Richard Robinson

What Richard Robinson does

Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy is a private career college headquartered at 419 Promenade Sussex Drive in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, operating under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005. The academy delivers fashion design education with a stated specialization in haute couture, offering a two-year Full-Time Fashion Designer Program at $4,275 CAD per semester, an advanced Couturier Program for third-year students, part-time evening and weekend classes for hobbyists, and Fashion Summer Camps for children. Core curriculum components include haute couture sewing (6 hours/week), pattern making and technical drawing using Adobe Illustrator (6 hours/week), digital fashion sketching, and textiles, with students completing 21 hours per week of in-class instruction plus approximately 30 hours of independent study.

The institution generates revenue through tuition-based enrollment across its program lines, supplemented by ancillary fees for international students ($650 CAD acceptance letter fee and $100 health insurance application fee). It is approved for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding and is a Designated Learning Institution under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The annual Grande Première fashion show, held at venues including the National Gallery of Canada, functions as both a student capstone and the academy's flagship marketing event, drawing over 700 guests per year.

The academy is founder-owned with no disclosed external investors, parent companies, or venture funding, and operates from a single Ottawa campus. Its marketing positioning centers on being "Canada's only haute couture fashion design academy" with over 50 years of claimed heritage, though incorporation records reference a 2013 establishment date. Customer segments include aspiring professional designers, hobbyists, children (summer camps), and international students.

Name

Richard Robinson

Legal name

Académie de Dessin de Mode Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy

Website

https://richardrobinson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy is a private Ottawa-based career college offering fashion design education with a haute couture focus. It serves aspiring professional designers, hobbyists, and children through full-time programs, part-time classes, summer camps, and an annual fashion showcase.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Design Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

akta.pro primary industry

Fashion & Apparel Design Colleges (EDAHAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fashion & Textile Arts (Sewing, Patternmaking, Knitting, Crochet) (EDAAAGAK)

Keywords

• Fashion design education
• Haute couture training
• Pattern making courses
• Sewing classes
• Career college

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Full-Time Tuition: Full-time Fashion Designer program charges $4,275 per semester, with a 2-year program structure. Tuition includes a starter package with essential materials for creating professional samples.
2. Part-Time Classes: Part-time classes offered for hobbyists and those learning new skills, with enrollment on a per-course basis.
3. Fashion Summer Camps: Kids fashion summer camp programs offered during summer months for children to learn fashion design, sewing, and styling.
4. International Student Fees: International students pay a $650 CAD non-refundable acceptance letter fee and $100 health insurance application fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy delivers hands-on fashion design and haute couture education through a 2-year Full-Time Fashion Designer Program, a 3rd-year Couturier Program, Part-Time Classes, and Fashion Summer Camps for children. The curriculum covers pattern making, haute couture sewing, digital fashion sketching using Adobe Illustrator, textiles, and history of fashion, culminating in student showcases at the annual Grande Première fashion show.

Product overview

Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy is Canada's only haute couture-focused fashion design academy offering educational programs. The portfolio consists of a 2-year Full-Time Fashion Designer Program as the core offering, a Couturier Program (3rd Year) as the advanced continuation, Part-Time Classes for hobbyists and skill-builders, and Fashion Summer Camps for children. All programs emphasize hands-on haute couture techniques including pattern making, sewing, sketching, and textiles. The annual Grande Premiere fashion show serves as the culminating event where students showcase their work publicly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Time Fashion Designer Program A 2-year full-time vocational program teaching fashion sketching, pattern making using Adobe Illustrator, haute couture sewing, textiles, and history of fashion. Students study 21 hours per week in-class plus 30 hours of independent study and culminate their studies by showcasing original designs at the annual Grande Première fashion show.
• Couturier Program (3rd Year) An advanced full-time program for students who have completed the 2-year Fashion Designer program, focusing on mastery of haute couture techniques and the development of an intricate graduate collection.
• Part-Time Classes Flexible evening and weekend courses in sewing, pattern making, draping, and sketching designed for beginners to advanced learners pursuing fashion as a hobby or supplementary skill.
• Fashion Summer Camps Children's fashion summer camps teaching fashion design, sewing, and styling with hands-on experience with fabrics, patterns, and accessories, culminating in a showcase of student creations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students showcase original designs at Grande Première annual fashion show
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Parsons School of Design (The New School): Elite US fashion school placed in Paris/Milan fashion industry context. Competes for the same international student audience that Richard Robinson courts via its DLI status, but at a substantially higher price point and degree-granting level.
• LCI Education (LaSalle College International): Global network of fashion and design schools with a Canadian Montreal campus. Operates multi-city footprint versus Richard Robinson's single Ottawa campus, offering broader geographic exposure and pathway programs.
• Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT): Renowned publicly funded US fashion school in New York City. Comparable vocational-leaning educational mission and comparable target persona (aspiring designers); graduates compete in the same global haute couture labor market referenced by Richard Robinson's alumni outcomes.
• Toronto Metropolitan University (School of Fashion): Major Canadian university with a well-known fashion program, formerly Ryerson. Operates at much larger scale and offers degree programs, but competes for the same Toronto-area talent pool that Richard Robinson targets for its full-time program.

Emerging players

• Vancouver Film School (Fashion Design program): Private Canadian career college offering short-format fashion design programs. Matches Richard Robinson's private career college model and tuition tier, but located in Vancouver rather than Ontario.

Direct peers

• LaSalle College Vancouver: Private Canadian career college offering diploma and degree programs in fashion design, including haute couture and pattern-making. Closest direct competitor to Richard Robinson in the Canadian private fashion education space.
• Humber College (Fashion Arts program): Public Ontario college offering Fashion Arts and Fashion Management diplomas. Comparable learner persona and program length, with broader portfolio (design, business, production) versus Richard Robinson's haute couture focus.
• George Brown College (Fashion programs): Toronto-based public college with a long-standing Fashion Techniques and Design program. Competes for the same aspiring fashion designer cohort in Ontario, though operating as a public institution rather than private career college.
• Seneca Polytechnic (Fashion programs): Toronto-based publicly funded polytechnic with fashion design and apparel arts programs. Targets a similar aspiring-designer cohort in Ontario and competes for OSAP-eligible students.

Regional players

• École supérieure de mode de Montréal (ESG UQAM): Quebec-based French-language fashion school under UQAM, offering degree programs in fashion design. Comparable French-language delivery and haute couture heritage, but serves primarily Quebec rather than Ontario.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/richardrobinsonacademy
• Xx.com/rrfashiondesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/ADM.RR.AFD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richard-robinson-academy-of-fashion-design

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Richard Robinson