Condé Nast says: With students from 23 countries having successfully passed the rigorous admissions process, the ten-week course is designed to offer an intensive grounding in the workings of the fashion industry. This is the first College operated by multi-media publishers Condé Nast globally, and is a significant addition to the education arena.
Nicholas Coleridge (pictured), President of Condé Nast International and Managing Director of Condé Nast Britain, comments: “Condé Nast is well placed to enter the field of education, with the considerable authority and expertise vested in the Vogue brand. We are delighted to welcome our first students to our international College, and to assist in creating the next generation of talent in the fashion industry”.
Susie Forbes, Principal of The Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design adds: “Our courses offer unrivalled access – a front row seat into this famously opaque and hard-to-get-into industry. This access, combined with rigorous academic programming, will deliver insight into all aspects of the fashion industry, including the complex workings of the international fashion calendar, styling and art direction, brand marketing and the all-important retail sector, from luxury to high street. Our alumni will leave the college with not only a vastly improved understanding of how the fashion industry works, but also a significantly more informed idea about which part of the business they wish to work in, and a greatly improved chance of attaining that goal.”
With half of the first intake of students derived from Britain and the EU, students have enrolled from the United States, Mexico, South America, the Middle East, the Far East, Turkey, Eastern Europe and Australia. To date, the College has received applications from 45 countries around the world for both its ten-week and year-long courses, and the College will accommodate up to 300 students a year. The College does not charge a higher fee for international students than it does for British or EU students.
Principal of the College Susie Forbes, a former Deputy Editor of Vogue, has employed academics with substantial expertise to create the Faculty. Vice Principal Dr Gary Pritchard has worked in arts education leadership for over ten years, and was previously Associate Dean (Art, Media & Design) of the University of Wales; Course Director Angela Jones is an educational consultant at London College of Fashion and the Domus Academy in Milan; and Senior Lecturer (Digital Learning), Kate Cheal is an Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Teacher.
In addition to formal teaching, inspirational practical sessions and seminars, outside visits to designers’ studios and talks from industry leaders, the College will exploit the full potential of the latest educational technology. The year-long Vogue Fashion Foundation Diploma will begin in October 2013 with a further 45 students, including three full scholarship places funded by Condé Nast. Further courses, branded to the Condé Nast titles, are envisaged thereafter.
The Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design is based in the heart of Soho at 16-17 Greek Street, a short walk away from Vogue House, Condé Nast’s London headquarters. Courses are currently validated by the Open College Network; the formal qualification of the 10-week Vogue Fashion Certificate is The OCN Eastern Region Level 4 Certificate in Fashion (Vogue) (QCF).
