Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising


The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a private, for-profit college in California. It offers degree programs in a variety of majors, including fashion, entertainment, beauty, interior design, and graphic design. The college was founded in 1969 by Tonian Hohberg, the institute's president and CEO.

Academics

The college offers 26 Associate of Arts degree programs; a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, which is also available via distance learning; and nine Bachelor of Arts degree programs. The college also offers a Master in Business Administration degree.
The college is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Due to a commission review finding problems in sustainability and faculty oversight in 2019, status has changed from "Accredited" to "Accredited with Notice of Concern". It is also an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Campuses

The college has three campuses: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orange County. The campuses feature the modern architecture of Clive Wilkinson.
FIDM's main campus in Los Angeles features innovative study spaces, a design studio, and the FIDM Museum and Galleries. The San Francisco campus is located in Union Square. The award-winning Orange County campus is a visual experience with lofts, an indoor/outdoor student lounge, bright colors, and a unique audio visual igloo. Students can take their first year of classes at the Orange County and San Francisco campuses, but have to transfer to the Los Angeles campus for their second year.

In popular culture

FIDM served as the location of Lifetime's Project Runway season six, Project Runway: Under the Gunn,, and . Several FIDM alumni, including Santino Rice, Daniel Franco, Guadalupe Vidal, Kelli Martin, and Leann Marshall, were contestants on the original Project Runway show. FIDM was also featured in the MTV show The Hills, which shows the life of upcoming fashion designer, Lauren Conrad, who comes from Laguna Beach and wants to become famous for her designs.

FIDM Museum

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum, located at the Los Angeles Campus, is home to a large collection of fashion and costume pieces from the 1800s to today. The museum features permanent and temporary exhibits, including costumes and designs from early 20th-century Hollywood, theater, and current televisions shows and films.

Notable people

Alumni