Fashionista Ranks the World's Top Fashion Schools

Fashionista has ranked the top 5 fashion schools on the planet. To generate their list, they spoke to students, employees at the schools, companies who hire graduates, and industry professionals. They also looked extensively at tuition costs and demographics. Then they mashed it all together to come up with five schools that are worth a look.
And they are…

1. CENTRAL ST.MARTINS

Central St. Martins’ elite fashion design program was the clear winner here amongst the panel of experts. Location is critical and being in the heart of London provides inspiration and full access to cultural and industry resources. 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. The 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.
–Famous grads: Stella McCartney, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Phoebe Philo, Christopher Kane, Hussein Chalayan, Zac Posen, Hamish Bowles, Paul Smith.

2. PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN

Much like FIT, Parsons is located in the heart of New York City’s Garment District, providing easy access to industry resources. Parsons is a fashion design powerhouse, and they have turned out tons of marquee name talent, particularly in the last ten years.What’s more, the school has partnered with many retailers and corporations with the aim of getting student work seen and critiqued.
Famous grads: Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Narciso Rodriguez, Alexander Wang, Anna Sui, Jason Wu, Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez (Proenza Schouler), Behnaz Serafpour, Doo Ri Chung, Sophie Buhai &Lisa Mayock (Vena Cava), Flora Gill and Alexa Adams (Ohne Titel), Prabal Gurung, Steven Meisel, Thakoon Panichgul, Carmen Marc Valvo.

3. ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS (ANTWERP)

It’s part of one of the oldest design schools in the world, and has produced some stellar talent in the past 20 years. The Royal Academy is an elite design school and is known for its serious students–many drop out because they can’t handle the work load. However, if you’re exceptionally dedicated, with an experimental, innovative, and avant garde sensibility, this may be the place for you.
–Famous grads: Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Martin Margiela, Kris Van Assche, Veronique Branquinho, Haider Ackermann, Bruno Pieters.

4. LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION

The College is spread out over six different sites in London, so students are surrounded by the energy of this incredible city. It has a fashion design program, but the fashion journalism program is the standout here. There are many unique programs that you won’t find anywhere else. Beauty therapy, cosmetic science (yes, the chemistry side of beauty), fashion broadcast journalism, fashion curation and criticism, fashion business, footwear and accessories, makeup and image styling.
–Famous grads: Jimmy Choo, Alek Wek, Patrick Cox.

5. FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (FIT)

As a preeminent institution of fashion and design education in the US, F.I.T. is unique in the fact that it is located directly in the heart of the industry that it teaches---the Garment District, so the school has access to incredible resources and professionals. FIT has relationships with designers and industry professionals who critique student work and offer workshops, and the museum boasts one of the most extensive fashion archives anywhere. FIT is part of the State University of NY, so it’s much cheaper than most fashion schools, which is a big concern for plenty of incoming students.
–Famous grads: Reem Acra, Francisco Costa, Nina Garcia, Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, Ralph Rucci.
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