You are here:

Home
Disciplines
Fashion : Design & Merchandising

— DISCIPLINE • FASHION

Fashion: Design

& Merchandising

Cultivating global design vision through the exploration of international design and retail product development — taught in the capital of haute couture, with direct access to Paris Fashion Week, Prêt-à-Porter, and Première Vision.

VIEW PROGRAMS VIEW STUDENT WORK

— PROGRAM OVERVIEW

“ The PAA fashion student builds a solid foundation of fashion skills — from drawing and composition to haute couture technique, tailoring, and the history of art and fashion.”

The Fashion: Design & Merchandising program develops both creative and commercial fluency. Students gain a practical understanding of colour, drawing, composition, and textiles, alongside hands-on training in hand and machine sewing, haute couture techniques, tailoring, flat pattern, and draping. Costume research and the history of art and fashion provide the historical and conceptual grounding for original creative work.

Faculty are working professionals — haute couture drapers, milliners, fashion journalists, and trend forecasters — bringing direct experience from houses including Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Madame Grès, Balmain, and Nina Ricci into the studio.

— WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Core areas of study

Design & Drawing

Fashion illustration, colour theory, and composition — the visual language of design from sketch to final rendering.

Construction & Couture

Hand and machine sewing, flat pattern, draping, and tailoring — haute couture techniques taught by master practitioners.

Textiles & Materials

Textile design, surface treatment, and material sourcing — including field visits to Marché Saint-Pierre.

History & Merchandising

History of art and fashion, fashion imaging, public relations, marketing, and the luxury industry.

— CHOOSE YOUR PROGRAM

Semester & Summer options

Semester program

A 4-month immersive session, offered during the fall or spring semester. Students follow a full curriculum across design, construction, textiles, and fashion history — building a complete portfolio over the course of the term.

DURATION

15–16 weeks

START DATES

September (Fall) · February (Spring)

FORMAT

Full-time, in person — Paris

VIEW DETAILS APPLY NOW

INTENSIVE

Summer Workshop 2026

Four-week intensive programs in Fashion Design and Merchandising. Students may specialise in one of three tracks. The first workshop takes place in June, the second in July. Application deadline: one month before the start date.

DURATION

4 weeks

SESSIONS

June & July 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE

1 month before start

VIEW DETAILS APPLY NOW

“The street is already a collection. I just learned to read it differently after arriving in Paris.”

— HANNAH SIEGLER — FASHION DESIGN STUDENT, PAA SPRING 2025

— MEET THE FACULTY

Practitioners from the
great houses of Paris

ALL FACULTY

Antonio AZZUOLO

Fashion Design

Antonio AZZUOLO | since 2022 at Paris American Academy | Fashion: Design & Merchandising

Anna BARR

Fashion: Design & Merchandising

Anna BARR | A former fashion student at PAA, Anna Barr is the founder of Pairs Project, editor at FY! Magazine and a trend forecaster

Alexandra CHAMAILLARD

Fashion Design – Millinery

Alexandra CHAMAILLARD | since 2025 at Paris American Academy | Fashion Design – Millinery

Philip FIMMANO

Trend forecaster

Philip FIMMANO | since 2005 at Paris American Academy | Philip FIMMANO is a trend forecaster

Fabien GUYON

Professor of Fashion Imaging and Public Relations

Fabien GUYON | since 2010 at Paris American Academy | Fabien GUYON is Professor of Fashion Imaging and Public Relations

Sharon KILFOYLE

Colorist & Designer

Sharon KILFOYLE | since 2007 at Paris American Academy | Sharon KILFOYLE is a colorist and designer

Colette PICCO

Haute Couture specialist

Colette PICCO | since 2006 at Paris American Academy | Colette Picco is an Haute Couture specialist. She worked as a Draper for Madame Grès for 22 years