Most high school students who love fashion have few ways to explore it in school. You might sketch designs on your own, follow your favorite labels online, or squeeze in an art elective. But there’s rarely a class on how a luxury brand builds its identity, how a collection goes from mood board to finished garment, or what it takes to launch a label. Parsons Paris Online Courses were built to fill that gap. Created by Parsons Paris faculty, these online fashion courses give students ages 13 and up a flexible way to test their interest in fashion. In this Summer Program Spotlight, we’ll cover the courses, how they work, what they cost, and who they fit best.
Parsons Paris Online Courses at a Glance
- Format: 100% online and asynchronous, with no live classes
- Eligibility: Students ages 13 and up who are in high school or within one year of graduating
- Courses: Four fashion courses covering business and luxury, design, brand building, and sustainability
- Time commitment: About 30 hours per course
- Session lengths: 1, 2, or 4 weeks, offered year-round
- Cost: $1,895 per course
- Credential: Certificate of Completion from Parsons Paris (non-credit)
- Financial aid: Need-based scholarships available
What are Parsons Paris Online Courses?
Parsons Paris Online Courses are non-credit online fashion courses for high school students. Every course is designed and taught by Parsons Paris faculty and industry experts. The school belongs to The New School, which also houses Parsons School of Design. It pairs the Parsons approach to design education with the heritage brands and creative resources of Paris. For context, The New School ranks first on our list of the Best Colleges for Fashion Design.
The program is fully online, so students can join from anywhere in the world. Instructors teach through pre-recorded video, and students complete assignments on their own schedule. Every student also works with a Parsons mentor who gives feedback along the way. Each course ends with an individual final project. Students who finish successfully earn a Certificate of Completion from Parsons Paris.
Why should I take a Parsons Paris Online Course?
The biggest benefit is perspective. Many teens picture fashion as a single career path: designer. In reality, the industry includes brand strategists, merchandisers, marketers, sustainability managers, stylists, and entrepreneurs. These courses introduce students to that full landscape. As a result, they’re a smart way to learn which side of fashion interests you before you commit to a major.
The format also gives students something tangible to show for their time. Each course ends with a final project that can serve as a portfolio piece. Along the way, mentor feedback mirrors the critique process students will meet in college design programs.
Finally, colleges like to see that you’ve pursued your interests outside the classroom. Completing a course through this fashion pre-college program shows curiosity and initiative. That matters most for students whose high schools don’t offer fashion coursework.
What courses do Parsons Paris Online Courses offer?
Parsons Paris currently offers four online fashion courses for high school students. Each one approaches the industry from a different angle. Students can pick the course that best matches their interests or take several for a broader foundation.
Inside the Business of Fashion and Luxury
This course takes students behind the runway to see how the fashion industry actually works. Students study the brand identities of houses like Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. They also examine what sets luxury brands apart and how forecasters and influencers shape trends. Later units cover the world’s fashion capitals, Fashion Week, and the pressure on brands to adopt sustainable practices. The course even includes a virtual visit to a Louis Vuitton workshop.
Related: Best Colleges for Marketing
Inside Fashion Design: Becoming a Designer for the 21st Century
Students follow the same process professional designers use to turn an idea into a finished collection. First, they learn research methods for identifying an audience and market. Next, they practice drawing and collage techniques, build mood boards, and study how to choose fabrics. The course also introduces pattern cutting, draping, and assembly, along with the Paris atelier approach. In one highlight, Paris designer Eros Antoniadis takes a garment from early sketches to the final reveal.
Related: Best Colleges for Fashion Design, Best Summer Art Programs
Build Your Own Fashion Brand
This course is designed for students with both creative and entrepreneurial instincts. Students define a vision and target customer for their own brand. Then they learn the five essential parts of a business plan. They also apply the four P’s of marketing (product, price, place, and promotion) to a social media campaign. Later units cover the fashion calendar, presenting to buyers, production, inventory, and financing.
Related: Best Colleges for Entrepreneurship
Sustainability: The Future of Fashion
Can fashion be both beautiful and sustainable? This course examines how the industry is responding to environmental challenges. Students explore product life cycles, eco-friendly materials, and the hidden costs of fast fashion. They also learn how greenwashing shows up in fashion media and advertising. Other topics include milestones like the Paris Agreement and a hands-on exercise in which students mend a garment themselves. The course suits students interested in branding, public relations, corporate responsibility, or sustainable sourcing.
What are the courses like?
All Parsons Paris Online Courses are 100% asynchronous, so there are no live Zoom sessions or required log-in times. Students watch pre-recorded video lectures and complete an assignment after each unit. They then work toward a final project, all through the Canvas learning platform. As long as you submit everything by your session’s end date, you set your own pace.
Mentors mark each assignment Complete or Incomplete instead of giving letter grades. To earn the certificate, students must complete at least 70 percent of their assignments and submit a final project. Students also keep view-only access to course materials for one month after the course ends.
Who teaches Parsons Paris Online Courses?
Parsons Paris faculty and industry professionals develop and teach the courses. For example, Inside the Business of Fashion and Luxury features Anna Krutiy. She is a marketing and product development manager who has worked with Chanel Paris, Swarovski, and the Woolmark Company. Inside Fashion Design includes Marie-Geneviève Cyr, an assistant professor in the BFA Fashion Design program at Parsons School of Design. Paris designer and boutique owner Eros Antoniadis also teaches in that course.
For Sustainability: The Future of Fashion, students learn from Dr. Morna Laing, an assistant professor of Fashion Studies at Parsons Paris. Paris-based independent designer Miriam Josi co-teaches the course. Build Your Own Fashion Brand features Nicole Kamen Weiss, a vice president at Tiffany & Co. who has managed several top luxury brands.
Beyond faculty instruction, every student works with a human mentor rather than an AI tool. Mentors answer questions, offer encouragement, and give feedback on assignments and the final project. Many hold degrees from Parsons School of Design or Parsons Paris. Students reach them through the Canvas inbox and course discussion boards.
What will I create for my final project?
Every course ends with an individual final project. It lets students apply what they’ve learned and get mentor feedback before finishing their work. Here’s what each course asks for:
- Inside the Business of Fashion and Luxury: Students choose one of three challenges, such as pitching a brand ambassador or designing a sustainability-focused concept store.
- Inside Fashion Design: Students write a personal style manifesto, make a one-minute behind-the-scenes video, and illustrate a ten-piece signature collection.
- Build Your Own Fashion Brand: Students record a video pitching their business plan as they would to a potential investor.
- Sustainability: The Future of Fashion: Students present their vision for a sustainable fashion future as an illustrated essay, manifesto, business model, or another format.
Students are welcome to include their final projects in future college, internship, or portfolio applications.
How much time does each course take?
Each course requires approximately 30 hours of total work. How that time is spread out depends on the session length you choose:
- 1-week session: about 30 hours per week
- 2-week session: about 15 hours per week
- 4-week session: about 7.5 hours per week
Every version of a course includes the same content, assignments, and mentor support. Session lengths vary by time of year, with longer sessions during the school year when students are busier. Currently, the Business of Fashion and Fashion Design courses offer 1-week intensives. Build Your Own Fashion Brand and Sustainability run in 2- and 4-week sessions. Check the program website for current session dates.
Who is eligible to apply?
Students must be at least 13 years old. They must also be enrolled in high school (or the equivalent) or within one year of graduating. The courses are not intended for college students or adults. International students are welcome, and no English proficiency exam is required. However, all application materials must be in English.
How many courses can I take?
There’s no limit to how many online fashion courses you can take, and many students take more than one. If you do, the program suggests choosing different session dates so you have time to engage fully with each. Aspiring designers might pair Inside Fashion Design with Sustainability: The Future of Fashion. Future entrepreneurs, on the other hand, could combine Inside the Business of Fashion and Luxury with Build Your Own Fashion Brand.
How do I apply?
Applying to this Parsons pre-college online program takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll provide basic information and a brief personal statement about your interest in the program. According to Parsons, the personal statement is the most important part of the application. No transcripts or letters of recommendation are required. Parsons reviews applications on a rolling basis, and most students hear back by email within one week.
How much do Parsons Paris Online Courses cost?
Tuition is $1,895 per course, with no additional fees. Payment is due the day before your course begins. However, your spot isn’t confirmed until you pay, so it’s best to pay soon after you’re accepted. Students who cancel at least seven days before their start date receive a full refund.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. Parsons offers need-based scholarships for students who show financial need and high potential. After submitting your application, select “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request one.
Do Parsons Paris Online Courses offer college credit?
No. These are non-credit enrichment courses. Students who complete a course earn an official Certificate of Completion from Parsons Paris. You can list it on college applications and resumes. Parsons recommends listing the course as an extracurricular or experiential activity rather than formal coursework.
Will taking a course help me get into Parsons?
Not directly. Parsons states that completing an online course gives no preferential treatment in admissions to Parsons Paris or Parsons School of Design. Even so, the experience can strengthen an application to any design or fashion program by showing sustained interest. Your final project also gives you concrete material for essays and interviews.
How do colleges view an online course like this?
Colleges generally see a course like this as evidence of genuine interest, not as an academic credential. Admissions officers don’t simply award points for a program’s name, and a non-credit online course is one of many ways to explore a field. Where it helps is in the story it supports and how clearly it connects to the interests you want colleges to see. A student who takes Build Your Own Fashion Brand and then launches a small resale business has something concrete to write about. So does a student who finishes Inside Fashion Design and keeps developing that collection for an art school portfolio. In our experience, that kind of follow-through is what admissions officers remember.
Who are Parsons Paris Online Courses best for?
This Parsons pre-college online program fits students who are curious about fashion but unsure which part of the industry suits them. Because this fashion pre-college program accepts students as young as 13, it also works well for younger teens who want early exposure. The most successful students tend to be self-motivated, since the asynchronous format requires managing your own schedule.
If you want intensive, in-person studio training or college credit, you may want to look elsewhere. Parsons also runs separate in-person summer programs. Our guide to the Best Summer Art Programs covers several studio-based options.
Final Thoughts – Parsons Paris Online Courses
For high schoolers who want to explore fashion from the inside, Parsons Paris Online Courses combine flexibility, expert instruction, and real creative work. In about 30 hours, students in this fashion pre-college program learn from Parsons Paris faculty and industry leaders and receive personal mentorship. They finish with a project and certificate that show real commitment to the field. Whether your interest lies in design, business, branding, or sustainability, these online fashion courses for high school students are an accessible first step toward a future in fashion. You can view current sessions and apply on the Parsons Paris program website.
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