traditional degree. So if you are thinking about getting a job in fashion and you already are enrolled in a traditional degree such as economics, literature, communications, marketing, art history… you should not worry about the fact that fashion is not in your course curriculum because you can enter the fashion world with your current degree! In this article, I explain what to study to work in fashion.
Let me share with you my own experience with a fashion school.
I personally attended a master’s in luxury and fashion management. After my degree in management engineering, I was looking to complete my education with something related to fashion. I have to admit that I was fearing that without a fashion degree, I couldn’t get into fashion. So alongside my desire of wanting to study fashion to learn more about it, the decision was also pushed by my fear of not being enough for the industry without a fashion degree. I worked in the industry and teach fashion today and I can tell you that a fashion degree is not absolutely necessary. I think probably most people you’ll ask about their opinion regarding their fashion school, they will say there are positive and negative aspects.
The positive aspects include learning about fashion, so every subject is always related to the fashion industry specifically (marketing, business, styling, merchandising, buying). I did project works with brands such as Versace and Estee Lauder with people working there. On the opposite side, I didn’t feel support from the school during the job search process. That is a very delicate moment and I feel the school didn’t understand us and manage very well our emotions or respected our preferences when it comes to our favorite careers or companies. To get my master’s diploma, I needed to complete an internship but I can tell you that not all of us in the same class got an internship in fashion at the end of the master’s.
So, studying fashion is not a guaranteed ticket to this industry.
I got my internship in the e-commerce department at Alexander McQueen before my master ended but it wasn’t for my master’s only; l had to do a lot of work from my side to try to find the best strategies to break into this industry (I teach more inside this free masterclass). I know that when you pay thousands of dollars or euros for a fashion course, you expect that a job is guaranteed, but it’s not. You still have to roll up your sleeves and learn the correct strategies to apply and break into this industry.
Let me ask you this:
What is the reason why you would like to attend a fashion course?
There is no single answer to if a fashion school is worth it because this is a personal choice, and it depends on your career goals, and what additional value a fashion school can give you compared to a traditional degree. So when I am giving you the reasons why attending a fashion school is not a must, it is not to discourage you but to show you that a) you have other options, and b) I want you to question your motives before you make any important decision.
If you want to take a fashion diploma, you can, of course, do that, but remember that you should do it if you like the course and the lessons – not because you believe that attending a fashion school is your only chance to get a job in fashion. Or that paying for an expensive fashion master will be your entry ticket to land a job in fashion.
That being said, I do think you can learn many things at a fashion school and make the most of it, so if at this point you still feel like you would like to enroll at a fashion school, I am about to explain what you can learn there.
What Do You Learn In Fashion School
Fashion Design
Fashion design is probably the first career that comes to mind when people think about the fashion industry. And why people go to a fashion school in the first place. If design is your dream career, it is worth investing in a fashion school. Because you won’t learn anywhere else about sketching, pattern making, or garment development.
Other fashion-related degrees
Apart from design, there are many other things you can study at a fashion school: fashion buying, merchandising, journalism, marketing and so on if you want to learn these careers applied to the fashion industry.
But again, I want to point out you can be trained for these careers and others without attending a fashion school. If we take the examples of journalism and marketing, for instance, you can study them at any university, so you don’t have to attend a fashion school for this. What’s more – you don’t necessarily have to study the exact same thing as the role you are pursuing. You don’t have to study buying, let’s say, in order to get a job as a buyer; you can take a degree in economics or business. And you don’t need to study journalism to become a writer; you can study a language, art, or history. The message I have here for you is: think outside the box. There is no single degree that will land your desired job in fashion.
How to make the most of your fashion school
If you decide to attend a fashion school, you should know that besides learning a career, you are presented with other opportunities you should take advantage of that will help you build your career in fashion after you graduate.
Networking
Connections are important in the fashion industry, and if you do decide to attend a fashion school, you should use this as a chance to build connections – perhaps even your first connections – in the fashion industry. Talk to as many people as you can. Connect with your professors, guest lecturers, and your classmates on LinkedIn whenever you can – after a lesson, an event, a school project… Even if at that moment you think that that person won’t be useful for your career, I can assure you that the more connections you make, the better. And then you never know who that person might know or if in six months that contact you thought you didn’t need, actually brought you a great opportunity.
Attend events and conferences
Fashion schools often organize meetings with industry professionals, panels, and conferences. Attend all the events and talk to the speakers. Ask them for business cards and add them on LinkedIn. If you know that there will be a meeting with a person who works in the company you would like to work for, do not be afraid to bring your CV and portfolio or ask for the contact of the person to whom you wish to send the application.
Take part in as many projects as possible and build your portfolio
Fashion schools often organize group projects and assign various tasks, projects, and contests also in collaboration with fashion companies. Try to participate in as many initiatives as possible. Not only this will be advantageous in terms of learning and building relationships, but it will also enrich your CV, plus you will be able to create your portfolio. For example, during my master’s degree in luxury and fashion management, I took part in 3 projects, one with Versace and another with Estee Lauder, and not only I met with people from the company who came to present the project and attend the final presentation, but I have been able to enrich my CV with these projects.
So yeah, even if it’s not a necessity, attending a fashion school offers multiple opportunities. And now you may be wondering: which fashion school should I attend?
Best Fashion Schools
With so many different schools of fashion all over the world, it’s very difficult to find the right fit for you. All schools offer different programs with majors in fashion design or fashion business, and the courses taught differ from school to school. Each of the establishments has different advantages: some are specialized in a given field, others are reputed for providing strong career guidance and internship opportunities…they all have an extra something that could influence your choice between one school or the other.
To help you with your choice of fashion school, we prepared a list of the 10 best fashion schools around the world. But remember that this is general information, so we invite you to study each fashion school in detail by checking their website, so you can learn everything about the different academic programs offered, the enrollment process, the cost, etc.
Fashion Institute of Technology
Let’s start with New York – the first fashion capital where many of us dream to pursue a career in fashion. The Fashion Institute of Technology is ranked the #1 fashion school in the world. It has 5 schools with 37 majors as well as 12 certificate courses. Programs offered include Accessories Design, Fabric Styling, Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising Management, Illustration, International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries, Jewelry Design, Menswear, Production Management, Technical Design, Textile Development, and Marketing, Textile/Surface Design. Some of the famous alumni of the institution include Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, and Nanette Lepore.
Parsons, The New School for Design
Another famous fashion school in New York is The Parsons School of Design. It offers programs across a range of disciplines that include art and design, from fashion and technology to urban design, fine art, and management. It has 5 schools, 37 programs offered in New York City and Paris, and several summer courses. Tom Ford, Donna Karan, and Alexander Wang are some of the well-known designers who studied at Parsons.
London College of Fashion
Moving to the U.K., London has also earned a reputation as one of the most fashionable cities in the world. The London College of Fashion offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate programs in fashion teaching both the creative and the business side of the industry, so whether you want to pursue photography, styling, buying, public relations, or other career, you may find what you are looking for at this school. Some of the famous alumni include Jimmy Choo, Sarah Harris, and Jonathan Anderson.
Central Saint Martins
This is another fashion school with a great reputation where iconic British fashion designers like Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane graduated from. Central Saint Martins offers programs in fashion, textile and jewelry design. One of the good things about this school is that it is partially government-funded, and is accessible to talented students from all social spheres and backgrounds.
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art in London is a public university and one of the world’s most influential postgraduate institutions of art, design, photography architecture, communication, and other disciplines.
Istituto Marangoni
Istituto Marangoni is one of the top-ranking international fashion schools. It has several locations – Milan, Paris, London, Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzen, and Miami, so you have options if you are interested in studying at this institution. It offers programs in Fashion Design, Fashion Business, Fashion Styling, Fashion Buying, Brand Management and Fashion Promotion. Some notable fashion professionals who studied there are Franco Moschino, Francesco Russo and Domenico Dolce.
Polimoda
Another top fashion school in Italy is Polimoda, which offers undergraduate programs in disciplines such as Fashion Design, Footwear and Accessories Design, Fashion Technology, Business of Fashion Fashion, Product Management, and Fashion Communication, as well as graduate programs in Fashion Brand Management, Fashion Merchandising and Buying, International Fashion Business, Luxury Business Luxury & Lifestyle Management, Fashion Communication, Fashion Styling, Fashion Trend Forecasting, Fashion Writing, and others.
Institut français de la Mode
Let’s move to the French capital of fashion – Paris. Formerly known as l’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, the Institut Français de la Mode trains the world’s talents in the fields of design, management and craftsmanship, and is associated with the commissioning body in charge of determining what can be categorized as couture. Among the school’s alumni are iconic designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and AndrĂ© Courrèges.
ESMOD (L’École supĂ©rieure des arts et techniques de la mode)
ESMOD is an international fashion design and business school based in Paris, and it has additional campuses in 4 other French cities and 21 schools in total worldwide. So this may be a good option if you are not considering moving to Paris to study fashion. Famous alumni like Olivier Rousteing, Suzy Menkes and Thierry Mugler attended this school.
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
Although it is not located in the fashion capital, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium is among the best design schools in the world, offering fashion courses to just over 100 students each year in photography, costume design, fashion, and other fields.
Besides these great fashion schools and many others out there, another great way to learn about the fashion industry and elevate your fashion job search is by taking complementary courses outside your formal education. The Glam Observer Academy offers courses: Break into the Fashion Industry, Excel for Fashion, The Fashion Writer Accelerator, and Inside the fashion industry.
I hope this article allowed you to understand better whether attending a fashion school is worth personally to you or not. Whatever decision you make, you’ll need to prepare a strong application when you apply for a fashion job or internship. In this free masterclass I’m sharing 5 unconventional application strategies that will make you stand out from the other applicants.
