The best fashion programs in the world, according to Business of Fashion
The Business of Fashion has published its new list with the best fashion programs, which follows a different criterion from previous years
27.06.2019.- Since 2015, BoF (The Business of Fashion) has published every year a list of a hundred fashion schools that it has considered the best in the world. The list was based on a wide range of criteria, but above all on the assessments made by the students themselves, by industry experts, by analysts who studied the applications received at each school, etc.
Last year, the BoF team decided that it was time to reevaluate and perhaps modify the methodology used. For this reason, in 2018 it did not publish its annual list but it was dedicated to prepare the system to elaborate its new list in 2019, which is what we have before us.
It appointed an Education Council, made up of 12 global experts in fashion education. Its honorary president has been Jane Rapley, professor emeritus at Central Saint Martins, in London, one of the best-known schools in the sector.
System changes compared to previous editions
The main changes decided, which have manifested in its list of 2019, have been the following:
- The list no longer refers to schools as such, but to the programs they develop. The assessment is not made of the school as a whole, but to its different fashion programs.
- Instead of assigning a qualitative order number to each school program, you have simply decided whether you deserve to be on the list of the best programs in the world, which appear in alphabetical order.
- The programs analyzed are divided into three specialized training sectors: fashion design; fashion management and communication; and management of fashion companies.
- In the three sectors, BoF has looked for what it considers the best programs in the world, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
- BoF also tried to create a fourth block, dedicated to textiles, but in the end discarded it because it could not gather the necessary information to evaluate the programs.
- It has created Badges of Excellence, which recognize the strengths of each school in four key areas: global quality, global influence, educational experience and long-term value.
- The number and diversity of professionals to whom you request your opinion has increased. It has continued giving an important weight to the opinion of students of the analyzed programs (13,500 for the 2019 list).
- You have reviewed all the data obtained and have shared them with your Education Council to make a more accurate evaluation of all the analyzed programs
Analyzed 138 programs from 66 institutions in 23 countries
To create the list for 2019, BoF analyzed a total of 138 programs from 66 educational institutions in 23 countries. Some institutions that had appeared in previous years did not want or could not offer their data for the 2019 list, or their information was clearly insufficient. In this case, they do not appear in the list. This does not mean, however, that they are not very respectable institutions that deserve the interest of potential students.
It is frequent the case of programs that are introducing in their currícula the accomplishment of practical projects and of practices in companies. This novelty complicates the evaluative analysis of the programs because in many cases students are thinking much more about creating their own company than working for an outside company. Their evaluation of the programs and their practices, therefore, offer debatable results. The aforementioned Jane Rapley has commented: there is an evident tension between the different profiles of professionals that we form. The sector needs to invest efforts to help students decide their future path and take advantage of their talent.
The programs selected as especially valuable by BoF represent a very wide geographic range. They come from many Western countries and also from a few from the rest of the world. Although the Anglo-Saxon presence is important, so is the Italian and French presence. The Spanish, on the other hand, is insignificant.
Increasing multidisciplinarity
Another circumstance that has led to the preparation of the list of the best programs in the world is the fact that companies in the fashion sector are increasingly interdisciplinary. A creative director must understand, for example, sustainability. An executive director of a brand must understand the design process. Consequently, students increasingly seek programs with interdisciplinary spirit to find the specific training they need to fit in that professional environment.
Schools have learned to respond to this need, but they need to reach a balance between the new skills demanded by the market and traditional knowledge. Probably the most successful schools in the immediate future will be those that continue to teach traditional knowledge updated with the newest, such as digitalization, biotechnology, 3D printing and artificial intelligence. Many students, however, do not feel comfortable with the numbers.
After all, says Karen Harvey, maybe fashion schools are not suitable for all young people who like fashion. They also have other ways to get to work in this sector. If they take the opportunity to train in a good program, their studies will help them grow, to know who they are and to find out their talent, which they often do not know. Often they have forged a pink image of their future and redirect their talent where they can perform more.
The best degree programs in the world
The best programs in the world of undergraduate studies are the following, which we present in alphabetical order in which BoF has divided them.
FASHION DESIGN:
- Aalto University, Finland
- Accademia Costume & Moda, Italy
- Amsterdam Fashion Institute, Holland
- Central Saint Martins, United Kingdom
- China Academy of Art, China
- Cornell University, College of Human Ecology, USA
- De Montfort University, United Kingdom
- Design School Kolding, Danemark
- Donghua University, China
- Drexel University, USA
- École Duperré Paris, France
- ESMOD International, France
- Fashion Institute of Technology, USA
- Geneva School of Art& Design (HEAD), Switzerland
- Institut Français de la Mode/École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, France
- Istituto Europeo di Design, Italy
- Istituto Marangoni, Italy
- Kent State University, USA
- Kingston University, United Kingdom
- Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Wilson School of Design, Canada
- London College of Fashion, United Kingdom
- Marist College, USA
- Miami International University of Art & Design, USA
- National Institute of Fashion Technology, India
- Parsons School of Design, USA
- Polimoda, Italy
- RMIT University, Australia
- Ryerson University, School of Fashion, Canada
- Savannah College of Art & Design, USA
- Shenkar College of Engineering, Design & Art, Israel
- Stephens College, USA
- Swedish School of Textiles, University of Boras, Sweden
- Thomas Jefferson University, USA
- University of the Creative Arts (Epsom), United Kingdom
- University of Cincinnati, USA
- University of Salford, United Kingdom
- University of Technology, Australia
Other notable programs of fashion design, although they have not deserved to appear in the previous list, are those of the following schools:
- Fashion Design Institute, Germany
- Hochschule für Technik & Wirtschaft Berlin, Germany
- Iceland University of Arts, Iceland
- Koefia Fashion Academy, Italy
- LCI Barcelona, Spain
- LISAA, France
- Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Italy
- Norwich University of the Royal Academy of the Arts, Holland
- University of Brighton, United Kingdom
- Universitá Iuav di Venezia, Italy
- Centro Diseño, Cine y Televisión, México
- Universidad Iberoamericana, México
- Syracuse University, College of Visual & Performing Arts, USA
- Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
- Washington University, USA
- Belas Artes, Brazil
- University of Palermo, Argentina
- TAFE, Australia
- JD Institute of Fashion Technology, India
- Otago Polytechnic, Japan
- Pearl Academy, India
FASHION COMPANIES MANAGEMENT:
- Amsterdam Fashion Institute, Holanda
- Cornell University, College of Human Ecology, Estados Unidos
- De Montfort University, Gran Bretaña
- Drexel University, Estados Unidos
- Fashion Institute of Technology, Estados Unidos
- Istituto Europeo di Design, Italia
- Istituto Marangoni, Italia
- Kent State University, Estados Unidos
- LIM College, Estados Unidos
- London College of Fashion, Gran Bretaña
- Marist College, Estados Unidos
- Polimoda, Italia
- Savannah College of Art & Design, Estados Unidos
- Thomas Jefferson University, Estados Unidos
- University for the Creative Arts (Epsom), Gran Bretaña
Other notable programs of fashion management, although they have not deserved to appear in the previous list, are those of the following schools:
- ESMOD International, Francia
- Istituto Europeo di Design, Italia
- Miami International University of Art & Design, Estados Unidos
- Stephens College, Estados Unidos
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Estados Unidos
ART FASHION DIRECTION AND COMMUNICATION:
- Amsterdam Fashion Institute, Holanda
- Belas Artes, Brasil
- Central Saint Martins, Gran Bretaña
- Istituto Marangoni, Italia
- LIM College, Estados Unidos
- London College of Fashion, Gran Bretaña
- Polimoda, Italia
- Ryerson University School of Fashion, Canadá
- Stephens College, Estados Unidos
- University for the Creative Arts (Epsom), Gran Bretaña
Other notable programs, although they have not deserved to appear in the previous list, are those of the following schools:
- Istituto Europeo di Design, Italia
- National Institute of Fashion Technology, India
- Pearl Academy, India
The best postgraduate programs
The best postgraduate programs, on the other hand, are those offered by the following schools, some of which have also been mentioned in the degree programs.
FASHION DESIGN:
- Aalto University, School of Arts, Design & Architecture, Finland
- Accademia Costume & Moda, Italy
- Bunka Fashion Graduate University, Japan
- Central Saint Martins, United Kingdom
- Domus Academy, Italy
- Donghua University, China
- Drexel University, USA
- ESMOD International, France
- Institut Français de la Mode, France
- Istituto Marangoni, Italy
- London College of Fashion, United Kingdom
- National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, India
- Polimoda, Italy
- Royal College of Art, United Kingdom
- Savannah College of Art & Design, USA
- Swedish School of Textiles. University of Boras, Sweden
Other notable programs of fashion design, although they have not deserved to appear in the previous list, are those of the following schools:
- Design School Kolding, Danemark
- Geneva School of Art & Design, Swizerland
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, Germany
- KASK University, Belgium
- Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Italy
- University OIuav, Italy
- China Academy of Art, China
FASHION COMPANIES MANAGEMENT:
- Fashion Institute of Technology, USA
- Institut Français de la Mode, France
- Istituto Europeo di Design, Italy
- Istituto Marangoni, Italy
- LIM College, USA
- London College of Fashion, United Kingdom
- Polimoda, Italy
- RMIT University, Australia
- Savannah College of Art & Design, USA
- Thomas Jefferson University, USA
Other notable programs of fashion companies management, although they have not deserved to appear in the previous list, are those of the following schools:
- Domus Academy, Italy
- ESMOD International, France
- Milano Fashion Institute, Italy
- Pearl Academy, India
ART FASHION DIRECTION AND COMMUNICATION:
- Central Saint Martins, Gran Bretaña
- Domus Academy, Italia
- Institut Français de la Mode, Francia
- Istituto Europeo di Design, Italia
- Istituto Marangoni, Italia
- London College of Fashion, Grann Bretaña
- Polimoda, Italia
Other notable programs on this sector, although they have not deserved to appear in the previous list, are those of the following schools:
- École Duperré Paris, France
- Istituto Europeo di Design, Italy
- JD Institute of Fashion Technology, India
- Pearl Academy, India
Textile / Fashion Education Guide by Pinker Moda
Practically all the schools that appear in this list of programs already appear in the Textile / Fashion Education Guide 2019/2020, which is part of our website www.pinkermoda.com. The Pinker Moda Guide, in addition, includes centres and programs of textile sciences in Spain and the rest of the world that by now BoF does not include in its list.
Pinker Moda Guide also includes numerous Spanish vocational training centres, fashion design schools and other specialities related to textiles and fashion. The information comes from different databases of the sector -including BoF– and from the information provided by the centres themselves. Unlike what happens with BoF, the information provided by the Textile / Fashion Education Guide by Pinker Moda is open to all interested parties. The same does not apply to BoF, which is reserved for its subscribers.
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