IFA Paris
IFA Paris is a private French fashion school founded in 1982, offering Bachelor's, MBA, and short courses in fashion design and business across campuses in Paris and Istanbul and a fully online school, serving approximately 800 students from 90+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What IFA Paris does
IFA Paris is a private higher education institution established in 1982 in Paris, France, delivering fashion-focused Bachelor's, postgraduate, MBA, short-course, and cooperative education programs to roughly 800 students drawn from 90+ countries. The school operates two physical campuses — a Paris headquarters at 13 Rue Scipion in the 5th arrondissement and a second campus in Istanbul — and extends the same degree portfolio through a fully online fashion school. Programs are organized around two fields of study: Fashion Designing & Creativity (Bachelor Fashion Design; Postgraduate Degrees in Creative Direction, Sustainable Fashion, and Entrepreneurship) and Fashion Business & Marketing (Bachelor Fashion Marketing & Management; MBAs in Fashion and Luxury Marketing, Fashion Image and Media Production, Sustainable Fashion, and Fashion Entrepreneurship – Tech Major). The school is RNCP-certified at Level 6 and Level 7 by France Compétences and holds Qualiopi certification, granting access to French government training funding.
The underlying technology stack centers on the Foundry Powered by IFA Paris — Paris' first fashion technology innovation lab — which combines a makerspace, an IBM-partnered demo space, a startup incubator, and tooling for wearable electronics and rapid prototyping. AI is integrated into curriculum as both a subject (prompt engineering, generative image creation, predictive analytics for collection planning, virtual production assistants) and an operational layer in the Foundry's fashion-tech workshops. Programs are delivered in French and English across in-person, cooperative (work-study), and online modalities.
Revenue is generated entirely through tuition across the Bachelor's, MBA/postgraduate, short-course, cooperative education, and online program streams, distributed via the app.ifaparis.com self-serve enrollment portal and direct admissions outreach. Marketing runs through social channels (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook), open days, design competitions, and corporate partnerships with brands such as HONOR, VEJA, Pathé, and Rahul Mishra. IFA Paris is a subsidiary of Groupe EDH SAS, itself part of a multi-school French educational conglomerate under ARC EDUCATION and chaired by Amin Khiari, with no disclosed external funding rounds.
IFA Paris firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IFA Paris
- Legal name
- GROUPE EDH SAS
- Website
- https://ifaparis.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- IFA Paris is a private French fashion school founded in 1982, offering Bachelor's, MBA, and short courses in fashion design and business across campuses in Paris and Istanbul and a fully online school, serving approximately 800 students from 90+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where IFA Paris is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
IFA Paris business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Tuition Fees - Undergraduate Programs: Revenue from 3-year Bachelor programs in Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing & Management
- Tuition Fees - Postgraduate Programs: Revenue from 2-year postgraduate degree programs including MBA programs in Fashion and Luxury Marketing, Sustainable Fashion, Fashion Entrepreneurship, and Fashion Image & Media Production
- Short Courses: Revenue from short courses including Fashion Studio, Fashion Luxury Business, Future Fashion Tech, Upcycling Fashion, Fashion Event Planning, Creative Director, and portfolio programs
- Cooperative Education / Apprenticeship: Revenue from cooperative education and apprenticeship programs available in 4th and 5th year
- Online Fashion School: Revenue from fully online fashion education programs taught by lecturers trained to deliver fashion education online
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
IFA Paris product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IFA Paris is a private higher education institution that delivers fashion-focused academic programs across two fields of study: Fashion Designing & Creativity, and Fashion Business & Marketing. It offers three-year Bachelor degrees, two-year Postgraduate Degrees and MBAs, a foundation program, short courses, cooperative education (work-study), and professional experience validation (VAE), taught in French or English on the Paris and Istanbul campuses or via the Online Fashion School. Beyond degree programs, it operates the Foundry fashion technology innovation lab (including an IBM demo space) and a startup incubator to bridge academia and the fashion industry.
Product overview
IFA Paris is an international fashion school with over 44 years of expertise, offering a comprehensive portfolio of fashion education programs. The school provides undergraduate (Bachelor) programs in Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing & Management, postgraduate degrees (MBA and Postgraduate Degrees) spanning creative direction, sustainable fashion, fashion entrepreneurship, fashion media production, and luxury marketing, plus short courses covering studio work, fashion tech, upcycling, event planning, and portfolio development. Additional offerings include a Fashion Startup Incubator, the Foundry technology innovation lab, online distance learning, cooperative education (alternance), and professional experience validation (VAE). With campuses in Paris and Istanbul and students from 111 nationalities, the institution combines French fashion craftsmanship heritage with contemporary industry practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bachelor Fashion Design
- Bachelor Fashion Marketing & Management
- Postgraduate Degree Fashion House Creative Direction
- Postgraduate Degree Sustainable Fashion – Design Major
- Postgraduate Degree Fashion Entrepreneurship – Design Major
- MBA Fashion and Luxury Marketing
- MBA Fashion Image & Media Production
- MBA Sustainable Fashion – Business Major
- MBA Fashion Entrepreneurship – Tech Major
- Foundation in Fashion Design & Marketing
- Fashion Short Courses Catalog
- Fashion Startup Incubator
- Foundry Powered by IFA Paris
- Online Fashion School
- Cooperative Education (Work-Study / Alternance)
- Professional Experience Validation (VAE)
Quantifiable outcome
- 86% employment rate at 6 months for Cycle Expert graduates
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use IFA Paris
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
IFA Paris technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Feature3 records
IFA Paris partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CESINEcorePartnership with CESINE, one of Spain's leading design and fashion schools. IFA Paris students have the opportunity to participate in and experience behind the scenes of the 'CESINE Fashion Show' organized by the partner school.
- Miami Ad Schoolcore'Summer Camp' educational program offered to IFA Paris students to boost their creativity thanks to the expertise of Miami Ad School, one of the world's top creative advertising schools based in Miami, New York and Atlanta.
- IBMcoreDemo Space partnership with IBM within the Foundry fashion technology lab to showcase fashion technology possibilities within the fashion industry. Hosts masterclasses, events, and startup demo days.
- Beyond FormminorVenture studio specializing in the fashion sector that partners with IFA Paris for the Fashion Entrepreneurship - Tech Major program. Designed to accompany students in developing their concept, value proposition, funding search, business model, and first clients.
- United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle NetworkcoreIFA Paris is a proud member of the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network, an online platform managed by the United Nations to promote Sustainable Development Goals by bringing together industry stakeholders, media, governments, and UN entities. Spearheaded by the UN Office for Partnerships and the Fashion Impact Fund.
- Pépinière 27minorDesign contest partnership with HONOR and IFA Paris. The competition challenged students to create innovative phone case designs, encouraging experimentation, technical skill, and personal storytelling.
- Organization for Migration (IOM) - UNminorPartnership with the International Organization for Migration for international solidarity development projects as part of the Cycle Expert Fashion Business program.
- Groupe EDHcoreIFA Paris is a private higher education institution that is part of Groupe EDH, which includes multiple schools such as EFAP, ICART, EFJ, Brassart, MoPA, CREAD, ÉSEC, ÉCOLE BLEUE, 3W Academy, Cesine, CREANAVARRA, Miami Ad School, GNOMON, and Artemis Academie.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
IFA Paris competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ESMOD Paris: ESMOD is one of the oldest French fashion schools (founded 1841) with a strong heritage in pattern-making and fashion design. It directly competes with IFA Paris for design-focused students seeking French-style training and has an international network of campuses across multiple continents.
- Central Saint Martins (UAL): Central Saint Martins in London is widely regarded as one of the world's leading fashion schools, known for nurturing designers like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. It competes for the same international fashion design talent pool as IFA Paris.
- Polimoda: Polimoda is a Florence-based fashion school offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in design, business, and marketing with strong ties to Italian luxury houses. It is a comparable peer to IFA Paris in scope, target audience, and placement-driven value proposition.
- London College of Fashion (UAL): LCF is a UK fashion school offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs spanning design, business, media, and technology. It competes with IFA Paris for international fashion students attracted to major European fashion capitals.
- Parsons School of Design (The New School): Parsons is a globally recognized design school in New York with top-tier fashion design and fashion marketing programs. It competes with IFA Paris for international applicants seeking prestige fashion education, particularly US and Asian applicants considering European alternatives.
- Institut Français de la Mode (IFM): IFM is Paris's flagship fashion school (formed from the merger of IFM and École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne). It competes head-on with IFA Paris for French and international fashion design/business students and offers comparable Bachelor through Executive MBA programs with strong luxury house placement.
- Accademia Costume & di Moda (Rome): ACM is a Rome-based fashion school with strong Italian luxury house connections. It is a peer to IFA Paris in scope and target student profile, particularly for those seeking Mediterranean European fashion training.
- Istituto Marangoni: Marangoni is a leading Italian fashion and design school with campuses in Milan, Paris, London, Florence, Dubai, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Miami. It is one of IFA Paris's closest direct competitors, particularly for postgraduate fashion business and luxury marketing students seeking a multi-city European experience.
- Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT): FIT is a SUNY-affiliated fashion and design school in New York with extensive programs in fashion design, marketing, and merchandising. It competes with IFA Paris for international students seeking English-language fashion education with strong US industry placement.
Emerging players
- SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design): SCAD is a US-based art and design university with growing fashion programs and locations in Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France. It is comparable to IFA Paris in offering design-focused higher education with strong industry placement but has a broader creative arts portfolio rather than a fashion-only focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IFA Paris social profiles
Digital presenceIFA Paris compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
IFA Paris financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IFA Paris leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
IFA Paris funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IFA Paris M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about IFA Paris
What does IFA Paris do?
IFA Paris is a private higher education institution that delivers fashion-focused academic programs across two fields of study: Fashion Designing & Creativity, and Fashion Business & Marketing. It offers three-year Bachelor degrees, two-year Postgraduate Degrees and MBAs, a foundation program, short courses, cooperative education (work-study), and professional experience validation (VAE), taught in French or English on the Paris and Istanbul campuses or via the Online Fashion School. Beyond degree programs, it operates the Foundry fashion technology innovation lab (including an IBM demo space) and a startup incubator to bridge academia and the fashion industry.
Is IFA Paris a public or private company?
IFA Paris is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was IFA Paris founded?
IFA Paris was founded in 1982. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is IFA Paris based?
IFA Paris is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does IFA Paris make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Tuition Fees - Undergraduate Programs are the primary driver. The others are tuition Fees - Postgraduate Programs, short Courses, cooperative Education / Apprenticeship and online Fashion School.
Who are IFA Paris's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ESMOD Paris, Central Saint Martins (UAL), Polimoda, London College of Fashion (UAL), Parsons School of Design (The New School), Institut Français de la Mode (IFM), Accademia Costume & di Moda (Rome), Istituto Marangoni and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) is listed as an emerging player.
Does IFA Paris have an API?
No public API is recorded for IFA Paris.