Fashion design programs teach you to design and make garments and products. Fashion business programs teach buying, merchandising, marketing, management and strategy. Both matter to the industry, but they are different education.
What we do
This directory lists related fashion studies such as business, merchandising, communication, styling, luxury management and history, but keeps them clearly separate from design education. A marketing degree is never labelled a design degree.
How to tell them apart
Look at the course list. Design programs spend most of their time on drawing, pattern cutting, construction and collection development. Business programs spend it on retail, finance, brand and consumer studies. Some programs combine both; the listing shows the subjects the program names.
Choosing
If you want to design or make, choose a design program and check studio time. If you want to buy, manage or market, a business program fits better. If you are unsure, look for programs with a common first year.