If you are interested in working in the fashion field, you may want to do your homework and figure out which school is best for you. Apparel Search presents a brief description of the top fashion schools in the country. Visit their websites for more information about programs and degrees.

Academy of Art University, 79 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 Academy of Art University is among the top fashion schools in the nation. Study fashion design or merchandising and build your career with houses like Versace, Calvin Klein, Givenchy and Alexander McQueen. Academy of Art offers classes in: Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Marketing Merchandising, Fashion Journalism, Menswear Design, Knitwear Design, Textile Design, Active Sportswear Design, Visual Merchandising, Store Design, Business of Beauty (Beauty Industry Retail and Product Development), History of Fashion, History of Beauty Industry, Cosmetics and Fragrance Industry, Sustainable Design, Green Design, and beyond. For more information, visit www.academyart.edu/degrees/course_catalog.jsp. 

The Art Institutes (the school has more than 40 locations across North America) Students in the Fashion Design programs at The Art Institutes system of schools are able to combine their creative talents and stylish natures to work in their fashion education. The design programs are for individuals with a unique sense of style who want to further develop their fashion talent with courses like patternmaking, fashion buying for design, fashion illustration, and fashion trends. Graduates of the Fashion Design programs are prepared to pursue entry-level employment as costume designers, assistant fashion buyers, and accessory designers. For more information, visit www.artinstitutes.edu. 

Fashion Institute of Technology, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street, New York, NY 10001

FIT's focus on fashion since the college's founding in 1944 has distinguished it among professional design institutions. But fashion has changed since 1944 and so has FIT. The variety of course offerings, unique areas of specialization, and state-of-the-art facilities that today's Fashion Design majors find here reflect the sophistication and diversity of the industry. In addition to fashion design, FIT offers menswear and accessories design. Visit www.fitnyc.edu  for more information.

International Academy of Design & Technology (the school has several campuses throughout the U.S.) The Academy's degree programs in Fashion Design and Marketing are designed to help students button up their credentials for an exciting future in the world of fashion. The Associate of Science degree program in Fashion Design and Marketing helps prepare students for careers in the fashion industry by providing a solid foundation of knowledge in fashion illustration, pattern drafting, design, draping, clothing construction, textiles, fashion history, fashion marketing, and production techniques. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Fashion Design and Marketing challenges students to develop a sense of uniqueness and creative individual thinking based on reasoning.. Students are encouraged to realize their potential with inspiration provided by visiting designers, retailers and artisans with local and/or international reputations who conduct special lectures and workshops. For more information, visit www.academy.edu.

Parsons, 88 5th Avenue, NY, NY 10011 Since its launch in 1906, Parsons' Department of Fashion Design has been on the leading edge of American fashion. From Claire McCardell to Donna Karan, Tom Ford, and Narciso Rodriguez, its alumni have contributed to the highest level of clothing design in the last century. Along the way, they've revolutionized societal traditions and the industry itself. Today its graduates are joining the ranks of 21st-century fashion leaders. At Parsons, students confront the challenges of the real world of the fashion industry while cultivating their own personal vision. Through courses in concept development, studio methods, fashion drawing, and fashion digital studio, students take part in each stage of the design process. They learn to solve problems for a range of markets. And through the Designer Critic Program and the annual Fashion Show, they interact with a diverse cross-section of industry professionals.

Explore the relationships between design, merchandising, and marketing. Students learn the development, promotion, advertising, and retailing skills needed to enter the marketplace and succeed. Whether they follow the two-year plan or a more accelerated schedule, students are immersed in an intense course of study. The curriculum provides a foundation in marketing, merchandising, and retailing. Courses like Digital Fashion and professional internships ensure that AAS students receive the same opportunities as its Bachelor's candidates. With an understanding of traditional marketing and new technologies, its graduates make their mark as innovative design entrepreneurs.

Students in the AAS Fashion Studies program are the next generation of fashion talent. From concept to production to market introduction, they learn the process, skills, and language of fashion design. With a general college education and strong work experience already behind them, AAS students are ready to focus on design. Their visions are unique, springing from influences as far as Tibet and as near as Times Square. Courses in fashion drawing and construction design teach students to make their dreams come to life. Courses in the fashion industry, history, and portfolio round out the curriculum and position students to get a jump on the marketplace. Visit www.parsons.newschool.edu for more information.

Pratt Institute, 144 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011

Traditionally an innovator in education, the Fashion Design Department is part of Pratt’s School of Art and Design, enabling the department to offer interdisciplinary studies with other creative design areas. At Pratt Institute students can combine their studies in the fashion field with courses such as jewelry design, printmaking, and photography, utilizing all areas of the School of Art and Design to explore its full range of creative interests. The Fashion Design major prepares students to design apparel for various markets by emphasizing both the technical and creative aspects of the industry. Professional viewpoints are fostered through field trips, museum study, and consultations with designers who serve as critics. The department’s faculty members, all active in the fashion field, encourage professionalism. Students receive a sound background in pattern drafting, draping, construction, and sketching. Techniques in sportswear, eveningwear, and lingerie are emphasized. Notably, students are required to take a computer-aided fashion sketching class, where they learn the latest technology used in the fashion industry. Electives in special fields of design, such as children’s wear, menswear, knitwear, wearable art, accessories, millinery, theatrical costume design, fashion editorial/magazine publishing, and advanced pattern making and draping are also offered. For more information, visit www.pratt.edu.

Rhode Island School of Design, Two College Street, Providence, RI 02903

Placing high value on the importance of individuality in creative endeavors, apparel professors assign a broad range of studio projects aimed at helping to develop your distinctive abilities as a designer. You will also visit New York’s fashion district and, as a senior, will be given the opportunity to intern for six weeks at a major fashion house. Each spring in Apparel Design, the best work created during the year is presented to the public in a professional runway show held at a large concert hall in Providence. “The rigorous selection process for the show helps prepare students to enter the highly competitive fashion industry,” notes Department Head Donna Gustavsen. For students, months of conceptual development, experimentation, meticulous assembly, and precise fittings culminate in a series of critiques led by a panel of visiting professionals. After making final refinements to their work, apparel majors then vie for a shot at the runway as the jury selects the final pieces to be modeled in the show. For more information, visit www.risd.edu.

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