15 MONTHS IN ONE YEAR

1 year of teaching in English + 3 months work experience in industry

In January 2000, the Institut Français de la Mode launched a Post-graduate Fashion Design Program based on fifteen years experience of training managers in the textile and fashion industries. This program is a veritable « talent incubator » and aims to enable designers, managers and companies to synergize their talents running projects on all levels. It trains the designers of tomorrow at the crossroads of the creative and industrial worlds.

The Postgraduate Fashion Design Program is faithful to the guiding principle of the IFM as it incites applicants to put aside their specialty so as to conceive and undertake creations from a global perspective.
Indeed, artistic ability is not all that counts in the creative industries. Solid organizational
capacities, precision, conviction and a sense of teamwork are also essential to bring a
project to term.

The IFM is a private third level institution.


« 10 to 15 creative brains worldwide »

An environment that is fertile for the affirmation of creative identity

Every year the Postgraduate Fashion Design Program recruits 10 to 15 designers from all over the world chosen for their strong personality, their creativity and their willingness to develop concrete projects in direct partnership with industry and the big fashion houses. The international character of the class engenders a high level of creative emulation within the group.
The quality of the program, the excellence of the teaching staff and the great diversity of the partner companies means that everything is in place for the maximum growth and affirmation of the creative identity of the students.


The method

To create a link between the student world and the professional domain

« Creativity is the touchstone within this turbulent laboratory of ideas, the spirit of precision is put to work for innovation », according to Franc' Pairon, the program’s director.
Through this program the IFM teaches designers to deal with constraints, opens up the
managers of tomorrow to the leaders of design and creation, convinces industrials to
develop prototypes with designers. It incites each student to favor innovative, in-depth research whether this be in fashion or textile design.
In other words, it gives students the possibility to anticipate the reality and the constraints of their chosen path as a designer. This course is unmatched in terms of teaching and creates privileged links with companies and is 100% in touch with the real world.

The program has today welcomed 52 designers, over 360 exterior participants and has developed prototypes with 120 French companies with whose help it has enabled the students to learn about the chain of production in its entirety.


OUR MISSION IN INDUSTRY

To encourage professional insertion

The prolongation of the specialist year with a minimum three-month period of work
experience in a company helps to reinforce the contacts between designers and
professionals. Designers in previous years have done work experience in the following
companies: Celine, Chloé, Christian Dior, Hermès, Rochas, Maurizio Galante, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Lanvin, Kenzo, Christian Lacroix, Isabel Marant, Montana, Tim Van Steenbergen…