Top 20
Top 20 Fashion Designing Colleges in India For Study
Students aspiring to learn fashion design in India can enrol in the country’s top fashion designing colleges/institutes, polish their skills and achieve one’s dreams.
Fashion is something that is quite integrated into our society and thus, continues to flourish throughout generations. As such, fashion is an art that creates its own style and allows individuals of all age groups to embrace new trends in clothing and lifestyle.
Did You Know?
The present uniform of the Indian Army (having a disruptive camouflage pattern) was actually designed by the NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology).
While there are a number of institutions that provide courses and training to individuals who want to study fashion designing, this profession is also in great demand on the market. Fashion designers use their creative skills to bring new trends in clothing, which surely leaves an impressive mark on all of us that love to dress in style.
Going forth, we shall take a quick look at the top fashion designing colleges in India, where students interested in taking up courses in fashion designing can apply, learn, practice and show their skills in the fashion industry.
20 Best Institutes in India to Study in Fashion Designing Colleges
Here are some of the best institutions in India to study fashion design and make this field a well-paid career option.
We have also provided links to websites of these top-ranked fashion designing institutions in India, where you can find more detailed information, such as admission, fees, courses, updates, etc.
1. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | New Delhi
City: New Delhi
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/delhi/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
By far, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is the top-ranked and one of the highly popular fashion design colleges in India. The institute opened in 1986 with its headquarters in the country’s capital city. NIFT also has its centres located in 18 cities throughout the country, allowing opportunities for more students residing in those regions.
NIFT Delhi is a recognised institution that is affiliated with the Ministry of Textiles under the Government of India. The institute offers undergraduate (B.Des, B.FTech), post-graduate (M.Des, M.FTech, MFM), and doctoral (PhD – part-time and full-time) programmes in design, management, and technology. It also awards its own degree to pupils. NIFT Delhi offers seven bachelor’s and three master’s programmes and has the largest student strength.
2. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Mumbai
City: Mumbai
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/mumbai/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, Continuing Education (CE) and Diploma Programmes.
NIFT Mumbai takes second place in this list of the top fashion designing institutions in India. Situated in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai, this centre of NIFT was opened in 1995. The institute provides world-class infrastructure, highly equipped labs and machine rooms. Their campus has the latest sports infrastructure and a well-monitored, well-equipped mess facility.
The institute has very highly trained faculties with strong industry connections. They offer employment opportunities to aspirants across all NIFT Centres as well.
The institute is strongly connected with the crafts of the country as a part of its craft cluster initiative. The product innovation process, branding, retail chain, marketing and positioning of these crafts products have also seen a considerable amount of improvement through this intervention. This initiative has also pushed the craftsmen towards online selling which has proved very handy in re-levelling their sales both in the domestic and foreign markets.
3. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Bengaluru
City: Bengaluru
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/bengaluru/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Continuing Education (CE) Programmes.
NIFT Bengaluru centre is located in a prime area with all facilities and infrastructure in and around the campus. The institute has stood as a beacon for inclusive thinking, bringing forth competent individuals who specialise in Design, Technology and Management. It aims at establishing the benchmark for the quality of professionals that go into the fashion industry. The Institute provides comprehensive and state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment to impart both practical and as well as theoretical training.
NIFT Bangalore offers a B.Des and B.F.Tech course with specialisations in Textile Design, Fashion & Lifestyle Accessories, Knitwear Design, Fashion Communication and Fashion Design for a duration of four years and for the postgraduate level of study for two years.
4. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Chennai
City: Chennai
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/chennai/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
NIFT Chennai centre was opened in 1995 and has set up a remarkable and ideal platform for the aspiring and creative young generation in the field of Fashion with Design, technology and Management. The institute produces eminent professional designers with knowledge of the latest trends in the market. It guides and assists those students who want to create an identity in the world of fashion. This institute has experienced teachers who help students from the basic to the practical training course.
The institute offers undergraduate (B.Des, B.FTech) courses, which include Bachelor of Design in Fashion, Accessory, Textile, Knitwear Designing, and Bachelor of Fashion Technology in Apparel Production. The post-graduate course includes Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M) and Master of Fashion Technology (M.FTech).
5. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Patna
City: Patna
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/patna/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
NIFT Patna centre opened in 2008 and was initially located in Udyog Bhavan, Gandhi Maidan. The centre was later shifted to its own permanent campus located at Mithapur Farms. Today, NIFT Patna is counted among the top institutes for fashion designing in India.
NIFT Patna offers undergraduate courses in Bachelor of Design (B.Des) available in four specialisations, a Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech) in Apparel Production, and a postgraduate course in Master of Fashion Management (MFM). The institute also offers a one-year certificate course in Continuing Education (CE) Programme in Fashion and Clothing Technology. Students are allowed to further customise the course of their choice by selecting the options provided by NIFT. These options include Majors, Deepening Specialisations and as well as Career Pathways.
6. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Gandhinagar
City: Gandhinagar
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/gandhinagar/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
NIFT Gandhinagar centre was opened in 1995 in the state of Gujarat. The institute is equipped with modern infrastructure facilities that include well-furnished classrooms and libraries among others. Along with world-class faculty, the institute also offers several essential facilities, such as a recreation centre, gymnasium and excellent sports facilities.
The college offers four years of full-time undergraduate courses in Bachelor of Fashion Design, Bachelor of Accessory Design and Bachelor of Textile Design. Apart from these courses, the institute also endows postgraduate programmes in design.
7. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Hyderabad
City: Hyderabad
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/hyderabad/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
NIFT Hyderabad centre was opened in 1999 and the main building is noted for its architectural grandeur and versatility. The campus facilities provide an ideal and positive environment for an all-rounded learning experience and holistic growth.
The NIFT Hyderabad campus sits between India’s IT hub – Hi-Tech city and the statecraft village, Shilparamam; appropriately epitomizing one of its core mottos, and where tradition meets modernity. With such close proximity to the IT industries and a vibrant city sphere, the campus boasts modern amenities while still being closely rooted in its cultural diversity.
8. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Kolkata
City: Kolkata
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/kolkata/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
NIFT Kolkata centre was opened in 1995 and is one of the five oldest Centres among the NIFT fraternity. With a symbiotic balance between the state government and the garment industries, the institute stands as a pioneer in fashion training and research. The institute is a leader in the eastern part of India for providing education in the field of Design, Technology and Management.
NIFT in Kolkata was initially housed at Manjusha Bhavan, ICMARD Building and later moved to the premises of the College of Leather Technology on a temporary basis. The centre offers two courses, which are a three-year UG Diploma Programme in Fashion Design, and a two years PG Diploma Programme in Garment Manufacturing Technology. These courses were started at the time of the institution’s inception in the region. Subsequently, it started offering another course, a two years PG Diploma Programme in Leather Apparel Design & Technology (LADT).
9. Pearl Academy | New Delhi
City: New Delhi
Website: https://pearlacademy.com/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
Pearl Academy is a privately-owned higher education and fashion designing institute in India. Pearl Academy offers undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses in design, fashion and business. Starting with a campus in Okhla in South Delhi, the institute later moved to a larger campus in Naraina, in the west of the city. The institute also has its campuses located in other cities, like Jaipur, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Pearl Academy has been accorded the Educational Partnership of World Design Organisation (WDO) and has been awarded Assocham Education National Excellence Awards for five consecutive years for being the Best Design Institute in India, from 2016 to 2020.
10. Symbiosis Institute of Design (Symbiosis International University)
City: Pune
Website: https://www.sid.edu.in/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma.
SID (Symbiosis Institute of Design) is an educational institute for designing that runs under Symbiosis International University, which is a deemed university. Ever since its inception, the institute has evolved into a huge training centre, which is renowned for imparting courses that are based according to the needs of the industry. The institute offers many courses that cover the entire study of fashion technology.
The undergraduate (B.Des) courses that are offered by the SID institute include Bachelor of Design in Communication Design, Bachelor of Design in Product Design, Bachelor of Design in Fashion Communication, and Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design, respectively.
11. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Raebareli
City: Raebareli
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/raebareli/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Continuing Education (CE) Programmes.
NIFT Raebareli centre was opened in 2007 in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The institute has a sprawling campus with the main academic and administrative blocks being situated in multi-storied buildings having adequate classrooms, studios, laboratories, and a resource centre which includes the library.
12. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Shillong
City: Shillong
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/shillong/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Continuing Education (CE) Programmes.
NIFT Shillong centre was opened in 2008 in the state of Meghalaya. The institute is situated on the Old North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) campus. The institute boasts of very close contact with the intellectual art and design sect of the society all over the country. Due to the advantage of being one of the leading institutions coming in the state, the institute is now very well networked to satisfy the academic requirements of NIFT at Shillong.
The Centre is currently offering four undergraduate 4 years courses – Fashion Design, Accessory Design, Fashion Communication and Textile Design and one postgraduate 2 years course – Master of Fashion Management. The institute describes itself as a leader in fashion education in the state. The institute has committed itself to explore growth paradigms and acting as a catalyst in formulating the structural roadmap for the apparel and allied industry. NIFT Shillong is looking forward to contributing to the upliftment of the craftsmen through workshops and design intervention.
13. Army Institute of Fashion & Design (AIFD)
City: Bengaluru
Website: https://aifd.edu.in/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes only.
The Army Institute of Fashion & Design is a privately-owned fashion design institute located in Bengaluru. AIFD was opened in 2004 and its primary focus is to make available technical and professional education in the field of fashion design and apparel management. The campus is well-equipped with state-of-the-art machinery in all of its laboratories. The institute is NAAC accredited.
The institute was established by the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES), which is not just limited to meeting the educational needs of the wards and wives of army personnel (both served and serving) in India. AIFD offers UG degree courses, such as B.Sc in Interior Design and Decoration (IDD) and Fashion & Apparel Design (FAD). These degree courses are affiliated with Bangalore University.
14. Pearl Academy | Jaipur
City: Jaipur
Website: https://pearlacademy.com/academics/centers/jaipur/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Weekend Courses.
Pearl Academy in Jaipur is a privately-owned institute for fashion design that also has campuses across three cities, i.e., Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Pearl Academy, Jaipur centre is affiliated with RISU, a pioneering government vocational skills university recognised by UGC. The institution offers over 40 UG and PG degree courses which are uniquely designed for students.
The institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in various design fields. Students who enrol at Pearl Academy (Jaipur centre) are awarded a Professional Diploma from the institute and are eligible to get B. Des. Degree from RISU (Rajasthan ILD Skill University ).
In addition, Pearl Academy offers experience-based learning curriculums to help its students grow as fashion experts.
15. Amity School of Fashion Technology (Amity University)
City: Lucknow
Website: https://www.amity.edu/asft/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma Programmes.
The Amity School of Fashion Technology (ASFT) is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The institute endeavours to create professionals who can understand the dynamics of the global business environment of the fashion and apparel industry in post quota and liberalised textile economy.
The campus has the most modern infrastructure in terms of Garment Construction Lab, Textile Testing Lab and Fabric Manufacturing Lab, a well-stocked library and state-of-art computing room, facilitate research and consultancy.
ASFT offers professional education in the field of Design, Technology & Management of the fashion, textile and apparel industries. The objective of these programmes is to inculcate in the students the aptitude and skills to work as professionals in various functional areas of the Fashion & Apparel Industry.
16. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) | Kangra
City: Kangra
Website: https://www.nift.ac.in/kangra/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Continuing Education (CE) Programmes.
NIFT Kangra centre was opened in 2009 and is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The institute plays an important role in contributing to various segments of the textile, apparel, lifestyle accessories, and fashion communication industry.
Having several hundred students already completing their UG and PG degree courses with high merits and getting successful placements, NIFT Kangra has provided a firm foundation for academics and overall learning. With the new infrastructure being acquired steadily, year by year, the Kangra Campus will have world-class facilities in the years to come.
NIFT Kangra has initiated interventions at several Craft Clusters, in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. A few prominent Craft Clusters are Chamba Rumal and Chamba Leather Juti in Chamba, Kullu Shawls and Jewellery in Kullu, Phulkari in Amritsar, Durries in Amritsar and Wood inlay in Hoshiarpur.
17. JD Institute of Fashion Technology
City: Mumbai
Website: https://jdinstituteoffashiontechnology.com/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, Diploma Programmes and Short Term Courses.
Founded by the JD Institute in 1988, the JD Institute of Fashion Technology is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. They also have other campuses which are located in Kolkata, Pune, Nagpur and the UAE.
JD Institute of Fashion Technology offers a condensed one-year diploma in Fashion Design and a discursive four years Fashion Design curriculum in collaboration with Subharti University. The students get a UGC recognised degree from their collaborator and a diploma from the JD Institute.
JD Institute of Fashion Technology offers many courses in Fashion, Interior Design, Jewellery Design, Merchandising, etc. This institute offers a compact one-year diploma program in fashion design and a four-year programme in collaboration with Subharti University.
18. Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD)
City: New Delhi
Website: https://www.iiad.edu.in/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, Diploma/PG Diploma Programmes and Short Term Online Courses.
IIAD founded in 2015, is one of the best privately-owned fashion designing colleges in India that is known for its international collaboration, such as Kingston School of Art at Kingston University, London. The institute’s partnership with Kingston University helps it to ensure that students get international exposure and a competitive curriculum that is taught under the guidance of professionals in the industry.
Owing to IIAD’s collaboration with Kingston University, during the course of their degree programme, students have an option to transfer to universities abroad to complete their studies.
IIAD has also launched an online design upskilling platform called AND Academy, which helps train students to become professional designers in high-demand specialisations.
19. Indian Institute of Fashion and Design (IIFD)
City: Chandigarh
Website: https://iifd.in/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma Programmes.
IIFD New Delhi is considered the best fashion design college in Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. The institute ensures to deliver the best knowledge and international standards of education to budding designers in the discipline of fashion designing.
The institute offers excellence through various academic courses and out of the classrooms with esteemed experienced faculty members.
IIFD holds a well-established name in the education and fashion ecosystem. The advanced curriculum, industry insights and national and international exposure are the main areas of focus in delivering flexible degree courses to students in the field.
20. Vogue Institute of Art & Design
City: Bengaluru
Website: https://www.voguefashioninstitute.com/
Courses Offered: UG Programmes, PG Programmes, and Diploma/PG Diploma Programmes.
Vogue Institute of Art & Design in Bengaluru is one of the best art and design institutes in India. The institute has created a niche for itself in the area of design with programmes in interior design, textile design, fashion designing, product designing, animation and multimedia, and design management.
The college campus is well-equipped with facilities like libraries, laboratories, amphitheatre, auditorium and more. The institute provides innovative teaching methodologies and practices to implement outcome-based learning, and also stimulate students learning interests.
Vogue Institute of Art & Design is the first institute to initiate a degree programme in fashion designing in the year 1999 with Bengaluru University.
Wrapping Up
In the present time, plenty of new avenues and newer prospects have opened up for the young generations of skilled minds. The field is for those who have an eye for style, creativity, fashion, trend, originality and above all, a knack for promoting their creations.
A career in fashion designing cannot be wholly achieved with academics, rather, it needs inner talent and a deep passion for fabric, colours, styling and designing.
