“Fashion Designer” Undergraduate Program
State accredited diploma with Level 6 registration under the National Register of Professional Certifications (RNCP)
Designer : Damien Conçalvez ; ©Dimitri de Saint Ambroise
Overview
A 3-year program split into two equal parts: Design and Pattern-Making; design being the creative design process and pattern-making dealing with construction by flat pattern-making or by draping.
It is the combination of these two disciplines that gives the ESMOD methodology its added value, offering graduates complete expertise both technically and artistically.
Academic Goals
To be able to design and make clothing and accessory collections in a variety of fields, specialising in a specific market in the last year of study.
It is possible to transfer directly into the 2nd or 3rd years. Please see the Required Profiles section.
Skills Acquired
- Analyze trends and images of brands and companies in the fashion industry
- Develop and design collections, clothing lines, individual garments and accessories
- Produce garments and accessories from designs; make patterns, then a protoype to be sent to a garment production workshop
- Oversee each step in the production process of desings; construct a plan to present designs including advertising, images, and products and accessories chosen
Schools
Program Overview
1st Year : The Basics / 60 credits
Design: Fashion sketching, use of colour, creative approaches, flat drawing, product breakdown, creation of complete design dossiers: skirt, blouse, dress.
Exploration of “fashion neighbourhoods,” introduction to Adobe Illustrator software, exploration of different textiles, History of Fashion.
Pattern-Making: Research proportions, learning how fabrics hang, different sewing techniques, creation of templates, etc. Study in muslin of different models of skirts, blouses and dresses, using flat pattern cutting and draping. Manufacturing or finishing samples. Execution in teamwork of a personal ensemble in fabric of a skirt and a blouse. Execution of personal creations of a sweatshirt and a dress.
Additional Courses: Market and Consumer Analysis, Fashion English, Live Modelling, Textiles; Computer-Aided Design (CAD): Illustrator; Computer-Assisted Pattern-Making (CAP): introduction to LECTRA SYTEM softwarea skirt and a blouse. Execution of a personal model of a sweatshirt and a dress.
The year ends with an exam on design and pattern-making and the presentation before a jury of a personal dress sample with a complete design dossier.
2nd Year : IMMERSION / 60 credits
Design: Illustration, developing a personal style, product analysis, “optical” research, creation of complete design dossiers: suits, casualwear. History of Fashion, Textiles, CAD (Adobe Photoshop)
Pattern-Making: Close study of suit jacket using lines and draping, close study of basics for casual trousers and suit trousers, study of casualwear pieces.
Creation of a personal model for a suit jacket using draping, suit trousers, jacket and jeans.
Additional Classes: Market and Consumer Analysis, Fashion English, Fashion Culture, Textiles, CAD (Photoshop)/CAP (Lectra – Modaris Expert Level 2), live modelling, fashion info…
During the year, students present (in teams), to a jury, a “casual” ensemble with a complete style dossier. The year ends with an exam on design and pattern-making and the presentation before a jury of a personal dress creation with a complete style dossier.
3rd YEAR : SPECIALIZE / 60 credits
During this year, students first of all learn design and pattern-making codes for the products in their specialty, which they can then apply to their end-of-year personal collection.
Manditory 3-6 month internship, with a fully completed internship report.
Please Note : The 3rd year is not available in Rennes nor Bordeaux !
Spécialisations*
Contemporary Womenswear / Paris, Lyon, Roubaix
Put together a collection with a creative approach or casualwear style for a large audience. This specialisation requires a great deal of adaptability and will open up the doors to a high-potential women’s fashion market.
Urban & Tailored Menswear / Paris, Lyon, Roubaix
Learning menswear specifics through an approach involving proportions, lines, specialized materials and details. This specialty prepares students for a career in a market that requires modernity and is in perpetual evolution.
Emerging Designer / Paris
This specialty reflects current trends as well as the development of an emerging market. It covers both Men’s and Women’s casualwear from a fresh viewpoint. Working in product lines, colors and proportions that can be androgynous, hybrid, transformative or blur lines, revisiting the boundaries of conventional ready-to-wear.
Performance & Artistic Design / Paris
Gain an advanced and innovative creative approach based on performance or artistic expression. The garment becomes the artist’s means of expression. This specialization requires strong cultural and sociological knowledge. You will be able to develop a personal or generational statement or to illustrate the work of an artist.
Childrenswear & Juniors / Paris
This specialty covers a broad sector spanning from infant clothes to teen clothing, enabling students to meet children and adolescents’ need to express their identity with imagination, fantasy and originality.
New Haute Couture / Paris
Learning of specific Haute Couture techniques through painstakingly detailed work and the use of fine textiles to create unique hand-made pieces. A specialization that highlights French craftsmanship worldwide.
Luxury Womenswear / Paris
Learning techniques specific to the Luxury sector for the creation of small scale, semi-industrial apparel. An opportunity to highlight the specific qualities of French fashion internationally.
The students of this specialization work in a “Team Building” exercise with students in the 4th year Fashion Business graduate program who wil be in charge of the collection’s business plan.
Creative & Experimental Knitwear / Paris
Learning of techniques specific to knitwear by adopting an innovative and imaginative approach. This specialization requires real interest in the subject and prepares students for what is still a growing market with major potential.
The students of this specialization work in a “Team Building” exercise with students in the 4th year Fashion Business graduate program who wil be in charge of the collection’s business plan.
Lingerie & Bodywear / Paris
Exploration of new materials and new techniques. This specialty requires meticulousness, a keen sense of observation and attention to detail. Lingerie is now a sector in its own right in the world of luxury and design.
Accessories / Paris
Development of a creative concept for footwear and bags with prototypes manufactured by specialists. This specialisation also lets students explore the world of jewellery and other products including scarves, belts, etc.
Sportswear & Outdoor / Paris
A fashionable and contemporary approach to the sportswear and outdoor wardrobe combining technicality and innovative materials. Students learn to master 3D software such as Clo 3D or Fusion 360 to create our designs using a 3D printer.
* In addition to these specialties, students also have the opportunity to express their creativity in the following techniques and craftsmanship workshops (electives): Dyes & Textures, graphic design, embroidery, lace, finishings, fur, leather, LECTRA MODARIS 3D (CAP), LECTRA PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), Sustainable Fashion, Photo Styling…
Required Profile
1st Year
High school or secondary school diploma, regardless of prior academic focus
2nd Year
One or two years of higher education in fashion. Your skill level and competencies will be evaluated during the application process.
3rd Year
One or two years of higher education in fashion. Your skill level and competencies will be evaluated during the application process.
Careers and Opportunities
Testimonials
Alice Gras
Founder of Hall-Couture
ESMOD keeps its commitments on technical content and I am happy to see that the school is evolving with the times, that there is a more thorough follow-up work with former students. I also appreciate the accessibility of teachers, management and staff support.
“Fashion Designer” Undergraduate Program & “Manager of International Development in Fashion and Luxury Industries” Post Graduate Degree
ESMOD Paris - class of 2012
Céline Tiphaine
Responsable site et agence chez FOREVENTS (Bordeaux)
I chose to enroll in the Bachelor’s Degree course in parallel with my 3rd year at ESMOD because I have always been keen on Hi-Tech and innovative objects. What is more, I consider that today the textile industry is reinventing itself and that it is up to us to innovate both in style and in consumer habits. For my diploma, I also tried to be innovative by offering a collection of modular, bright clothing.
“Fashion Designer” Undergraduate Program
ESMOD Paris - Promo 2018
Photo Gallery
Design : Auriane Ethuin - Photo : Xavier Delfosse
Design : Auriane Ethuin - Photo : Xavier Delfosse
