Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design

Blending creative experimentation and technical innovation, craftsmanship and industrial tools, the Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design is offered in either French or English. You will learn to use both cutting-edge techniques and artisanal craftsmanship in order to transform your ideas into 3D garments and accessories as you develop your signature style.

This three-year program will prepare you to "hit the ground running" when you graduate, whether your ambition is to work for a major luxury brand, start your own business or work as an independent designer.

Culture

Paris is a city of culture and the fashion capital of the world. We believe that fashion and culture are inextricably linked. Through our new program, you will have extensive access to contemporary art, dance, music and performance within the framework of privileged partnerships with major cultural institutions such as the Cinémathèque Française and numerous Parisian museums.

Diversity

The BA in Fashion Design welcomes students from all over the world. You may choose to follow the course either in French or in English.

Campus

Our Austerlitz campus is located at Les Docks - Cité de la Mode et du Design on the bank of the famous Seine river. By Autumn 2020 students will have access to state-of-the-art workshops, a fully equipped Fab Lab, a knit workshop, a leather workshop, a photographic studio and a C.A.D laboratory.

Entirely dedicated to the fashion, design and creation sectors, our analog and digital Library has one of the most unique collections in Europe.

Accreditation

The BA in Fashion Design leads to a diploma "designer concepteur de mode" conferring the "grade de licence" (Bachelor's level) by the Ministry of Higher Education: Official Bulletin (BOESRI) n°10 of March 10, 2022, by order of February 14, 2022.

It is also registered at level 6 “Bachelor level” with the Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP 36780). This entitles the non-EU students who have graduated from the program to obtain the Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour (Temporary Stay Authorization) allowing them to work in France for a year and in some cases longer.

Curriculum

Year 1/ Exploring creativity and learning the fundamentals

Intended as a creative incubator, this year will allow you to lay the foundations of your creative signature, combining know-how and experimentation.

Main objectives:

• Approach different bodies: human body - garment body - textile body
• Master the material (understanding, managing and interpreting)
• Learn the fundamentals of patternmaking and assembly techniques while approaching the concepts of volume and proportions differently
• Practice drawing in all its forms and experiment with a wide variety of techniques

The first year ends with a week of discovery at the end of which you will choose one option for Year 2 (knitwear, image, creative pattern making, footwear or bags)

Year 2 / Consolidating & Developing

This second year builds on the fundamental skills acquired in year 1 by allowing you to develop a more personal writing style and language.

Main objectives:

• Think in terms of silhouette and begin crafting a wardrobe
• Consolidate your technical skills (pattern making and assembly techniques)
• Develop your creative signature (research, culture, societal questions)
• Enhance your personal expression (fashion, arts, music, current events...)
• Address the concept of zero waste during an intensive workshop
• Learn to establish connections between various skills acquired
• Create images and stage your garments

During this year you will start a specialisation in knitwear, image, pattern making, footwear or bags. A 2-month internship is compulsory in the second semester (between April and September).

Year 3 / Conceptualization and realization

In the third year, you will defend your creative signature through your know-how, stylistic choices, casting, a place and an "audience". Sustainability, innovation and identity will be at the centre of the creative process of your final project.

Main objectives:

• Develop the notion of silhouette through the collection project
  
• Translate and hone your technical skills for creative purposes
  
• Assert your creative signature
  
• Propose a discourse (visual and verbal) that links concept and collection (coherence between content and form)
• Understand fashion in its industrial and economic reality through industry-led projects
• Strengthen your area of specialization
• Integrate sustainable development notions into your creative process

This final graduation project (which takes the form of 6/8 fully accessorized silhouettes) must include either a sustainability, technological or ethical dimension. It will be presented to a professional jury and to the public.

The BA in Fashion Design typically leads to careers in:

• Menswear / Womenswear Design: Designer, Design director, Creative director, Artistic director
• Accessory Design: Leather goods Designer, Footwear Designer, Accessories Designer
• Creative Pattern Making: Creative Pattern Maker, Modelist/Pattern Maker
• Knitwear Design: Fashion Knitwear Designer, Knitwear Programmer, Knitwear Developer
• Image and PR careers

Career advice and coaching

The Career Services Department is here to support you in order to shape your personal career path, find internship and job opportunities and develop your network, during your studies at Institut Français de la Mode and after you leave school. As students, the Careers team acts as a bridge between students, alumni and companies, and offers you many events and individual support throughout the year:

• Company presentations
• Career presentations by Human Resources professionals, operational staff and alumni
• Intensive individual coaching (definition of your creative identity, assistance in CV writing and portfolio preparation, interview coaching, individual follow-ups)
• Active support in the search for internships
• Speed-recruitment sessions and personal interviews with specialized recruiters (Career Fairs, portfolio presentations…)
• Access to an extensive database of job and internship offers

Internships

Between Year 2 and Year 3 of the program, you will complete a 2- to 4-month internship. For those of you who do not wish to pursue their studies, you will also be given the opportunity to complete an optional 6-month internship at the end of the course. Examples of companies that offer internships: Acne Studios, Balenciaga, Burk Akyol, Chanel, Celine, Chloé, Christian Dior, Coperni, Hermès, Jacquemus, Kenzo, Lanvin, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, Pierre Hardy, Simone Rocha, Valentino, Vetements...

As alumni, you will benefit from the strength of our network of companies and alumni, both in France and abroad. A personalized career follow-up is offered to you at all times during your professional career, and regular events are organized by our Alumni Association.

Tuition fees for academic year 2024/2025*:

EU students

1^st year: €14,500

Non-EU students

1^st year: €22,200

Lifetime contribution to the IFM Alumni Association: €470.

Thanks to the generosity of the IFM Foundation, need-based scholarships are available for EU students under 29 years of age on September 1 of the academic year.

* Due to the economic context, the tuition fees are likely to evolve within the limit of an annual increase which cannot exceed the inflation rate in France.

Scholarships

Thanks to the sponsorship of company members of Institut Français de la Mode's Foundation, need-based scholarships are available for EU citizens under 29 years of age on September 1 of the academic year and who do not benefit from an individual training leave.

To apply for a scholarship, please complete the scholarship application form downloadable from the application website and submit it with your application form.

We also recommend that you consult the Campus France website to learn of other potential scholarship opportunities.

Admissions requirements

The course is open to students who have graduated from high school (Baccalaureate or equivalent) and are passionate about fashion and design. A preparation in art, design or fashion or a Foundation course is a plus but is not mandatory.
Exceptions are possible for candidates who do not hold a high school diploma. A few places are open for students wishing to apply directly for year 2 or 3.

The program is offered either in French or in English.

For the French track, students who are not native French speakers or who have not studied at least one year on a French language programme in a French-speaking country must present a certificate of success in a language proficiency test at level B2 (delf).

For the English track, students who are not native English speakers or who have not studied at least one year in an English-speaking country must present a certificate of success in a language proficiency test (CEFR level B2, IELTS 6, or Cambridge FCE).

Admissions process

The admissions process consists of two steps, firstly the submission of a detailed online application file and a digital portfolio (on Parcoursup or the IFM website depending on your profile) and secondly, for selected candidates, a day of tests and an interview, on campus or online.

There is a non-refundable €50 application fee.

To apply for a scholarship, please complete the scholarship application form downloadable from the application website and submit it with the application form.

Applications via Parcoursup

If you are preparing for or hold a French degree and wish to apply for the first year of the BA in Fashion Design, you must apply through the Parcoursup platform and not directly on our website. To find out whether you should apply on the Parcoursup or not, please refer to this guidance chart.

On Parcoursup you will be asked to attach a portfolio of personal artwork and an "imaginary museum". Click here for more information on what is expected in terms of content and tips for compressing your files.

If your application is selected in Parcoursup, you will be invited to a day of tests and interviews on the IFM campus on 3 or 4 May 2024. Exemptions will be granted to students living abroad or unable to travel. Pre-selected candidates should contact the admissions department to find out about the details of these online tests.

If you wish to apply for a scholarship, you will find the download link on the Parcoursup platform, "Fiche formation", section "dispositif pour réussir" (under "description concours". The file must be filled in and sent by e-mail with the supporting documents (one PDF document only) to the address indicated at the latest on the date of validation of your wishes. No application can be processed after this date.

International applications

If you are preparing or hold an international degree (A-Level, Abitur, International Baccalaureate...), you should apply on the IFM website by clicking on "Apply".

Required documents:

You will find below the list of documents to be collected, which should be scanned and uploaded in PDF format to your application profile:
- A recent and detailed curriculum vitae
- A passport photo
- A copy of your identity document
- Each diploma obtained. If you do not have a degree, please leave this section blank.
- Transcripts of your last two years of secondary school and any subsequent years (if you have undertaken higher education or a preparatory course). If you are a student in an art school, this transcript is mandatory.
- Your portfolio
- Your imaginary museum
- Your English or French language test (if applicable), minimum level B2 required.
- Your scholarship application (if applicable)

You will be asked to attach a portfolio of personal artwork and an "imaginary museum". Click here for more information on what is expected in terms of content and tips for compressing your files.

If your application is selected, you will be invited to take part in an online admission jury consisting of a 2D graphic assignment (drawing and collage), a 3D creative assignment and an interview with the faculty.

Applications for Year 2 or Year 3

A few places may be available for students wishing to enter the program directly in the second or third year. Applications for the second or third year of the Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design should be submitted on our website (outside Parcoursup).

To enter the second or third year, you will need to be able to prove that you have obtained all your first-year (or second-year) credits in a similar program (a three-year fashion design program). These credits will not be requested at the time of application but will be required to confirm your admission, if applicable (by the end of July latest).

Please note that you can only apply once a year for the same program (in the first, second or third year).

• Application process for Year 2
• Application process for Year 3

The application process for Year 2 or Year 3 is open from 31 May 2024, pending availability.