-Number of students: 1,200 fashion students
-Tuition: £9,500-12,700 ($14,900-$20,000)
-Famous Grads: Stella McCartney, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Phoebe Philo, Christopher Kane, Hussein Chalayan, Zac Posen, Hamish Bowles, Paul Smith, Giles Deacon, Luella Bartley, Jenny Packham, Jonathan Saunders, Marios Schwab, Alice Temperley, Riccardo Tisci, Matthew Williamson
-The Bottom Line: Central Saint Martins’ elite fashion design program was the clear winner here amongst our panel of experts. The school is partially government-funded, which means that talented British students from all walks of life have a chance to work their way in.What’s more, the teaching staff is legendary. Professor Louise Wilson has schooled all the greats–from McQueen to Giles Deacon–and she’s become an international fashion figure because of it. Further evidence of its importance, and influence: It’s the only fashion school that has its runway shows archived on Style.com.
2.) PARSONS, THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN* (New York, US)
-Programs: Fashion Design, Fashion Studies, Fashion Marketing
-Number of students: Undergrads: 4,100; Graduate: 500; fashion design: 1,400
-Tuition: $36,800
-Famous Grads: Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Narciso Rodriguez, Alexander Wang, Anna Sui, Jason Wu, Jenna Lyons (J.Crew), Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (Proenza Schouler), Behnaz Serafpour, Doo Ri Chung, Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock (Vena Cava), Flora Gill and Alexa Adams (Ohne Titel), Prabal Gurung, Steven Meisel, Thakoon Panichgul, Carmen Marc Valvo
-The Bottom Line: Parsons is a fashion design powerhouse, and they have turned out tons of marquee name talent, particularly in the last ten years. Many of their famous grads are now part of the faculty. Workshops and critiques by Donna Karan and the Proenza Schouler guys? Events like these are commonplace. Most of the faculty members work in the areas in which they teach. The students we spoke to raved about their instructors. What’s more, the school has partnered with many retailers and corporations (like LVMH) with the aim of getting student work seen and critiqued.
3. BUNKA FASHION COLLEGE/BUNKA WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY (Tokyo, Japan)
-Programs: Fashion Design, Fashion Creation & Technology, Marketing, Accessories & Textiles.
-Number of Students: Total in both colleges: 8,000 Design: 4,000
-Tuition: ¥1,045,000- 1,570,000 ($12,677- $19,030) depending on college and program
-Misc: You must have a good understanding of Japanese and have the financial means to live in Japan; part-time work is not allowed when you’re a student.
-Famous Grads: Kenzo Takada, Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto, Hiroko Koshino, Chisato Tsumori
-The Bottom Line: Created in 1919, it’s always been on the cutting edge of fashion. Bunka most notably came to prominence in the 1960’s when its graduates starting showing in Paris. It’s now synonymous with Japanese avant-garde design. The top-notch design is rounded out by marketing and technology programs.
4. ANTWERP ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS(Antwerp, Belgium)
-Programs: Fashion Design
-Number of Students: 140
-Tuition: €6,000 ($8,000) Tuition is highly subsidized by the government, even for foreign students)
-Misc: Required Dutch language proficiency.
-Famous Grads: Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee (The Antwerp Six), Martin Margiela, Veronique Branquinho, Haider Ackermann, Peter Pilotto, Bruno Pieters.
-The Bottom Line: The Royal Academy is an elite design school. It’s known for its serious students–many drop out because they can’t handle the work load. Since the Antwerp Six put the school on fashion’s map in the early 1980s, it’s continued to produce all-star designers. If you’re exceptionally dedicated, with an experimental, innovative, and avant garde sensibility, this may be the place for you.
5. FASHION INSTITIUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (FIT)* (New York, US)
-Programs: design, business, marketing, illustration, styling, etc.
-Number of Students: 10,000
-Tuition: $2,584/semester (NYC/NYC residents); $6,775/semester for out-of-state residents
-Misc: Very comprehensive programs. Part of the SUNY
-Famous Grads: Reem Acra, Francisco Costa, Nina Garcia, Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, Ralph Rucci
-The Bottom Line: In addition to fashion design, FIT offers fashion marketing, business, textiles, visual arts, and countless other fashion-related degrees. The lecture series and FIT museum are exceptional. Valerie Steele, as Chief Curator of the Museum of FIT, gives this school a brainy credibility.
6. ECOLE DE LA CHAMBRE SYNDICALE (Paris, France)
-Programs: Fashion Design & Technique
-Number of Students: 240 students
-Tuition: €10,450 ($13,230)
-Misc: It is the school associated with the regulating commission that determines which houses are eligible to be true couture houses.
-Famous Grads: André Courreges, Issey Miyake, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Nicole Miller
-The Bottom Line: Prestigious French school that offers world-renowned couture classes. They offer baccalaureate-level programs, but often don’t accept some students until after they finish a design course elsewhere first.
7. ISTITUTO MARANGONI (Milan, Italy–also London, Paris campuses)
-Programs: Fashion Design, Fashion Business, Fashion Buying, Brand Management and Fashion Promotion
-Number of Students: 2,000 (all 3 campuses)
-Tuition: 13,900€ ($17,670) to 19,000€ ($24,550) depending on program
-Misc: Italian, French, and English are the official languages of the school
-Famous Grads: Domenico Dolce, Franco Moschino
-The Bottom Line: An Italian design school with campuses in three major fashion capitals is a plus, and a 90% placement rate after graduation.
8. ESMOD (Paris, France plus 21 schools in 14 countries)
-Programs: Fashion Design/Fashion Business
-Number of Students: 700
-Tuition: €12,000 ($15,990)
-Misc: The mannequin and measuring tape were invented here.
-Famous Grads: Christophe Decarnin
-The Bottom Line: The world’s first and oldest French fashion design school, it has a 75%-85% placement rate post-graduation.
9. UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER (London, England)
-Programs: Fashion Design
-Number of Students: Undergrads-3,000; Fashion Students: 130
-Tuition: £10,500 ($16,538)
-Misc: You can choose a three or four-year course, and spend a year working in the fashion industry.
-Famous Grads: Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Bailey, Michael Herz (formerly of Aquascutum now Bally), Stuart Vevers (Mulberry, Loewe), Katie Hillier, Sophie Dean (fashion editor at Wallpaper)
-The Bottom Line: Don’t overlook this London university that produces creative designers. In addition to the fashion program, they have a well-known journalism program.
10. ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART (London, England)
-Programs: Fashion Design, Textiles
-Number of Students: less than 100 fashion students
-Misc: This is a post-graduate program only!
-Famous Grads: Philip Treacy, Erdem Moralioglu, Christopher Bailey, Ossie Clark, Zandra Rhodes
-The Bottom Line: A world-renowned graduate fashion design program to aspire to.
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