Institut Francais de la Mode

Mission Statement

Institut Français de la Mode is a higher education institution, a training center for apprentices, a provider of executive education, as well as a center of research and expertise for the textiles, fashion and luxury industries.

In 2019, Institut Français de la Mode, founded in 1986 and a pioneer in fashion management education, merged with Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, founded in 1927 and recognized for the excellence of its training in couture savoir-faire.

Institut Français de la Mode now offers:

• Higher education training programs in fashion design, in fashion management and in savoir-faire
• A training center for apprentices
• Short, certificate or custom-designed continuing education programs for companies and institutions (around 3000 professionals trained by year)
• Summer School programs
• Academic research activities in the field of social and human sciences applied to fashion and design
• A Fashion Entrepreneurship Center
• An Economic Observatory which provides steering tools and studies for professionals, and a daily analysis of fashion consumption and distribution
• One of the most complete specialized libraries in France

The school has a fully renovated and equipped 9,000m2 campus in Paris, along the Seine. It allows it to welcome its 1000 students (soon 1200) in very good conditions.

Each of the studios and workshops are fully equipped with new equipment adapted to the design process:

– Technical workshop and knitwear studio

– Leather workshop

– Shoe workshop

– Fablab

– Photo studio

– Fabric library

International Role

IFM is a founding member of IFFTI (International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes), which gathers more than 60 members institutions around the world.

It has developed bilateral collaborations with schools such as Bocconi, FIT, HKPU, ISEM Madrid,  LCF and ESCP.

On average, 38 % of the students are international.

National Role

Institut Français de la Mode is recognized by the French Ministry of Higher Education, which has granted in 2021 to IFM the very selective label of EESPIG (non profit private higher education school). IFM is a member of HESAM Université and of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles.

IFM has developed privileged relations with French members of Cumulus such as ENSAD, Camondo, Duperré.

It is supported by the French Ministry of Economy, through an annual financial grant.

IFM has historically very strong relations with the french fashion and luxury industry. As an illustration, here are the 31 companies members of the IFM Foundation : Adidas ◼ Ami ◼ Arianee ◼ Balenciaga ◼ Birimian ◼ Burberry ◼ Céline ◼ Chanel ◼ Chloé ◼ Christian Dior Couture ◼ Christian Louboutin ◼ Farfetch ◼ Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent ◼ Fusalp ◼ Galeries Lafayette ◼ Groupe Etam ◼ Hermès ◼ Isabel Marant ◼ Kea Partners ◼ Kenzo ◼ Kering ◼ Kitten ◼ Le 19 M ◼ L'Oréal Luxe ◼ Louis Vuitton ◼ Paco Rabanne ◼ Première Vision ◼ Saint Laurent ◼ Sheriff ◼ Veuve Clicquot ◼ Zalando

The main mission of the IFM Foundation is to promote the school's equal opportunities policy by providing need-based scholarships for students. It also aims to finance research and educational innovation.

Main Focus

The specificity of the Institut Français de la Mode is to offer programs in the three main areas of the fashion industry value chain: design/management/technical know-how and to provide educational programs from vocational training to doctoral level.

The main focus of the school is on fashion design.

This is reflected in the number of students enrolled (almost 40% of the total students), in the amount of space dedicated to the fashion design programs and in the strong investment in equipment.

It is also reflected in the program of events : the MA show in February which is part of the official calendar of the Paris Fashion Week, and the BA show for the press and professionals in June.

Another focus is on entrepreneurship. A Fashion Entrepreneurship Center provides training through courses and/or individual coaching for entrepreneurs around innovative projects in the fashion and luxury sector. A specific variation of this program is proposed for creative labels, which has welcomed in the last years  Jacquemus, Marine Serre, Vêtements, Christelle Koché,  among others.

A unique accelerator program has been launched this year to support ten African emerging designers. The development of the research activity is a priority for the school cf below.