IFA Paris

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Undergraduate Programs: Revenue from 3-year Bachelor programs in Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing & Management
2. 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
3. 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
4. Cooperative Education / Apprenticeship: Revenue from cooperative education and apprenticeship programs available in 4th and 5th year
5. 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

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CESINEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner'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.
• IBMcoreTechnology or IntegrationDemo 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 FormminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenture 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 NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFA 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 27minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign 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) - UNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the International Organization for Migration for international solidarity development projects as part of the Cycle Expert Fashion Business program.
• Groupe EDHcoreOthersIFA 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ifaparis
• Facebookfacebook.com/ifaparis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/693874
• Instagraminstagram.com/ifaparis
• TikToktiktok.com/@ifaparisofficial
• Xx.com/ifaparis

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 IFA Paris