FIDM

What FIDM does

ASU FIDM is a fashion school within Arizona State University's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, operating campuses in Downtown Phoenix (Fusion on First) and Downtown Los Angeles (ASU California Center Grand in the LA Fashion District). The school builds on a 50+ year legacy of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), founded in 1969 by Toni Hohberg, and offers a portfolio of undergraduate fashion programs: four Bachelor of Arts specializations (Fashion Design, Apparel Product Development, Apparel Technical Design, Merchandising), a Fashion minor, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Costume Design and Technology for the Creative Industries. Since 2017, the program has scaled to 500+ fashion majors/minors and supports online degree delivery in selected tracks.

The school's supporting infrastructure includes the ASU FIDM Museum—a 15,000-piece fashion collection spanning 400+ years with 200,000+ Special Collection artifacts—the specialized ASU FIDM Library (books, periodicals, trend forecast services, swatch room), and the Fashion Futures Research Labs. Distribution is community-led: the ASU FIDM Fashion Club operates in more than 360 high schools, community colleges and international institutions; recruitment is also driven by virtual sessions, campus tours, faculty with industry experience, and events featuring guest speakers such as Simon Ungless, Paul Tazewell, and B. Akerlund.

Revenue is generated through ASU-administered tuition and fees (with federal financial aid and scholarship eligibility, including newly for California-based students), supplemented by philanthropic contributions via a development office (single-event donations have reached the seven-figure mark, e.g., $2.1M raised at one gala for the Arizona Humane Society). Channel mix is organic social (Instagram, LinkedIn), earned media (Vogue, LA Times, Fashionista, Variety), events and museum exhibitions, and a self-serve ASU application portal. There is no private equity or venture capital funding involved; ASU FIDM operates as a non-profit educational institution under public Arizona State University oversight.

Name

FIDM

Legal name

Arizona State University FIDM (ASU FIDM)

Website

https://asufidm.asu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ASU FIDM is Arizona State University's fashion school, offering BA specializations in design, merchandising, and technical apparel, plus a BFA in Costume Design and Technology. It serves undergraduate students across dual campuses in Downtown Phoenix and Downtown Los Angeles's Fashion District.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fashion & Apparel Design Colleges (EDAHAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE), Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB), Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

Keywords

• Fashion education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Costume design
• Fashion merchandising
• Apparel design

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: ASU FIDM operates as part of Arizona State University. Students pay tuition through ASU's system. Both Arizona-based and California-based degree programs are eligible for federal financial aid and scholarships.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Development office solicits charitable contributions to support world-class exhibitions and programs. Donors can contribute to ASU FIDM general fund or ASU FIDM Museum specifically.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ASU FIDM is a fashion school within Arizona State University's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts offering Bachelor of Arts degrees in Fashion (with specializations in Design, Apparel Product Development, Apparel Technical Design, and Merchandising), a Fashion minor, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Costume Design and Technology. The institution also operates the ASU FIDM Museum, ASU FIDM Library, and Fashion Futures Research Labs across campuses in Downtown Phoenix and Downtown Los Angeles.

Product overview

ASU FIDM is a fashion school within Arizona State University's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, offering a portfolio of undergraduate degree programs in fashion and costume design. The institution provides Bachelor of Arts degrees in Fashion (with specializations in Design, Apparel Product Development, Apparel Technical Design, and Merchandising), a Fashion minor, and a BFA in Costume Design and Technology for the Creative Industries. ASU FIDM operates across two campuses in Downtown Phoenix and Los Angeles, and includes the ASU FIDM Museum (a fashion museum with a 15,000-piece collection), the Fashion Futures Research Labs, and the ASU FIDM Library. The degree programs are designed to prepare students for careers across the fashion industry, emphasizing skills in merchandising, fashion design, product development, technical design, styling, branding, and sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fashion, BA A Bachelor of Arts in Fashion providing foundational education in the fashion industry with access to industry connections, internships, and events across both Phoenix and Los Angeles campuses.
• Fashion (Design), BA
• Fashion (Apparel Product Development), BA
• Fashion (Apparel Technical Design), BA
• Fashion (Merchandising), BA
• Fashion, Minor
• Costume Design and Technology for the Creative Industries, BFA
• ASU FIDM Museum
• ASU FIDM Library
• ASU FIDM Fashion Club

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ students majoring or minoring in fashion by spring 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OptitexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner providing technology and resources to the fashion program during its early years of development
• Dress for SuccessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal collaborator supporting student development and industry connections during early program years
• Arizona Humane SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal collaborator; the Compassion With Fashion Gala raised $2.1M in support of AZ Humane Society
• Phoenix Children's HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal collaborator supporting student engagement and community programs
• Herberger Institute for Design and the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASU FIDM is a school within the Herberger Institute comprising ASU FIDM, School of Art, The Design School, Sidney Poitier New American Film School, The GAME School, School of Music Dance and Theatre, and ASU Art Museum

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Otis College of Art and Design: Otis is a Los Angeles-based art and design college with a BFA in fashion design, directly competing for the same LA-based student pool as ASU FIDM. Both schools emphasize industry connections in the LA creative economy and recruit from the same regional talent base.
• Pratt Institute: Pratt's School of Art offers fashion design BFA programs and competes for design-focused students with strong industry ties. Its NYC location and integrated design school positioning closely parallel ASU FIDM's LA Fashion District approach.
• Kent State University - Fashion School: Kent State's Fashion School offers BS degrees in fashion design, merchandising, and product development and is one of the largest US public university fashion programs. Competes with ASU FIDM on accessibility, federal aid eligibility, and industry co-op models.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): SCAD offers BFA and BA programs in fashion design, fashion marketing and management, and accessories design. As a private, for-profit university with strong industry recruiting and a fashion museum, SCAD competes for the same student profile and employer relationships as ASU FIDM.
• Parsons School of Design: Parsons is the most direct peer, offering BFA programs in fashion design at The New School in NYC. Both schools compete for top fashion students with industry-embedded curricula, design-focused degrees, and New York/LA pipeline access. ASU FIDM is positioning against Parsons' prestige and employer connections.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): RISD is a top-ranked US art and design school with an Apparel Design concentration, competing for highly selective design students. ASU FIDM's positioning toward industry-ready fashion education sits adjacent to RISD's design-theory orientation.
• Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT): FIT is a leading US public fashion college in NYC with degree programs in fashion design, merchandising, and product development—directly overlapping ASU FIDM's BA concentrations. FIT is the strongest direct competitor on scale, employer connections, and brand legacy.
• Drexel University - Westphal College: Drexel offers BS programs in fashion design, fashion industry and merchandising, with a co-op model providing industry experience. Its career-integrated curriculum and product development focus directly mirror ASU FIDM's apparel technical design and merchandising programs.

Broad incumbents

• London College of Fashion (UAL): London College of Fashion, part of the University of the Arts London, is a globally dominant fashion school with strong research credentials and an extensive fashion archive. It competes for the most ambitious international students and sets the bar for fashion education prestige.
• Istituto Marangoni: Istituto Marangoni is a leading global private fashion school with campuses in Milan, Florence, Paris, London, and Miami. While not US-based, it competes for the same internationally mobile fashion student segment that ASU FIDM's online programs and LA campus target.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBs5a3IIsZCxb5jlOWcFKyg
• Facebookfacebook.com/FIDMCollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/fidm
• Instagraminstagram.com/asufidm
• Xx.com/FIDM

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FIDM