For aspiring fashion students in New York with aspirations of working and studying in the heart of Europe, a major new educational pathway is officially on the horizon. Beginning in the fall 2027 semester, LIM College, the private institution renowned for its focus on the business side of the fashion industry, will offer a unique bachelor’s degree program in collaboration with its French sister school, ESMOD.
Through this newly announced partnership, students enrolled in the program will have the rare opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Fashion Design and Business. A core component of the curriculum involves spending both the sophomore and junior years studying abroad at ESMOD, widely recognized as the world’s oldest fashion school. Founded in Paris in 1841 by master tailor Alexis Lavigne, ESMOD has long been a pillar of traditional European technique, craftsmanship, and haute couture heritage.
The structure of the hybrid degree program is designed to give students a comprehensive, multi-faceted education that bridges the often-divided worlds of creative design and corporate strategy. Under the current academic roadmap, freshmen will begin their educational journey at LIM’s Midtown Manhattan campus in New York City. During this foundational first year, students will immerse themselves in essential business disciplines, building a strong core in marketing, management, and communications within one of the global capitals of commerce.
Following their initial year in New York, the academic focus shifts dramatically toward the artistic and technical realms of fashion. Students will relocate to Paris for their sophomore and junior years, deeply integrating themselves into ESMOD’s rigorous, technique-driven curriculum. Beyond the classroom walls, students will benefit from the endless fount of cultural and aesthetic inspiration that Paris provides as a historic epicenter of global style. Finally, to bring their undergraduate experience full circle, seniors will return to LIM’s Midtown Manhattan campus to complete their final year of advanced studies, leadership training, and career preparation.
To successfully graduate from this demanding dual-continent program, candidates will be required to meet high-level professional and creative standards. Students must complete two distinct industry internships during the course of their studies, ensuring they gain hands-on, real-world experience before entering the competitive job market. Additionally, as a culminating capstone requirement, graduating seniors must design, develop, and present a complete fashion collection.
According to LIM President Ron Marshall, the program directly addresses a critical evolution in the modern apparel and lifestyle industries. Marshall noted that possessing "dual-literacy"—a fluency in both the creative and commercial aspects of the industry—is precisely what modern fashion and lifestyle companies are aggressively seeking in today’s competitive job market. Great design ideas alone are no longer enough, he emphasized, unless they are paired with the technical design skills required to execute them and the sharp business acumen needed to implement and scale them globally.
Elaborating on the vision behind the collaborative curriculum, Marshall explained that students enrolled in the program will no longer be forced to choose between studying exclusively fashion design or exclusively fashion business. Instead, they will graduate with deep knowledge of both disciplines, direct professional experience in both fields, and international networks that span both creative and corporate sectors. By experiencing the entire lifecycle of the industry firsthand, students will learn how great products are originally conceived and created, as well as how successful, enduring brands are built and sustained over the long term.
This innovative BBA program represents the latest milestone in an ongoing institutional dialogue between LIM College and ESMOD. The partnership was formally enabled after LIM joined ESMOD under the umbrella of the Japan Educational Foundation (JEF) last year, marking a significant structural expansion for both historic educational institutions.
Marshall highlighted that this corporate and academic alignment has opened doors to cross-institutional cooperation in ways that were previously not possible. As an early preview of the creative synergies developing between the two schools, ESMOD students recently contributed original apparel looks to LIM’s 81st annual fashion show, which took place in New York City at The Glasshouse. The event showcased international design talent and underscored the growing academic ties uniting the sister institutions across continents.
Looking ahead, leadership from both organizations anticipates even broader collaborative initiatives. Marshall indicated that LIM and ESMOD, alongside other distinguished institutions within the JEF global portfolio, will continue to explore and develop multiple opportunities for integrated programming. Through these ongoing efforts, both colleges aim to pioneer new educational models designed to benefit students around the world in innovative ways, preparing the next generation of global leaders to navigate an increasingly interconnected fashion landscape.
