Top Fashion Schools Breed Runway Success
The world's top fashion designers hail from all over the globe, with endlessly varied backgrounds and training, some who apprenticed with the best in the industry, and others who were self-taught. Talent can spring from anywhere, but as any successful designer will tell you, success is often just as much about your level of exposure and industry contacts as your portfolio. The U.S. is home to several fashion schools known for breeding excellence through training, as well as fostering a strong alumni network to facilitate their graduates' success on the runway.
Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School has been providing an unparalleled design education since 1896, when it was known as the Chase School. While the Greenwich Village institution has gained popularity in recent years as a home base for the show "Project Runway" and for its former chair of fashion design, Tim Gunn, Parsons has been turning out industry revolutionaries for years. Isaac Mizrahi, Anna Sui, Joel Schumacher and Marc Jacobs are among the distinguished alumni.
The David M. Schwartz Fashion Education Center, equipped with top of the line technology suites, is purposefully located right in New York City's garment district. Students are not only afforded the opportunity to work with the best tenured and adjunct fashion professors in the country, but well-known professional designers are brought in as guest lecturers and judges for the school's famous Fusion Fashion Show.
Parsons The New School for Design
66 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
(212) 229-8900
parsons.edu
Fashion Institute of Techology (FIT)
Also located in New York City is the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a state-run school that offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. Though the tuition is commensurate with that of other state schools, FIT has a rigorous applicant screening process and there is heavy competition for entrance into one of the 17 degree programs.
FIT prides itself on top-notch career services, providing graduates and upcoming graduates with industry internships and job placement. A highly attended fashion show is held each spring for those about to receive degrees, leading to many paid positions post-graduation. Alumni include Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Carolina Herrera, as well as a number of "Project Runway" contestants like Chloe Dahl and Daniel Vosovic.
Fashion Institute of Technology
227 W. 27th St.
New York, NY 10001-5992
(212) 217-7999
fitnyc.edu
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM)
FIDM is a West Coast addition to the list, with campuses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Orange County. The curriculum is based on keeping up with the ever-changing trends of the fashion industry, as well as giving students a foundation in the history of the craft. FIDM provides students with access to the most current technology and professors with real-world fashion experience, as well as post-graduate connections in the professional world.
Also home to the Los Angeles season of "Project Runway," alumni include Pamela Skaist-Levy (co-founder of Juicy Couture), Nick Verreos and Leanne Marshall. Though founded in 1969, FIDM has recently come into the spotlight as a number of graduates have gained prominence on the runway.
Los Angeles Campus
919 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90015-1421
(800) 624-1200
Orange County Campus
17590 Gillette Ave.
Irvine, CA 92614-5610
(949) 851-6200
San Francisco Campus
55 Stockton St.
San Francisco, CA 94108-5829
(415) 675-5200
San Diego Campus
350 10th Ave., 3rd Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 235-2049
fidm.edu
Tags: Fashion Institute, Parsons School, Project Runway, Fashion Institute Technology, Institute Technology, Orange County, Parsons School Design