Fashion Schools and Programs in Canada

Fashion Studies in Canada

Fashion Design Studio at The Ryerson School of Fashion in TorontoCanada is indeed a very fashionable country thanks to its well-known fashion designers such as Jeremy Laing, Greta Constantine, Pink Tartan, Denis Gagnon, Lida Baday, Sid Neigum, Joe Fresh, and Canadian fashion labels such as Smythe, Mackage, and DUY. All these designers and fashion labels produce very fashionable clothing that have helped rank Canada among the top countries in the fashion industry. Its rank in the industry makes it an ideal location for students both local and international to study fashion. This is a country that you should definitely consider if fashion is your passion.

What is fashion?

We all deal with fashion every single day and even people who claim not to care about what they wear, choose clothes each and every morning that communicate a lot about them and how they are feeling that day. It is, therefore, correct to say that we all have a fashion sense but it is our passions that differ. People who are very passionate about fashion are usually driven to study it as a course so as to improve their creativity and other matters related to it. Fashion is very important as it allows people to try out many roles in life. If you prefer Chanel-chic or hip-hop, fashion conciliates the chameleon in each and every one of us. We use fashion to celebrate the variety and diversity of the globe in which we reside in and it is all about change which is essential to keep life exciting.

As a study, fashion can be understood as the art that teaches people the practice of clothing, accessories, clothing, body, makeup, and furniture.

History of fashion in Canada

Fashion and fashion designed emerged in Canada in mid 19^th century with the widespread recognition of the added cultural and commercial value of personal authorship behind the creation of clothing that was fashionable. Charles Frederick Worth is acknowledged as the inventor of the outline for the present fashion designer.

The clothing industry in the country was established in 1871 and the Canadians whose careers closely corresponded with Worth’s model were tailors and dressmakers who managed very small-scale establishments that catered for the local markets in the urban environs. The most well-known fashion designers in this era were G.M. Holbrook in Ottawa, and Co and O’Brien, and William Stitt in Toronto. More designers continued to emerge over the years, for instance, Marie-Paule Nolin and Gaby Bernier. After World War II the Canadian designers at the time established the Association of Canadian Couturiers in Montréal so as to increase their media presence and make themselves known to the world. The 1960s saw the emergence of new fashion designers who manufactured high-end-ready-to-wear clothes under their names. This has been the trend since then and many more designers have emerged and are still emerging in the country thus making it necessary to introduce fashion as a study and establish fashion schools across the country.

Fashion Study in Canada

The fashion industry in Canada is quite huge and major which makes it beneficial to pursue the course there. Besides that, Canada offers its students quality education and an international exposure for them to learn and understand the best of all worlds. For the best education, there are a number of universities you could consider. These include the Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario; Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC; Humber College, Toronto, Ontario, UQAM, Montreal, Quebec; NSCAD, Halifax, Nova Scotia; George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario; and LaSalle College, Montreal, Quebec just to mention a few.

There are a number of fashion courses offered in all academic levels. Some of the courses you could consider are Fashion Design, Men’s Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Costume Design for Cinema and Television, International Fashion Development and Marketing, Fashion Management, Fashion Techniques and Design, Textiles, Fashion Styling and Design, Fashion Arts, Fashion Management and Program, Fashion and Technology, Technical Apparel Design, and Fashion Communication. You can visit the universities official websites to learn more about the universities and the courses offered as you enrol to study in the country.

Besides acquiring a quality education, studying fashion in Canada enables the students to acquire a good foundation in many sectors such as history, fashion theory, design and textiles. This enables the students to develop the essential soft and hard skills that are very important that will quickly move them into job positions after they graduate. Besides the classroom sessions and exposure to skills, students have the opportunity to network with professionals and scholars in the industry. Networking is very important in this industry since it is a small community. Students get the chance to network with fashion professionals via speakers in their classroom sessions, competitions supported by the industry, and internships awarded to students. This gives them a good start when advancing towards their career goals.

The study of fashion basically merges essential design guidelines with an exploration of visual culture and trend forecasting. Projects carried out in a studio are also applied so as to develop certain skills such as colour theory and fibre exploration, drawing, mixing and applying paint, and rendering.

It is important to note that all careers in the field are creative. It is, however, important to have knowledge on business practices and have the capability to think and make sound decisions. All these are necessary for one to succeed in this industry. One should also have research skills, be able to multi task, and have an appreciation for the art of fashion and the business in order to achieve his or her career goals.

As a student studying fashion, there are a number of career options for you. Some of them include being a designer, image consultant, stylist, jeweller merchandiser, fashion marketer, or a visual merchandiser just to mention a few.
If fashion is your passion, then take this opportunity and pursue your studies in the subject in Canada and get to interact with the best of the best in the industry as you work towards achieving your career goals and objectives.