When it comes to choosing a school for fashion majors, everyone's first choice: LCF, Parsons, FIT, and Royal Art. Probably because many people have the impression that only the atmosphere of an art school is more suitable for doing this kind of research.
In fact, today, I recommend you to go to a comprehensive college to study fashion, for three reasons:
First, nowadays, major colleges and universities have successively opened related majors, which are suitable for students to apply.
Second, more and more students are consulting Mr. Kang about the application for studying abroad, not only wanting to get a major, but also wanting to get a comprehensive arrangement of colleges and universities. After all, in recent years, the "talent pool" of selected students has gradually expanded, and more and more provinces and cities have expanded the source schools of selected students to overseas college graduates.
The third is that if you go to the comprehensive U to learn fashion, you will reap a variety of learning results. Let's look down on the specific situation and the choice of major school.
01 The following are "technical" fashion majors:
☆ Cornell University - Fiber Science and Apparel Design
☆ The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Smart Wearable Technology, Sustainable Fashion and Innovation
The comprehensive big U has an overwhelming advantage over art colleges in terms of "technology", including the fashion major offered in comprehensive colleges, and the same is true.
Like Cornell University's Fiber Science and Fashion Design, which is subdivided into a Master of Fiber Science and a Master of Fashion Design. In fact, there is little difference in the overall direction of training between the two degrees, and both focus on the application of fiber materials in clothing, engineering structures (such as composite materials), biomedical science and home decoration.
Source: Cornell University's official website
Specifically, the specialization content of the two directions, starting with "slightly more artistic content" fashion design, the curriculum includes fashion theory, fashion, media and technology, fashion beauty, clothing and design functions, etc.
The "more technical" fiber science includes the theory and practice of fiber formation, the physical properties of fiber-forming polymers and fibers, the chemistry of textile finishing and dyeing, and the properties of fiber systems.
Although one of the two directions is more focused on the presentation of design and the other is more focused on the development of technology, the two are actually almost the same group of instructors from the School of Human Ecology and Engineering.
Source: Cornell University's official website
Therefore, the projects that students are exposed to under this major are almost a strong combination of two research directions, that is, to do "clothing design that is more in line with the needs of human development", such as research: etc.
Similarly, the technology-focused fashion programme also includes smart wearable technology, sustainable fashion and innovation under the Institute of Fashion and Textiles.
Source: The official website of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Different from Cornell's fashion major, Hong Kongli's smart wearable major focuses on AI + smart fashion + materials + metaverse, with courses including artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction in wearable systems, flexible electronic devices for wearable technology, introduction to smart wearable systems, fashion and textiles, and more.
Therefore, the smart wearable project designed under this project is actually more like an "artificial intelligence product".
For example, H· The smart headset made by student C of the ART23 class in his portfolio is very much in line with the direction that the major is being researched by the Hong Kong Institute, so he also got an offer of the smart wearable technology of the Hong Kong Institute.
Kang Shi Shi proprietor H· Student C of the class of ART23 was offered by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for MSc in Smart Wearable Technology
02 The following are "interdisciplinary" fashion majors:
☆ University of Manchester - International Fashion Marketing, International Fashion Retailing, International Fashion Retail (Entrepreneurship & Innovation)
☆ The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Master of Arts in Global Fashion Management
☆ University of Southampton - Fashion Management
☆ Politecnico di Milano - Fashion system design
Not every student loves to learn technology, with the increasing number of fashion majors offered by the comprehensive U, there are also many interdisciplinary disciplines with other majors and fashion elements in the colleges.
Source: University of Manchester website
For example, the "art pan-business" set up by comprehensive colleges and universities - three masters of science in fashion business at the University of Manchester, which are international fashion marketing, international fashion retail, and international fashion retail (entrepreneurship and innovation).
Among them, the Master of Science in International Fashion Marketing trains students to understand the fashion field from the perspective of brands, consumers and the international community, which is more suitable for students who are interested in advertising, marketing and brand management.
The latter two are more focused on retail, sales and operations management, and are even more suitable for students who have entrepreneurial ideas, management and innovative enterprises.
Source: University of Manchester website
This kind of "fashion + business" pan-business major is less difficult to apply for than traditional business, and it will be more friendly to students who apply across majors. And importantly, these three programs like the University of Manchester have made it clear on their official websites that students with arts/fashion backgrounds are welcome to apply.
Similar majors include the Master of Arts in Global Fashion Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic and Fashion Management in Southampton. All of them focus on the integration of fashion, textiles and business management, and cultivate students' business thinking, strategic thinking and other abilities.
Kang Shi Shi proprietor H· Student C of the class of ART23 received an MA offer from the University of Southampton, City University of Birmingham, and Nottingham Trent University majoring in fashion management
In addition, there is an interdisciplinary fashion specialty, the Politecnico di Milano's Fashion System Design.
The project is to combine traditional craftsmanship in the field of fashion with digital media systems, and focuses on how to transform from a previously "product-centric" fashion system to a "sustainable, user-centric" model.
Source: Politecnico di Milano official website
In other words, this major trains students to understand the context of marketing, promotion, publicity and fashion industry system when developing fashion products, and also pay attention to the innovation of service process and user experience.
In addition, the program attaches great importance to the combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience, and arranges internships during the semester, and the relevant cooperative companies include Armani, Missoni, Valentino, Stone Island, Ermenegildo Zegna, Brioni, Valextra and other leading companies.
H· ART student Z received an MSc offer from Politecnico di Milano Fashion System Design, LCF Fashion Future, LCF Textile Design, and Fashion Design MA from Milan New Academy of Fine Arts
03 The following fashion majors are "highly artistic":
☆ Aalto University - Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design
☆ The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Fashion & Textile Design, Haute Couture Design & Customization
☆ Carnegie Mellon University - Fashion Design
In addition, there are also some fashion majors with a relatively strong artistic atmosphere in the comprehensive big U. Such as Fashion, Apparel and Textile Design at Aalto University.
The school itself is a comprehensive college with art as its strength, and the tutors will even take art and design students to the forest to hike during their studies to help with their learning. Many of the students Ms. Kang has met have shared their good experience:
Kang Shi Shi proprietor H· S, a student of the class of ART22, shared after studying at Aalto University (Fashion, Fashion and Textile Design).
In addition to cultivating students' design practice and conceptual learning in the field of art and professionalism, the fashion program also encourages students to explore multidisciplinary collaborations and integrate new technologies, materials and innovative design solutions for professional research.
In terms of curriculum, the school attaches great importance to the study of sustainable design. In the first semester, students are placed directly in the sustainable fashion and textile design course, and then lay the foundation before studying textile or fashion design.
Until the beginning of the second year, students can choose a specialization according to their own aesthetics and interests. Overall, Aalto's Fashion, Apparel and Textile Design program has a very well-established fashion curriculum.
Source: Aalto University's official website
Similar majors that can be engaged in art in the comprehensive category, there are also fashion and textile design, haute couture design and customization in Hong Kong Polytechnic, and fashion design in Carme.
Among them, Kamei's costume design is slightly special, and it is opened in the school's drama school, and the main design is "costumes". That is, by learning the matching of clothing colors, shapes, patterns, materials, etc., the audience can quickly understand the character's occupation, social status, personality characteristics, etc., and bring different emotional experiences.
Source: Carnegie Mellon University official website
To sum up, the majors introduced to you are basically aimed at students who are applying for a master's degree.
If there are still students who want to go to the comprehensive U to study fashion undergraduates, there are also undergraduate courses in the above-mentioned majors (you need to go to the official website for details), as well as the design major of the University of Pennsylvania, the art and technology major of University College London, etc., which are all good choices.
In fact, whether you go to a comprehensive college or an art college to study fashion, the most important thing for students is to make a choice according to their interests and aspirations.
But I have to say that in terms of applying for comprehensive big U, the threshold of many colleges and universities will be slightly higher, although the majors we introduced above will basically not card the student background, but everyone must be cautious when submitting relevant information, such as essays, portfolios, personal statements, etc.
Especially for different fashion majors, the above detailed introduction to the differences in focus between them, so when preparing a portfolio, it is natural that you also need to do a good job of targeted projects, it is recommended that students be on the safe side, and be sure to find professional teachers for guidance.
If you have more questions about fashion majors, art study abroad, background improvement, research protection, Shenbo related, and portfolio creation, please feel free to ask Mr. Kang Shishi.