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Ever since the fashion industry was brought to the mainstream in the 90s, it’s become increasingly competitive for difficult to break into. Careers you might never have heard of a few years ago now have their own degree programs. Even professors at the world’s most famous art schools have said that almost every applicant they see is amazing and would’ve gotten in had there been more spots. There are so many qualified applicants lining up for a chance to be an assistant to a higher up. Degrees might not be an option for everyone, at least not right out of high school. But there are a few programs out there to add to your resume and still leave you with money to buy food every month.
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YellowBrick
“Are you a fashionista?” is probably burned into your brain at this point from the countless youtube ads, so I won’t hammer in this one too much. The long and short of it is that Yellowbrick offers a variety of courses for aspiring fashion designers, writers and marketers. They consist of anywhere from 5 to 7 online modules, containing video lessons from well-known professionals from the relevant industries and 2 to 3 assignments per module. You’ll end up with a short portfolio at the end to show to prospective employers as well as a certificate for proof of completion. I’m actually on module two of the fashion industry essentials course and as of right now and I’m really enjoying it. The assignments might seem a little simplistic at first with things like making Pinterest boards, but they do gradually build to pushing you out of your comfort zone. The price tag is high at $999 per course but there are a variety of scholarships available. I was able to get my cost down to $250, which was great. This isn’t a credit-based program but it is a great way to make your resume stand out, especially if you’re planning on applying to one of the universities Yellowbrick has partnered with.
Elle Education
Elle Education is one of the oldest on this list, and it’s a wonder this program isn’t plastered onto every available ad space. The luxury fashion magazine has been operating its education program for over ten years, currently partnering with Mindway Liberal Studies and MIT Sloan Executive education to connect students to accredited short course and diploma programs in a variety of fashion and lifestyle sectors. Depending on your schedule, you might want to do a short course for 2 months or a longer diploma course for 6 months. These courses are a little less budget-friendly at 900 to 2500 euros depending on the length of your course, but payment plans are available in monthly installments. Definitely more expensive, but worth it if you have a short amount of downtime and need some backup from a leading industry insider. I’ve looked over all their courses and they all look so interesting that I can’t decide which one I like best.
University Of Fashion
If you want to get into design particularly, University Of Fashion is probably one of the most affordable places to get started. While not an actual university, UOF is something of an online fashion library offering tons of lessons in clothing design and construction taught by industry professionals from the likes of Parsons and FIT. You can learn pattern making, drapinbog, CAD design, childrenswear design and more for $189 per year. The founder and CEO Francesca Sterlacci is a fashion designer and former tenured professor at FIT, so you can rest assured that you’re learning from people who know their stuff, even at the low price tag. This a great option if your high school or community college doesn’t offer fashion courses and you’ll be able to add so many skills to your resume even on a tight budget. If I had known about this in high school, I would have gone through every course I could get my hands on.
BoF Education
Business Of Fashion is the ultimate one stop shop for the industry’s ever-growing army of analytical brains. Started as a blog, this website now has a near global reach in multiple facets of the industry, one of these being education. BoF offers the chance to learn about the industry from top professionals $240 per year or $30 a month. That’s a small price to pay to learn digital marketing from the Global Creative Director of MAC Cosmetics. Like University Of Fashion, there’s no time limit to these courses, but you also get a certificate of completion. If you’re looking for something affordable that still gives you a proof of completion, these courses are perfect. BoF is also just a great fashion news site to help you keep up with the latest designers even if you aren’t looking for courses, so give it a look either way.
