15 Best Fashion Schools in Canada|Tiution & Scholarships

Fashion can be said to be one of those glamorous occupations that most creative individuals have dreamed of becoming.

The fashion industry is a wonderful playground, especially for those who have a strong flair for fashion. Interestingly there are so many opportunities for you whether you are experienced or inexperienced. Read on to see the fashion schools in Canada.

How much can I earn as a fashion designer in Canada?

Fashion designers can earn an average annual salary of $52,706 per year and can equally earn up to $85,000 per year especially if they have the right experience.

What are some cities to Immigrate to as a Fashion Designer in Canada?

There are some beautiful cities in Canada that you should definitely think of before moving to Canada. The following cities will give you the best chances of success; especially in your visa application if you are an international student.

  • Vancouver, British Columbia-earn between $63,555 and $109.507 per year.

  • Montreal, Québec-earn anywhere from $42,574 and $51,859 per year.

  • Toronto, Ontario-earn a salary of around $50,659 to $73,000 per annum.

How do I Make a Career In Fashion Designing?

1. PURSUE A DEGREE IN FASHION DESIGN IN ANY OF THE FASHION SCHOOLS IN CANADA

If you plan to not just work in the fashion industry but become a pioneer in it then you need to indulge and gain knowledge about the basics of this glamorous industry. Usually, you can obtain these basics from any of the fashion schools in Canada.

Any fashion enthusiast who aspires to become a successful fashion designer should get admitted to a fashion design college as these colleges help you to become industry-ready.

Pursuing a fashion designing course in the fashion schools in Canada will extensively enable you to understand the working of the fashion industry collaboratively – fashion design history, clothing textiles, sketching and drawing outfits, fashion events, managing a fashion house, etc.

2. GAIN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE OF FASHION



Fashion is unfathomably an adorable art.

That is why it is utterly important to study and understand the history of fashion.

Be it Vera Wang, Oscar De La Renta or Vivenne Westwood, all of these famous fashion designers were once the students of Philosophy of Art, which is a great course to indulge in as it enables you to express your ideas and put them in an appropriate context.

3. PLAY THE ‘MAKING CONTACTS’ GAME WELL


If you make the right contacts early on, it’ll prove to be very beneficial in developing your career as a fashion designer.

You should start meeting and communicating with people from the fashion industry as early as possible, preferably while you are still a Fashion Design student in any of the fashion schools in Canada.

You should also be flexible with paid or unpaid internships as it will help you to develop experience in the field.

It is much easier to get a job on a recommendation than trying to convince others that you have what it takes to prove your worth as a designer.

4. DETERMINE YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE

Don’t opt for being a jack of all trades and the master of one.

Choose your area of expertise judiciously and pursue it professionally while determining a career in fashion designing.

Figure out what your area of interest is, whether it is men’s wear, women’s wear, children’s wear, sportswear, or accessory designing, in order to move progressively towards the business aspect of fashion.

5. SET UP A BUSINESS-ORIENTED MINDSET


Fashion is an impressive form of art, but it is also a billion dollars industry.

It has been evidently spoken by world-renowned fashion designers that in order for them to succeed, they had to understand and learn the business aspect of the fashion industry as well.

It helps you to further understand how to run a successful business as you’ll discover new and engrossing ways to promote your brand and make it stand out from the crowd.

6. KEEP AN EYE FOR DETAIL AND THINK OUT OF THE BOX


If you are a keen observer of detail, understand the world of color palettes, textures, and are impressively well at sketching figures, then don’t let your talent go in vain.

An ideal way to brush up your skills is to be a part of a Fashion Design Institute.

Design institutes are well equipped with more than enough facilities and experienced faculty to help you become a better designer.

On an everyday basis, you get to learn and experience innumerable new things which can further help you in building your fashion career. 

A lot of the top fashion design colleges in Mumbai are not only beneficial in imparting theoretical knowledge but also help the students to gain practical knowledge.

Hands-on practical knowledge and exposure to the industry are the primary focuses. Ideations, innovation in fashion, and styling cues can be gained from such colleges.

7. DESIGN A PORTFOLIO


In order for you to establish yourself as a fashion designer and to be taken seriously by your fellow industry mates, you need to demonstrate your work in your under-graduation through an impressive portfolio.

It is important that you treat every assignment given to you during your under-graduation with utmost sincerity as it will help to shape your future as a fashion designer.

A good portfolio allows you to show off a range of skill sets, including sketching, sewing, and pattern-making abilities.

8. KEEPING UP WITH THE TRENDS


The fashion industry is a rapidly changing industry.

The industry has something new to offer with every passing season.

That is why it is very important for aspiring fashion designers to keep up with the trends all around the globe.

You can be up to date with the trends around by religiously reading industry journals and magazines.

WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT SKILLS NEEDED TO BE A FASHION DESIGNER IN CANADA?

You need the following skills; either acquired from the fashion schools in Canada or self-built, to succeed in the industry.

Sketching: 

To become a great fashion designer, you need to possess some artistic skills such as sketching.

This will help you create a pictorial representation of the mental design on your head or any other intended design you want to create.

Computer-aided design (CAD): 

Once you have an idea of what you want to make on paper, you’ll need to convey your imagination into the digital world with a CAD program.

Fashion research: Before you design apparel, it is important you carry out research to see the latest trends and the applicability of that style you have in mind.

The everyday life of fashion designers hovers around the research.

Business skills: As a fashion designer who wants to make it in the business, you have to have a good knowledge of the business world and how to go around numbers. This skill goes a long way to determining your earnings.

Effective communication: Ideally, every business person needs to know and understand what it means to effectively communicate.

From sharing fashion ideas to getting them done efficiently, a fashion designer should know how to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.

Time management: Every fashion designer should know how to allot and manage his or her time effectively. This will help you keep up with the flow and meet up with clients’ demands.

Self-confidence: What self-confidence does to a fashion designer is that it gives you that assurance and insight that the effort you are putting in is worth it.

In the fashion world where designs are distinctively creative, carving a personal niche and style will help you excel.

Accepting criticism: Despite the efforts and ingenuity you put into the profession, as a fashion designer, you should be able to accept criticism with a good heart.

This is the only way your error and flaws will be highlighted and corrected. The whole idea of accepting criticism is that it will help you be a better person.

List of the Best Fashion Schools in Canada for domestic and international students

  • Ryerson University School of Fashion

  • George Brown college

  • Lasalle College

  • Humber College

  • Fanshawe College

  • Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy

  • Seneca College Fashion

  • Lethbridge College

  • Kwantlen Polytechnic University

  • Olds College Fashion

  • Sheridan College Fashion

  • Academy of Design

  • University of Alberta Fashion

  • École Holt Couture – School of Sewing and Design

  • Coco Fashion Design Institute

Ryerson University School of Fashion

  • Location: Downtown Toronto

  • Programs: Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design or Fashion Communication), Masters of Art

  • Length: Full-time 4 years (Bachelor) and Full-time 2 years (Masters of Art)

  • Tuition: $27462 (4-year Bachelor) and $30707 (Masters of Art) depending on the course registered.

  • Requirements: Portfolio, resumé, short essay. Mail-in submission.

    There is a non-refundable $50 non-academic required assessment fee.

This is one of the fashion schools in Canada. It is Canada’s leading university fashion program offering a Bachelor of Design and Master of Arts.

Fashion at Ryerson nurtures students to systemically transform the Canadian and global fashion system by advancing the principles of inclusion, decolonization, and sustainability.

Ranked in the Business of Fashion global fashion school assessment, The Best Fashion Schools in the World 2019, external link. Received badges on the undergraduate level for both:

  • Fashion Design – Best in Global Influence
  • Fashion Communication – Best Overall, Best in Learning Experience, Best in Long-Term Value

The bachelor’s programs are the Fashion Communication and Fashion design programs, which provide a Bachelor of Design (BDes) degree.

On the other hand, Ryerson’s Masters’s program is the Fashion (MA) which is the only of its kind in Canada.

George Brown college

  • Location: Toronto – Casa Loma Campus

  • Programs: Fashion Techniques and Design Program, Fashion Management Program, Fashion Business Industry Program, and International Fashion Development and Management Program

  • Length: 1 year (International Fashion Development) and 2 years (Fashion Techniques and Design, Fashion Management, Fashion Business Industry)

  • Tuition: $3,498.00 (International Fashion Development), and $7000 – $7300 for the other three 2-year programs.

  • Requirements: Grade 11 or 12 Math and Grade 12 English.

Financial aid available:

In 2018-2019, the awarded funding was $7.9 million.

George Brown College is one of the fashion schools in Canada that will help balance work, home, and education with their full-time, part-time, and continuing education programs to suit your availability and allow you to work towards a diploma, degree, or certificate.

George Brown College’s Awards program recognizes students in need along with those who demonstrate excellence.

Scholarships, awards, and bursaries assist students with the costs of their education.

Emergency funding is also available should a student be experiencing serious financial difficulty due to a sudden and unexpected situation.

In 2018-2019, the awarded funding was $7.9 million.

The George Brown College Work-Study Program provides opportunities for students to work on campus for up to 15 hours per week.

Lasalle College

  • Location: Montreal, Qc

  • Programs: Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing program

  • Length: Both programs are 3 years in length but there is an intensive option where you can finish the program in 2 years.

  • Tuition: $42108 for the Fashion Design program and $40272 for the Fashion Marketing program. $28964 for the intensive Fashion Design program and $27704 for the intensive Fashion Marketing program.

  • Requirements: A secondary school diploma with the following courses or equivalent: Language of Instruction, Second Language, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and History.

Founded in 1959 by Jean-Paul Morin in the LaSalle borough of Montréal, LaSalle College is a subsidized private post-secondary educational institution. It is listed as one of the fashion schools in Canada for domestic and international students.

Today it provides professional, college, and pre-university training.

Now located in the heart of the city’s downtown area, it is the largest bilingual college in North America.

Here, students experience creativity on a daily basis. Whether it is due to the very nature of creativity-based programs, the activities on offer, or the visual elegance of the facilities, the school does all that it can to promote inventiveness and creativity.

Students have access to specialist equipment and facilities (photo studio, Techno-Espace, 3D printer, collaborative classes, etc.) to produce successful creative projects.

Students and graduates have exclusive access to Portfolios, a social platform that showcases their accomplishments, their expertise, and their creativity.

Humber College

Financial aids available:

  • Location: Toronto–North (205 Humber College Blvd.) and Lakeshore Campus (3199 Lake Shore Blvd W)

  • Programs: Fashion Arts, Fashion Management and Promotions, and Bachelor of Commerce–Fashion Management

  • Length: 1 year (Fashion Management and Promotions), 2 years (Fashion Arts), and 4 years (Bachelor of Commerce – Fashion Management)

  • Tuition: $5,349 (Fashion Management), $7370 (Fashion Arts), and $27485 (Bachelor of Commerce)

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree is required for the Fashion Management and Promotions course

This is one of the fashion schools in Canada with state-of-the-art labs and creative space which enables students to unleash their innovative and entrepreneurial thinking.

They offer integrated opportunities that help you move from a certificate to a diploma to a degree and beyond.

They have international partnerships to help you broaden your learning experience and develop intercultural skills – that’s the formula that makes Humber a global leader in polytechnic education.

Fanshawe College

Financial aids and scholarships are available.

  • Location: London, Ontario

  • Programs: Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising Diploma programs

  • Length: The Fashion Merchandising program is 2 years and the Fashion Design program is 3 years.

  • Tuition: $8806 for the Fashion Merchandising program and $14037 for the Fashion Design program

  • Requirements: High school diploma is required but the Fashion Design program also requires a Grade 12 English credit and a Grade 11 or 12 math credit.

Fanshawe is a comprehensive college serving the greater London region by providing flexible learning arrangements and experiential education opportunities developed in response to labor market needs.

One of Ontario’s largest colleges – with four campuses in London, Simcoe, St. Thomas, and Woodstock – Fanshawe serves close to half a million people with a promise to educate, engage, empower and excite.

They are one of the fashion schools in Canada that offer more than 200 degrees, diplomas, certificates, and apprenticeship programs to 43,000 students each year, helping people unlock their potential and achieve success in a variety of disciplines.

Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy

  • Location: Downtown Ottawa

  • Programs: Fashion Designer, Couturier programs and several part-time courses (Fashion Sketching, Haute Couture, Pattern Making, Textiles, Lingerie, Draping, Hat Making, and Marketing/Merchandising)

  • Length: 2 years for each program and 4 months per part-time course.

  • Tuition: $12,000 for the Fashion Designer program, $6500 for the Couturier program, and $295-$1000 for the part-time classes.

  • Requirements: High School Diploma and basic knowledge of sewing.

Financial aid, loans, and grants are available.

At Richard Robinson Academy of Fashion Design, their objective is to teach the highest standards in the fashion industry so that their students are best prepared for a career in Fashion. They are one of the top fashion schools in Canada.

You get to learn Haute Couture Sewing, Pattern Making, Fashion Sketching, Textiles/Fabric manipulation, History of Fashion, Marketing and Branding, Corset Making, Draping on a Mannequin, Graphic Design, Lingerie, Men’s Tailoring, and Hat Making.

They are one of the fashion schools in Canada that is nationally and internationally renowned. This Private Career College was established in 1969. Upon graduation, you will be awarded a College Diploma that is transferable to any related College or University program.

Seneca College Fashion

  • Location: Toronto, ON, Newnham Campus

  • Programs: Fashion Arts, Fashion Business, Fashion Business Management, and Fashion Studies.

  • Length: 1 year for the Fashion Studies program, and 2 years for the Fashion Business program, and 3 years for the Fashion Arts and Fashion Business Studies program.

  • Tuition: $10,618 for the Fashion Arts and Fashion Business Management programs, $7,078 for the Fashion Business program, and $3,539 for the Fashion Studies program.

  • Requirements: All programs require a high school diploma with a Grade 12 English credit.

    The Fashion Business and Fashion Business Management program also requires a Grade 12 Math credit.  Mature students can also apply if over 19 years of age.

You may be eligible for up to $2,000 in non-repayable aid based on financial need.

Total four-year scholarship based on maintenance of grades:

  • 70% or 3.0 GPA+ — $2,000 ($500 per year)
  • 75% or 3.3 GPA+ — $3,000 ($750 per year)
  • 80% or 3.6 GPA+ — $4,000 ($1,000 per year)

Fashion is about making a statement! their programs in fashion and esthetics challenge you to combine your creativity with professional skills to help you succeed in the industry.

Through field placements, competitions, and Seneca’s Fashion Resource Centre – a collection of Canadian-worn garments and accessories – you will experience the industry, build connections and develop a career.

They are one of the fashion schools in Canada with programs like fashion arts, fashion business, fashion business management, and fashion studies.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

  • Location: Richmond, British Columbia

  • Programs: Fashion Marketing Diploma and Fashion & Technology Bachelor of Design

  • Length: 2 years for the diploma program and 4 years for the Bachelor of Design program.

  • Tuition: Cost is per course not for the whole program. The cost for a three-credit course is around $350.

  • Requirements: High school diploma with grade 12 English with a minimum B grade for the degree program and minimum C+ for the diploma program.

    The degree program requires a portfolio review and orientation session and the diploma program requires a letter of interest.

Financial aid and scholarships are available.

For more than 30 years, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) has provided students with the skills they need for the careers they want.

They are one of the fashion schools in Canada that offer a range of degree, diploma, certificate, and citation programs with opportunities for hands-on experience and experiential learning.

Why stop at theory when you can also harness the power of experience?

Launch your career and make a positive impact on your community with experiential learning at KPU.

Olds College

Scholarships and federal loans are available.

The Olds College Fashion Apparel is one of the fashion schools in Canada that prepares its graduates to contribute to the growth and development of the apparel engineering industry by providing educational excellence in patternmaking, fitting, apparel construction, and alterations with a foundation in design and product development. They are one of the top fashion schools in Canada that can help you with the things listed below.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

Manage apparel projects.

Select fabrics for textile products.

Identify historical sources of apparel.

Communicate effectively to meet or exceed the demands of the fashion workplace.

Create patterns for standard and individual shapes using flat patterns and draping methods.

Operate industrial sewing and pressing equipment.

Construct basic and advanced garments.

Demonstrate employability skills, as required in the fashion workplace.

Apply elements and principles of design to apparel.

Alter garments to meet clients’ needs.

Analyze product development as it relates to the apparel industry.

Prepare patterns for production.

Use equipment and technology to meet the needs of the apparel industry.

Sheridan College Fashion

This is one of the fashion schools in Canada with a textiles Studio providing a range of traditional and contemporary techniques and methods.

Learning from design professionals in our state-of-the-art facilities, you’ll get hands-on experience in 2D and 3D fiber-specific approaches, including printing, weaving, dyeing, off-loom techniques, digital design, and sewing.

They foster and encourage experimentation and exploration of the fiber medium.

Its Visual Merchandising Arts is a two-year diploma program that equips fashion lovers with not only the skills they need for visual merchandising but also with communication and leadership skills.

Coco Fashion Design Institute

  • Location: Toronto, 348 Ryding Ave.

  • Programs: Patternmaking and Garment Construction Certificate, Makeup Artistry Course, and Pattern Development for Fashion Design Diploma.

  • Length: 1 year for the diploma and certificate program and 6 days for the Makeup Artistry Course,

  • Tuition: $4000 for the diploma program,$4500 for the certificate program, and $975 for the Makeup Artistry Course.

  • Requirements: Ontario High School Diploma or a qualifying test if applying as a mature student.

Coco Fashion Design Centre is a private career college offering various courses to students interested in designing and creating clothes.

There is a wide variety of courses that are offered by the college.

Lethbridge College

  • Location: Lethbridge, Alberta

  • Programs: Fashion Design and Marketing Certificate

  • Length: The program is 1 year in duration.

  • Tuition: Tuition for the Fashion Design and Marketing program is $11865.

  • Requirements: High school diploma is required with a minimum of 50% in math.

Lethbridge College offers preparatory studies, vocational training, and university transfer programs in 50 career fields, leading to one-year certificates, two-year diplomas, apprenticeships, and bachelor’s degrees.

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