Fashion schools are adapting their recruitment tactics to appeal to a more skeptical new generation of students at the intersection of design, education, economics, and social media.
Walk onto any fashion school campus and you’ll realize something has changed. The eager-eyed applicants used to flocking to design schools simply because of the prestige attached to their names have been replaced by a more skeptical, savvy cohort who want to know exactly what their four years and quarter of a million dollars will get them back.
Schools used to simply relying on name recognition to lure in would-be designers have been forced to rethink their whole approach to recruitment, from messaging to curricula, in order to convince this new, skeptical generation that studying fashion is still worth it.
Why Generation Z Is So Hard To Recruit
Gen Z has had the privilege of watching their millennial predecessors get into crippling debt only to find the fashion industry to be extremely fickle and automation-proof at the exact same time. They’ve seen influencers put their name on a logo from their bedroom and see it go viral on Tik Tok.
And they’ve seen the entire industry go through waves of layoffs and contractions at the first sign of economic instability. All of these factors have combined to make this generation far more skeptical about going into a notoriously mercurial industry than any before it
They aren’t necessarily anti-education, but they are fiercely practical and want to understand how an investment of time and money will pay off for them personally before handing over their life savings to any university with a nice ring to its name
This skepticism isn’t just limited to fashion – enrollment rates across the board for liberal arts, creative, and performative degrees have been steadily declining for years as students become more and more pragmatic about their educational spending and its ROI (return on investment).
However, the confluence of fashion’s precarious job market and this new generation’s reluctance to throw good money after bad has left recruiters in an especially tough spot.
How Fashion Schools Are Rethinking Recruitment
Recruitment messaging has changed drastically in response to this new wave of skepticism. While prestige still has its appeal, it’s no longer enough – leading programs are now far more focused on emphasizing outcomes over image when it comes to recruitment.
Leading With Outcomes Data Over Image
Schools are now far more outcome-focused when it comes to recruitment, providing specific metrics on employment rates, salaries by specialty, and desirable job placements in order to convince prospective students that the investment of time and money will be worth it.
Talking Up Alternate Career Tracks Within The Industry
Recruiters are also emphasizing the variety of career options that a degree opens up, beyond the traditional paths of runway design and luxury brand building, in order to appeal to a generation that’s far less loyal to any one brand or vertical.
Making Costs And Financial Aid Information More Accessible
Some programs are now being much more upfront about their cost structures and what kinds of financial aid packages are available, understanding that this information has traditionally been a point of hesitation for prospective students
While this might seem like a risky proposition to some recruiters, it’s actually been received very well by the target demographic, who tend to be very turned off by hard-sell tactics
Adapting The Curriculum
While changes to recruitment messaging have certainly played a part in addressing enrollment concerns, there’s also been a push to adapt the curriculum itself in response to the new wave of student skepticism.
Making Sustainability A Requirement, Not An Elective
Younger students are demanding that sustainability and ethics be woven into the very DNA of the curriculum, rather than saved as an à la carte elective for those niche markets that care about it. This trend has been widely seen across the industry as an increasing number of programs make circularity, ethical production practices, and sustainable material innovation a requirement across all tracks rather than an optional add-on
Teaching Technical Skills That Have Immediate Application
3D design programs, digital pattern-making, and other technical competencies that can be leveraged immediately in the workplace are now being prioritized, as many students are looking to maximize their ROI by minimizing the amount of time spent in school before entering the workforce
Offering Shorter, More Accessible Programs
Some schools are also offering shortened, more accessible programs for students who want to test the waters before committing to a full degree, realizing that this demographic is more hesitant to spend a large sum of money up front.
Modifying Traditional Tuition Structures
Some fashion schools are now considering alternative ways to structure traditional tuition payments in order to make programs more attractive to budget-conscious students
Rather than a standard up-front payment structure, schools are experimenting with graduated, extended payment plans that eat into a student’s finances less severely over a longer period of time, while still providing the same total value.
The Impact Of Reality TV On Student Expectations
Reality television shows focused on the fashion industry have had a major impact on the industry’s recruitment strategies, as many prospective students underestimate how long it takes to build a viable design career, having watched these aspirational shows that condense the process into a condensed, dramatic format. Fashion schools have had to rethink their messaging around the long tail of a design career in order to temper these unrealistic expectations
While these same shows have done wonders for making the world of design more desirable to a younger audience, recruiters are realizing they need to balance this out by being more realistic about how long it takes to truly establish oneself in the industry.
The Changing Metrics Around Enrollment
Enrollment has become a much more nuanced conversation for many recruitment departments, as hard metrics around retention and graduate outcomes are now being used more frequently as recruitment tools, rather than simply focusing on first-year enrollment numbers.
As schools become more outcomes-focused, they’re also realizing that it takes time to demonstrate true ROI for many program tracks
As such, it’s much more common to see fashion schools tracking retention through graduation as well as post-graduation outcomes at various benchmarks, rather than relying on simple first-year retention statistics to drive recruitment decisions.
The Role Of Parents In The Recruitment Conversation
Although the student always buys the ticket, it’s worth noting that parents also play a major role in many recruitment conversations, as they tend to be the ones who ultimately pay for the degree. Many schools are now modifying their recruitment strategies to speak directly to these gatekeepers, rather than just the students, realizing the purchase decision tends to be much more complicated for a family than it is for an individual
This has resulted in a noticeable shift towards more informational recruitment events targeted at parents, where many schools now make an effort to dedicate specific resources to answering their questions directly, rather than making them research on their own.
The Power Of Peer-to-Peer Recruitment
Word of mouth – or in this day and age, word of social media posts – has had a major impact on how schools are approaching recruitment, as many prospective students are far more trusting of peer reviews than traditional marketing channels.
As such, many fashion schools are now dedicating resources to cultivating ambassador programs, with students and alumni alike encouraged to share their recruitment content on social media in order to organically attract new applicants.
Schools that continue to rely on traditional, outbound recruitment tactics tend to find themselves speaking to a much smaller audience of individuals who are already predisposed to attend, rather than casting a wide net and hoping for the best.
Financial Aid As A Recruitment Tool
Since cost has become such a major concern for prospective students, many schools are now highlighting their financial aid offerings, including both need-based and merit-based awards, in an effort to make their programs appear more accessible
This has resulted in a major shift towards more need-based financial aid, as many schools recognize that students tend to be far more hesitant to apply for scholarships or grants that have very specific, subjective guidelines compared to need-based funding that more objectively takes into account a student’s financial situation
Many schools are now offering guaranteed internship programs or even income-share agreements as ways to make enrollment more appealing to prospective students who are nervous about the investment of time and money.
The Rise In Competitive Fashion Education Markets
Students now have more options than ever when it comes to fashion design education, from traditional degree tracks to online courses, boot camps, and other non-traditional learning experiences. These alternatives have put additional pressure on degree-granting institutions to demonstrate why they’re the most valuable option for prospective students, beyond simply relying on name recognition
International schools also tend to find themsel
ves in this space, where local equivalents compete directly with degree-granting institutions in design capitals like Milan, Paris, and NYC. This has resulted in a push for schools to rethink their value proposition, as the specter of international tuition fees often puts students off from pursuing a degree abroad
Changes To Faculty Recruitment And Retention
While the student recruitment landscape has changed dramatically, many fashion schools are also finding that faculty recruitment and retention is now a much more competitive space as well, as instructors realize they need to be able to speak to a more skeptical and pragmatic generation of students
Many traditional tactics no longer work as well as they used to, as an entire generation of students has been raised to be much more skeptical about the value of higher education, especially when it comes to expensive private institutions
As such, many schools have been encouraging their faculty to dedicate more time and energy to recruitment, as many realize that while traditional messaging around prestige might have worked in the past, it no longer resonates with the modern applicant
Schools are also far more focused on recruiting industry insiders, as this generation of student wants to know that the people teaching them actually have a working knowledge of the industry, rather than simply relying on a prestigious name from decades past
This trend reflects a larger shift across the higher education landscape, as faculty with industry experience are in much higher demand, especially from students who realize they need to cut through the noise of the crowded job market in order to stand out from their peers
The Changing Role Of Professors And Teachers
The role of professors within the greater recruitment ecosystem has also changed dramatically
Many traditional recruitment tactics simply don’t resonate as well with a generation that prefers to research their options online before visiting campus.
Professors and instructors who can dedicate time and resources to supporting recruitment efforts, from sharing their knowledge on social media to directly reviewing applications, now find themselves in much higher demand, as schools realize traditional recruitment tactics only go so far
As the overall educational landscape becomes more competitive, many schools find themselves in the unenviable position of having to sell their programs to students who are much more skeptical about the value of higher education in general. This has led to a major shift in how many programs approach potential applicants, as they dedicate more time, money, and resources to recruitment in order to stand out from the crowded marketplace
The Portfolio-First Admissions Shift
Traditional admissions processes for fashion school tended to rely on standard academic credentials, similar to other undergraduate programs. This approach has since been supplemented – and in many cases, wholly replaced – by portfolio reviews that allow students to demonstrate their creative aptitude, rather than relying on traditional standardized tests.
This shift has proven to be incredibly useful for many recruitment departments, as it allows them to identify students with a genuine interest in and aptitude for design, while also appealing to a more skeptical, value-conscious applicant pool that might not have pursued a formal design education otherwise
It also allows students who have demonstrated their ability through self-taught means to show their prowess without needing to rely on traditional, gate-keeping methods that many find divisive or unnecessary
Some programs are now taking this approach even further, allowing students to submit digital lookbooks or even vlogs as part of their application, in order to identify those with natural aptitude and interest in the field of design.
Industry Partnerships As A Recruitment Tool
Industry partnerships are proving to be an incredibly valuable recruitment tool for many schools, as prospective students are much more likely to consider programs that have established connections to the greater design community
These connections serve to reassure students that the institution has a firm grasp on the realities of the contemporary design landscape, while also offering many tangible benefits to students
Many of these partnerships take the form of guaranteed internship programs or other industry-specific services that serve to differentiate one program from another, as students seek out the most individualized attention and support when pursuing a specialized degree
Some schools are now even publishing detailed case studies on these industry partnerships, outlining exactly what they entail and how they benefit students
This serves to reassure prospective applicants that the school has a thorough understanding of the job market, which is incredibly important to a generation that has grown increasingly skeptical of the whole concept of higher education.
The Evolving Role Of Alumni In Recruitment
Alumni have always played a major role in recruitment, as word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted sources tend to hold much more weight with prospective students than many traditional recruitment tactics
However, in an age when many schools are struggling to stand out from the crowded marketplace, many find themselves realizing that their alumni are some of their most valuable recruitment assets.
Schools are now relying much more heavily on alumni outreach in order to identify and recruit the most promising prospects, as many realize that a single glowing review from a satisfied graduate can go a long way when it comes to recruitment
Many programs are also realizing the importance of highlighting more “everyday” alumni, rather than just the superstars who represent such an incredibly small fraction of any given graduate cohort
This serves to reassure prospective students that the kind of success they hope to achieve is attainable, rather than being an outlier exception that represents the experiences of few
Structured mentorship programs are also serving as incredibly valuable recruitment tools, as many students are now seeking out these kinds of long-term relationships when choosing where to pursue their degree
Regional Differences In Recruitment Tactics
While many of these trends have been seen across the board, there are some regional differences that demonstrate the importance of tailoring these tactics to a specific audience
Universities in the U.S., for instance, tend to be much more focused on cost-related recruitment tactics, as students from this region tend to be much more price-conscious than their international counterparts.
Meanwhile, many European schools find themselves in a much more competitive value space, as local tuition rates tend to be lower overall, with international students tending to pay much more than locals.
As such, many European schools have been much more focused on demonstrating their industry connections and other recruitment benefits, in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors
Schools in Asia, meanwhile, have had to rethink their entire approach to recruitment, as many local institutions are now competing directly with international counterparts.
This has caused the schools to pivot their value proposition, as they recognize the need to appeal to both students and potential investors who are much more focused on the long-term development of the regional industry than international students might be
Implications For Prospective Students
Prospective students should be heartened to know that the changing tides around fashion school recruitment have caused many institutions to make concrete changes in order to appeal to a more skeptical generation
This means that schools are now much more focused on recruitment tactics that put students first, as many realize that this is the most effective way to ensure long-term enrollment rates and a strong reputation among prospective applicants
All things being equal, students should always focus on choosing a school that provides the most value for their particular circumstances
This could mean prioritizing programs that offer better ROI, or ones that have much stronger industry connections and job placement services, depending on what matters most to you
Students should always research programs thoroughly to ensure that the curriculum reflects the latest trends and innovations, since many realize they need to stay ahead of the curve in order to get a competitive edge in the marketplace
Finally, students should always ask for specific, hard metrics when it comes to job outcomes, as many schools are now much more transparent about this information and it’s always wise to be skeptical when a university makes broad, unsubstantiated claims about graduate employment rates
FAQ
Is a degree in fashion worth it?
Depends entirely on the program, what one hopes to achieve, and how large of a financial commitment one is willing to make, but programs with demonstrable connections and realistic ROI tend to be most worth it.
Why are fashion schools changing how they recruit students?
Because this generation of students is much more hesitant to throw good money after bad, and many realize there are viable alternatives to formal education that offer similar career benefits.
What should students looking to get a degree in design look for in a program?
Job placement rates, curriculum flexibility, faculty industry connections, and graduate testimonials tend to be the most telling signs of a school’s true value.
Final Thoughts
Because this generation of students is much more hesitant to throw good money after bad, and many realize there are viable alternatives to formal education that offer similar career benefits.
Job placement rates, curriculum flexibility, faculty industry connections, and graduate testimonials tend to be the most telling signs of a school’s true value.
