Fashion Design
The future of fashion design is sustainable, technological, and interdisciplinary. Learn to design for it now.
Built on a foundation of both art and design, our program will challenge you to develop an intellectually rich and relevant narrative about clothing and fashion in contexts ranging from the personal to the industrial.
Recent Student Work
About the Fashion Design Program
find the perfect path for you.
Every first-year student is mentored by a dedicated academic advisor who guides them in shaping the educational path they desire. This includes course selection and scheduling. Whether you want a studio-intensive or a broader liberal arts-focus, we will help you find the right choice for you.
BFA in Fashion Design
- More studio-intensive experience
- 65 credits of studio courses (about ½ of your total coursework)
- Capstone experience + annual fashion design show thesis exhibition
*Students may also earn the BFA as part of a dual-degree program.
BA in Design
- Broader liberal arts focus
- 30-36 credits of studio courses (about ¼ of your total coursework)
- Optional concentration in Fashion Design
- No capstone requirement
*Students may also earn the BA as part of a dual-degree program.
Second Majors
- Optional concentration in Fashion Design
- Designed for WashU undergraduates pursuing a primary degree in another discipline
- Develops essential skills like visual thinking + creativity
Minors
- Creative Practice for Social Change
- Design
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Studio Art
During senior year, students in the BFA program design a capsule collection that defines their personal aesthetic. Students are guided by faculty and professional mentors from the stages of concept and research, to pattern and muslin, to final garment construction and presentation. Designs are featured by professional models on the runway in the annual Fashion Design Show and reviewed by external fashion professionals.
Recent professional mentors:
2023: Keith Lissner, Executive Vice President, Design, Vera Wang
Rony Patzán, Buyer—American Designer & Evening Collections, Saks Fifth Avenue
Jason Ross, Founder and Creative Director, Artemas Quibble, Wallace Herndon Smith Distinguished Visiting Faculty | Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
Bret Schnitker, Founder and CEO, Stars Design Group
Jillian Shatken, BFA ’07, Owner and Creative Director, Saylor
Paula Varsalona, BFA ’71 Owner, Founder, and Designer, Paula Varsalona NYC
2021: Xavier Brisoux, designer, Maille Haute Sculpture
2020: Philip Fimmano, executive director and curator, Trend Union / Edelkoort Studio
2019: Jillian Shatken, BFA ’07, Owner and Creative Director, Saylor
BFA in Fashion Design students, class of 2023
FASHION DESIGN FACULTY
Work by Mary Ruppert-Stroescu.
Alumni Spotlight
With creativity and determination, alumna Jillian Shatken is leading her fashion line, Saylor, toward a most important trend: sustainability.
Maggie Miller talks about her aesthetic as a designer, how her second major influences her research work in wearable technologies, and more.
