Fashion education: what program, which school, and how much?
I hold two degrees that have "fashion" in the title. When I was earning them, I learned so much about education in the United States. I studied on quarter and semester systems; took online, on-campus, hybrid courses; and a variety of classes: design, business, art, general education, and languages. If I could do it all over again, this is what I would have done. Here are my pieces of advice to anyone interested in getting formal education in fashion in the US.
Do I really need a degree to work in the fashion industry?
The answer is yes. For many jobs like styling, there is no formal training. However, if you look at any entry-level position on LinkedIn or Business of Fashion, 90% of them require a Bachelor's degree. An undergrad degree is like an entry ticket to the job market. Secondly, like any other industry, I think it is important to respect the skill and learn from the experts. There are many self-proclaimed designers now. I don't see anything wrong with being self-taught. But many of these designers do not have foundation skills and employ teams of professionals that do the work for them. In addition, in college, the information is condensed and updated to reflect the industry on a regular basis. For example, in my undergrad degree, sustainability and social media marketing were not taught. During my master's degree studies, every project had to include both topics.
NB: If you do not hold a degree, do not despair, I am a stronger believer in if there is a will, there is a way. Read this article “Is Fashion School Still Worth the Money?” on BoF to help you navigate.
Do I have to have a degree in fashion to get a foot in the door?
No, you don't. There are many people who specialize in finance, marketing, logistics who work in fashion. The industry employs 3.4 billion people from garment workers to store associates.
How do I get started?
I would start by defining your ultimate goal or a North Star first. If you are not familiar with the concept, I highly recommend the “Build Your Dream Career” course on BoF to anyone looking for a job or who is just starting out. The great thing about it is that it applies to any industry. You can also read this book called Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck. I always knew what I wanted to do in life. If you are not sure, it is absolutely fine. The idea of North Star is to start the other way around, imagine your dream lifestyle, income level, where you would like to live, and what to do. It helps create a vision and a path. It is not just about a career, but also what makes you a well-rounded person or the best version of yourself.
Next, identify your strengths. When I was studying in middle and high school, I was great at English (my third language) and math. I wanted to be a designer, but all programs back home required formal training in fine arts, which I did not have. When I went to the art school, they told me they did not train teenagers, only kids. So I was out of luck. I decided to study linguistics and ended up doing fashion later in my life. If one does not work, try your other interest. If you are great at math, you may consider doing accounting or merchandising. If you would like to work on the creative side, you can be a creative director, web developer, video producer.
How do I get ready?
Now when you know or kind of know who you want to be, start your preparation as early as possible, especially for creative fields. Build a portfolio, learn how to sew, take summer classes, work in retail, learn Adobe programs and Excel, brush up on math. And very importantly, increase your GPA, get high scores in SAT/ACT, GRE/GMAT for grad school, participate in competitions. It will help you get scholarships, financial aid, win grants, and find the dream job in a long run. Any extracurricular activities are beneficial as well whether they are related to the field or not. Save every single piece of paper that mentions what you have achieved.
Choose the program. Before you look into schools and tuition fees, I recommend choosing the right major for you. The main two that are offered across the US are fashion design and fashion marketing/merchandising. There are many others in textile design, supply chain, costume production. I suggest looking beyond the title, checking the curriculum and course descriptions. If you are not sure, check the job descriptions, what skills are required for them, and match them with the courses. I would also talk to professors and alumni to identify if this program will help you reach your goals. Like with any other degree, the first two years will have the core introductory classes such as trend forecasting, introduction to fashion, the business of fashion, and specialized courses in junior and senior years.
Select a school. Create a spreadsheet of 2-5 that you would like to study at. The first thing to do is to check accreditation, the college should be regionally accredited (state schools and some private). Be careful with nationally accredited colleges, the classes may not transfer to regionally accredited or you may not be able to get into a grad school. Secondly, check the academic calendar, if it is a quarter system or semester. Many creative and private schools are on a quarter system, more on this later. If you would like to do marketing, textiles, and other non-fashion design specialties, I recommend looking into traditional universities with their programs. For example, UNC has one of the best textiles programs. If you are a creative, private colleges offer a lot in terms of state-of-the-art technology, more flexibility, and freedom of expression.
Tuition. I suggest planning your path early to avoid high fees and debt. Higher education is very expensive in the US, and the cost of art and design schools is comparable to law and medical colleges. For example, a Bachelor's degree from Parsons will leave you short of $200,000 with no room and board fees included. Unfortunately, the apparel industry does not pay that high, which means you will not see ROI very soon. One thing to do is to check the salary for the job you would apply for after graduation. For many Americans, it takes years and sometimes decades to pay off student loans. Don't rely on the government and loan forgiveness. There are many grants, competitions for students from underrepresented communities available that are awarded for academic excellence.
Other fees. On top of tuition, while attending a fashion school, the students need to account for textbooks, art supplies, tools, and fabric. When I first moved to the US, I was in shock with how much it all cost compared to my home country. I sold and donated most of my art supplies, but I still have my sewing and pattern-making kits.
Online vs on campus. The pandemic forced the fashion industry to be digital. It works better for some courses than the others. I enjoyed taking online classes for gen eds and some business classes. I felt like I was wasting my time sitting and listening to the lecture. For hands-on classes like draping and pattern making, I think they must be on campus.
Quarter vs semester system. Both have pros and cons. Quarters are condensed. There is a lot of information that needs to be processed quickly. If you taking 3-4 classes at a time, then it is a lot of pressure. It reflects the fashion industry more with its seasonal nature. Semesters are longer. I felt like I had more time for my projects, but then it is difficult to maintain the same high spirit towards the end of the semester.
Prestigious school vs not. There are not many colleges in the US that are considered prestigious like Central St. Martins in the UK. The only Ivy League school that has a fashion program is Cornell. Ultimately, it is a personal choice. If it offers better employment opportunities after graduation then it may be the right choice.
School rankings. I have seen many of them when I was researching. I would not trust them, because the colleges pay to get ranked higher. Some great schools do not even participate and share information like graduation, employment rates, etc.
Other things to consider: faculty, how many of them worked in the industry; new technology (3D printers, plotters, PLM, pattern making software), student access to it; study abroad, whether it has a campus in another country or a contract with another college to exchange students; career fairs, connections with well-known companies; museums, library, an opportunity to do research.
How to save on tuition and extra fees:
Complete classes in one take. There are many reasons why you may withdraw from a class, too difficult, not what you expected, learning disability, emergency, miscommunication with the professor, group project where you depend on others. In most cases, professors are willing to work with you. It is all part of the learning process, do not withdraw if you pass the drop-in period.
Choose an in-state college. There are many benefits to studying in your own state, to name a few are being close to family and friends and lower tuition.
2+2 or 2+3, which means an Associate degree from a community college and then a Bachelor's degree from state/private university or plus one year in a master's degree. I attended a community college and let me tell you it was the best investment. The class size was small, the quality of education was superb, there were no hidden fees, lots of free perks like parking, printed planner, commencement regalia, many free events. If you plan to go this route, make sure that the credits are transferable.
What to expect when you start studying?
I highly recommend studying hard and having fun at the moment by getting involved in clubs and events. This way you will network with classmates and know what is going on. If you take the BoF course that I shared above, they recommend networking across. You will be building your support group during these important years. I still remember when I washed cars as part of a fundraiser to go on a field trip to New York.
In order to gain fashion industry-specific experience, it is important to intern every summer. Most companies accept junior and senior students only, however, there are many other opportunities. Be prepared to do mundane tasks and not being paid at all. Almost every single person that I met in the industry said they started by bringing coffee and lifting pins from the floor. I don't approve of this type of treatment, but this is the reality of the industry. There is an oversupply of skilled workers. For many people, retail is also a great way of entering the industry, because you would be interacting with the customer first hand. It is a highly valuable experience if you are planning to work in a corporate office one day.
Next, I recommend finding a mentor. There are many professionals that would be happy to share their wisdom with you. I am one of them. You can find them on LinkedIn by writing a simple message or an email. Learning how to network up will help you acquire soft skills.
If you can afford it, get a minor degree as well. I see many jobs that ask for extra skills. For fashion designers, it is beneficial to know the business side. I would also take graphic design classes if you would like to do technical design. I found that 2-3 computer classes were not enough to build the tech skills. I would also learn how to use social media for marketing, create calendars and plan content, do basic analytics, thankfully it comes easy to younger generations.
As you can tell, I have a lot to share when it comes to education. If you would like for me to expand on the topic, I would be more than happy to do so.