The fashion industry is all about staying on top of the latest developments in the fashion world and fashion education helps you do this. To be successful, you have to connect to trends in the industry as well as develop a sense of the history of fashion, so that you can incorporate this into your designs. For a well-rounded fashion education, that not only means spending time at fashion shows but also in the classroom.

Not only should devotees of fashion seek out a fashion degree, but continuing your fashion education throughout your career will help you maintain an edge in the industry. There are plenty of education and training opportunities for fashion designers, illustrators and merchandisers. By periodically checking in with fashion sources online, you can find schools around the country offering fashion training, as well as blogs for quick reading and resources you can purchase for yourself.

To make the most of your fashion education, try the following.

1. Make time to check out fashion blogs and databases for industry information.

2. Look into local fashion classes that can boost your knowledge.

3. Check out educational opportunities that related to the sustainable fashion industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look to fashion websites to further your fashion designer education

Websites devoted to the fashion industry can yield great information on fashion programs and current trends in the fashion world. When evaluating fashion schools and programs, try to look for unbiased opinions so that you can make the best decisions for your career.

I recommend: Fashion School Review gives an in-depth look at what fashion design school is like for students, answering commonly asked questions and spotlighting several well-known fashion schools. Apparel Search gives an overview of current trends in fashion education and training.

Rely on trusted sources for fashion education and training news and trends

Sometimes it can be helpful to just look at the facts. When it comes to fashion education and training, news and trends can alert you to changes in the industry that will affect your business.

I recommend: The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good place to look for unbiased information on fashion and the training necessary to make it in the industry. Fashion Infomat is the search engine of the fashion industry, offering you access to research, trends, and news. Read an excerpt from the Vault Career Guide to Fashion, which is available for purchase.

Incorporate new ideas into your fashion education and training

One of the important trends to watch is the growth of the sustainable fashion market. Explore ways you can learn more about incorporating earth-friendly practices and materials into your designs.

I recommend: Eco Fashion World is the link to the sustainable fashion world, with links to blogs and schools that promote eco-friendly fashion. Fashion Incubator: Lessons from the Sustainable Factory Floor offers a blog about sustainable clothing production, as well as tutorials.

So you want to be a fashion designer and are looking for the right fashion design school. A fashion degree can be easy to pursue and a fun degree to obtain, but finding the right fashion schools can be a challenge.

When choosing a fashion design school, you should keep in mind a number of factors including cost, distance from home, success of their overall program and more.

To find the right fashion design school for you:

1. Prepare a budget for your fashion education. Write down tuition, book, supply, food, travel, housing and miscellaneous expenses. Once you figure out your costs, determine if you can afford everything.

2. Look at scholarship opportunities offered through the various schools in fashion.

3. Make sure that the fashion training program that you choose covers the particular topic you want to learn about (e.g. shoes, clothing, jewellery, etc.).

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at statistics before starting your search for fashion degree programs

Before you choose to pursue a fashion degree, look at some of the statistics on the field.

I recommend: Find fashion career advice from the Fashion Career Center. Find career and industry information at Fashion Careers.

Use a fashion design school search engine or directory

Instead of using Google or Yahoo, look to search engines specifically designed to give you information on fashion design school programs.

I recommend: Fashion-Schools.org is a tremendous resource for fashion schools, fashion careers, fashion articles and fashion blogs. Find out more tops picks and information at The CollegeBound Network. Look at the program and location information through the Art Institutes. Check out fashion schools by state at FashionSchoolReview.com.

Look direction on fashion design school websites

Visit fashion design school websites for more information on their location, their programs and their courses of study.

I recommend: FIDM/The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a WASC and NASAD accredited, co-educational, specialized, private learning institution with campuses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Orange County, CA. They offer an Associate of Arts, Professional Designation as well as Advanced Study Degree programs in Jewellery Design, Fashion Design, Textile Design, Theatre Costume Design, Interior Design, Merchandise Marketing, Merchandise Product Development, Visual Communications, Graphic Design, Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing, International Manufacturing & Product Development, Film & TV Costume Design, Digital Media, Footwear Design, and Apparel Manufacturing Management. They also offer a four-year Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. Consider pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Fashion Design degree from the Art Institute of Tucson.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When looking at universities with fashion education programs, speak with both their faculty and their students. A school may be ranked as one of the best fashion schools, but if their students don't feel that the experience has been rewarding for them, you might reconsider the school itself.

Finding success in fashion design is dependent on the right fashion education and training. While a fashion degree is extremely important in overall career preparation, an understanding of the fundamental principles surrounding fashion design can be pursued long before college.

In many cases, getting into a great fashion design school program requires some experience before even stepping foot on campus. Jump-start a successful career by learning about fashion design early on, or expand a current business into the fashion industry with basic training. Before starting the process of fashion education and training for beginners, consider the following:

1. Become an expert with the technical construction side of fashion training.

2. Understand the artistic and creative part of fashion education and training.

3. Know that business is a big part of fashion education and training as well.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn drawing for fashion training

Fashion schools require students to take drawing and painting classes to learn fashion illustration and rendering. Fashion designers create drawings to represent and communicate their ideas in two dimensions before translating them into three dimensional works of art.

I recommend: Watch free online video tutorials featuring basic drawing lessons by Graspr. Register for a free account to gain access to fashion illustration and figure drawing lessons at Fashion Sketches.

Take sewing fashion courses

Fashion designing education concentrates heavily on sewing techniques. A fashion designer needs to be expert at sewing, sewing quickly and paying close attention to technical details and how clothing fits on the body.

I recommend: Find free sewing projects and tips, sewing eBooks and class listings at Squidoo. Take a Creative University sewing class at various levels from Jo-Ann Stores, available at store locations across the nation.

Know the design elements and principles taught in fashion schools

The basic design elements and principles are one of the first things taught in fashion schools, and are taken into consideration each time clothing is designed by even the most experienced fashion designers. The elements and principles include things like line, shape, color, form, texture, balance, harmony and unity.

I recommend: Read about the elements and principles of design in depth at JohnLovett.com and Princeton Online.

Include study of the fashion industry in fashion training

A fashion designer needs to have a keen understanding of the business side of fashion and the marketability of clothing. It is essential for a designer to not only stay on top of industry trends, but have the foresight to anticipate where trends are going next; the best way to do this is to know the industry inside and out and read voraciously about industry news.

I recommend: Stay on top of the fashion industry by joining the Fashion Industry Network and regularly reading the online magazine, The Fashion Industry.

There are a myriad of careers to choose from in the fashion and design industry. To prepare for those careers a solid background and education in the field of fashion is necessary. A bachelor of arts is required for most entry level positions today. Training and education in the fashion world includes schooling in technical, creative and business skills. Review the key terms below and become familiar with a few aspects of education and training in the realm of fashion.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Fashion internship

A fashion internship is an opportunity to integrate fashion related experience into an undergraduate education by participating in supervised work. A fashion internship is completed before graduation and is set up through the school or college the student is attending. Fashion internships are sometimes paid, but the majority are unpaid. Interns also complete a performance review process at the end of the internship.

I recommend: University of Dreams offers fashion internships in merchandising, design, buying and more. They also list fashion internships that are currently available to students. Global Experiences promotes cultural exchange fashion internships. Review the frequently asked questions section for information about international fashion internships.

Computer-aided design (CAD)

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer technology for the design of objects, real or virtual. CAD is used widely in today's fashion schools.

I recommend: Design Training explains CAD and its use in the fashion industry. Just Colleges reviews careers in fashion, design, marketing and merchandising. CAD and its use in the fashion industry; as well as its role as basic coursework in fashion education are discussed.

Fashion study tour

A fashion study tour is a travel experience geared to exploring new cultures and people prominent in fashion and design. Professional appointments and fashion history study are part of the study tour.

I recommend: The University of Central Missouri gives an overview of study tours in its program in Fashion: Textiles and Clothing in Business. The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising gives a short summation of the study tours offered in its curriculum.

Fashion portfolio

A fashion portfolio is a sampling of work done by an artist, fashion student, designer or other professional. Portfolios are important to individuals seeking to start careers or change jobs in the fashion industry.

I recommend: FindYourArtSchool.com offers tips for creating a strong fashion portfolio to present to prospective employers. The University of Hertfordshire provides an example of a course description that teaches students how to build their own fashion portfolio. Many fashion schools today offer courses in portfolio creation and presentation.

Textile design

Textile designers produce designs and creative ideas for knitted, printed and woven textiles as well as some patterned exteriors. Textile designers usually work in a studio with designers in industries such as fashion and interior design. Textile designers are required to have a bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of art in textile design or a bachelor of art in design.

I recommend: Graphic Design Basics tells you about a fashion career in textile design and the education and training required by the industry. The Academy of Art University offers coursework in textile design and is one of the top fashion schools in the United States.

Pattern making

A pattern maker develops precise, professional patterns for clothing. Pattern making is a skill and the majority of fashion schools offer pattern making courses.

I recommend: Apparel Arts, a San Francisco fashion design school, gives a detailed description of a pattern making class.