Fashion Courses You Can Take Online Right Now

As a fashion influencer, I spend a lot of my time talking about clothes, trends, collections, and campaigns, but I needed to understand what actually happens behind the scenes a little better.
I don’t have a formal education in fashion, so most of what I know has come from working in the industry, researching, and simply being curious. That’s why I started looking into online fashion courses, and I was surprised by how many interesting options are available. You don’t have to move to London, Paris, or Milan to learn more about fashion, because these few courses can help you grasp all sides of fashion easily.

Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture - Institut Français de la Mode

This is probably the one I’d recommend if you want to start with a clear introduction to the fashion industry. The course lasts for four weeks, and it looks at fashion not only as clothing, but as a business, cultural phenomenon, and form of self-expression. You’ll learn about everything from the rise of the modern fashion industry and the relationship between fashion and society to the way brands use design, trends and collections to communicate. There are also plenty of case studies of current brands that will help you grasp the fashion industry a lot better!

The Future of Fashion - Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design

This is probably one of the courses that was the most useful for me as an influencer because it focuses on the trends and changes that are shaping the industry. From new consumer behaviors and Drop Culture to fashion forecasting and the impact of technology, it has helped me understand all the new things coming to fashion. I particularly like the forecasting part because it’s something we hear about constantly in fashion, but rarely think about, and it has also helped me to become a lot more aware of spotting patterns and behaviors in fashion shows and the way brands communicate.

Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies - Università Bocconi

This is probably the best course to learn about the business of fashion! It explains how fashion and luxury companies actually operate, from branding and product development to retail, communication, international expansion and business strategy. I think this is especially useful if you’re interested in working with fashion brands, starting your own brand, or simply understanding what goes on behind all the beautiful campaigns and runway shows we see online.

Fashion as Design - Coursera

This one is for people who want to look beyond the clothes. Fashion as Design is a three-course series that explores clothing through design, history, culture, and sustainability. You’ll look at iconic silhouettes and garments, think about how clothes communicate identity, and explore everything from production processes to the environmental and social impact of what we wear. I actually love the idea of this one because it goes beyond the usual “what’s trending?” conversation. It makes you think about why we wear what we wear and how clothing can become a form of communication, culture, and even social change!