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Campus & Student Life at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

Home to about 1,847 undergraduates in 2020, FIDM Los Angeles is a small, for-profit school located in Los Angeles, California. This urban setting might be best suited for students who like the fast-paced city life. Should you tire of the campus however, FIDM Los Angeles offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by FIDM Los Angeles can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our FIDM Los Angeles Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

FIDM Los Angeles Has a Disability Services Site

Individuals with disabilities make up 15.0% of the student population at FIDM Los Angeles. For more information on policies and accommodations that the school provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit FIDM Los Angeles Disability Services .

FIDM Los Angeles for the Military

While not a "service academy", FIDM Los Angeles does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. There is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit FIDM Los Angeles Veteran Services . For more information, check out our FIDM Los Angeles for Veterans Guide .

Freshmen Living Arrangements at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

FIDM Los Angeles does not offer on-campus housing.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

FIDM Los Angeles has a comparatively small, student body. There were 1,847 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 1,580 (85.5%). Part-time attendance was 267 (14.5%).

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is Ranked #963 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, FIDM Los Angeles is more diverse than average in terms of overall diversity. We rank FIDM Los Angeles  #963 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at FIDM Los Angeles by looking closer at the ethnic,   gender ,  age , and geographic diversity metrics from the FIDM Los Angeles Diversity Guide .

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles Athletics

We wanted to tell you about student athletes at FIDM Los Angeles, but that information was not available.

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles Athletics

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FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles

General Information

2023-2024 tuition, enrollment statistics, admission requirements, sports and athletics, majors/degrees conferred.

-d denotes that program is also offered through distance education.

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FIDM MUSEUM & GALLERIES Los Angeles, United States

The FIDM Museum and Library, Inc. collects, preserves, and interprets fashion objects and support materials with outstanding design merit. It fosters student learning, public engagement, and recognition of the creative arts and entertainment industries by providing access to the collections through exhibitions, publications, and other research opportunities.

THE COLLECTIONS

The collections of the FIDM Museum & Galleries span more than 200 years of fashion history. From Parisian haute couture to iconic film costumes and one-of-a-kind accessories, our collections offer a comprehensive overview of fashion’s key moments and most important tastemakers.

Permanent Collection

The FIDM Museum Permanent Collection contains 15,000 objects representing over 200 years of fashion history, including haute couture and ready-to-wear, non-Western dress, film costumes, textiles, jewelry, and fragrance. Two major archives—Rudi Gernreich and Gianni Versace Menswear—are highlights of the museum’s collection. New objects are acquired by purchase or donation with the goal of enriching our current holdings. Objects from the Permanent Collection are used for exhibition and research. In order to protect the Permanent Collection, objects are only available for viewing during scheduled exhibitions, and by appointment.

To inquire about objects in the Permanent Collection, or to schedule a research appointment, contact Curator Kevin Jones: [email protected] or 213.623.5821 x3367.

Study Collection

The FIDM Museum Study Collection is a hands-on resource available for use by students and researchers. Consisting of 1,500 objects, the FIDM Museum Study Collection spans 200 years of fashion history. In addition to haute couture, ready-to-wear, and non-Western garments, the Study Collection also contains accessories, textiles, and garment trims. FIDM faculty and students from all majors are encouraged to use the Study Collection for research and design inspiration

Objects are available for study on all four FIDM campuses—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego—with the largest group of Study Collection objects residing in the FIDM Museum at the Los Angeles campus. To inquire about objects in the Study Collections, or to schedule a research appointment, contact Museum Associate Joanna Abijaoude: [email protected] or 213.623.5821 x2226.

Founding Fashion: The FIDM Museum

Fidm museum & galleries, fabulous | empire period | 1800-1836, fabulous | expansion era | 1837-1865, art of television costume design, manmode: dressing the male ego, karl lagerfeld for chloé ss84: an homage to dressmaking, gianfranco ferré ss84: 'from architect to suede and satin', oscar de la renta ss84, comme des garçons ss84: japanese explosion, in this collection, fashion design, 1 museum view.

ASU FIDM Museum

Art of Costume Design in Film open to the public March 5-April 20, 2024. Free admission.

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A global resource for the study of fashion past, present and future..

ASU FIDM Museum’s 15,000-piece collection represents over 400 years of fashion history, including haute couture and ready-to-wear, world dress, film costumes, accessories, jewelry, textiles, fragrance packaging and ephemera.

Hours and admission

ASU FIDM Museum is open during exhibitions only. 

10 a.m.–5 p.m. (California time), Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m. (California time), Thursday Closed Sunday and Monday

Free admission!

No tickets or reservations are required.

Getting here

The ASU FIDM Museum is located at the ASU California Center Grand.

919 South Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, California, 90015

Get directions

Navigate to Interstate 110 and use the following directions to drive to the Museum:

From North 

• Take the 110 South towards downtown Los Angeles/San Pedro
• Continue towards downtown Los Angeles and take the 9th Street exit; stay to the left on the exit ramp
• Continue on 9th Street and drive 4 blocks to 9th Street & Grand Avenue
• Take the 110 North towards downtown Los Angeles/Pasadena
• Take the 9th Street exit
• Take the Red, Blue, Purple or Expo line to 7th Street/Metro Center Station: 660 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles 90017
• Walk Southeast on 7th Street to Hope Street
• Turn RIGHT on Hope Street and continue to 9th Street
• Grand Hope Park is at the corner of Hope Street & 9th Street and adjacent to the ASU California Center Grand building
• Walk through the park to reach the ASU California Center Grand building and the Museum entrance
• Use  Metro Trip Planner  to determine the best rail route
• The following bus lines will stop at the corner of 9th Street & Grand Avenue: 37, 70, 71, 76, 78, 79, 96, 378, 770, 66, 81
• Continue 1/2 block south on Grand Avenue to 919 South Grand Avenue
• The Museum is accessible by additional bus lines; use  Metro Trip Planner  to determine the best bus route
• Parking is available for $10 (credit or debit cards only) in the lot located underneath the ASU California Center Grand building; entrance is on 9th Street just before Grand Avenue
• Please do not enter if the red Lot Full sign is posted at the entrance
• Additional parking can be found in  surrounding lots  and street meters
• Tour bus parking is not available in the ASU California Center Grand lot

Hour-long tours are available for ASU FIDM Museum exhibitions as well as “behind the scenes” of Museum storage. Tours must be booked with at least two weeks’ notice and are conducted Monday–Saturday by appointment only.

Please note, the building parking lot cannot accommodate tour buses.

To schedule a tour call 602-496-2722.

Museum director.

Mima Ransom

Mission statement

The ASU FIDM Museum and Library, Inc. collects, preserves and interprets fashion objects and support materials with outstanding design merit. It fosters student learning, public engagement and recognition of the creative arts and entertainment industries by providing access to the collections through exhibitions, publications and other research opportunities

Photo: Evening Dress [detail]. Stephen Burrows. New York City, ca. 1979. Embroidered polyester jersey. Gift of Steven Porterfield, 2022.897.7.

Museum history

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising was founded in 1969, and staff from the Fashion Design Department assembled a fledgling Study Collection for hands-on classroom use in 1973. The nonprofit FIDM Museum and Library, Inc. was established in 1978.

During the 1990s, a curatorial department was established and the galleries were built. In April 2023, Arizona State University announced that FIDM would be part of the expansion of fashion education at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at ASU – establishing ASU FIDM. 

Today, thanks to more than a thousand generous donors, the ASU FIDM Museum holds over 15,000 fashion objects dating primarily from the eighteenth century to the present, and 200,000 Special Collections artifacts.

Photo: Wedding Purse [detail]. Europe or United States, ca. 1937. Wired glass beads. FIDM Museum purchase: Funds donated by Willa Bouwens-Killeen, 2021.5.25.

Collecting policy

The ASU FIDM Museum collects fashion objects and support materials with outstanding design merit. Acquisitions have dynamic visual appeal in exhibitions or photographs; are an excellent example of an era, culture, or designer’s work; and hold meaningful artistic and social significance.

Donations and purchases support the museum’s mission. Objects of interest include clothing and accessories, textiles, jewelry, film costumes, fashion magazines, photographs and design archives.

To inquire about donating, please contact [email protected] .

Photo: "Scribble" Day Suit [detail]. Christian Francis Roth. New York City, Spring 1990. Cotton sateen. Gift of Wendy Cohen, 2020.1774.1AB.

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ASU California Center Grand 919 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90015 Museum entrance on ground floor 213-510-6964 [email protected]

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, fidm campus locations.

Hello, I've been considering attending FIDM for fashion design, and I wanted to know more about their campus locations. Anyone know where all the campuses are and if there's a major difference between them in terms of resources, classes, etc.?

Hi! FIDM, or the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, has four campus locations across California. Here's a brief overview of the campuses:

1. Los Angeles: The main campus is located in downtown LA. It offers the largest variety of programs and resources, including the FIDM Museum, classrooms, labs, a library, study rooms, and more. The LA campus also hosts various networking events and guest speakers, given its proximity to the fashion and entertainment industries.

2. Orange County: The Orange County campus is in Irvine. It's smaller compared to the LA campus but still offers a range of fashion and design programs. You'll have access to resources like classrooms, labs, and study rooms.

3. San Francisco: Located in the Union Square district, this campus focuses on fashion, interior design, and graphic design. The facilities include classrooms, labs, a resource center, and a textile library. Being in the heart of the city, it also offers networking opportunities with the local fashion and design community.

4. San Diego: The smallest of the campuses, it's located in the Gaslamp Quarter. This campus focuses more on graphic design, fashion, and merchandise marketing programs. Facilities include classrooms, labs, and study rooms.

While each campus location has its unique features and advantages, the LA campus stands out due to its comprehensive resources and closer connections to the fashion and entertainment industries. The other campuses are smaller but still provide a quality education and access to necessary resources. You should consider factors such as your preferred major, campus atmosphere, and proximity to industry opportunities when deciding which location to attend. I hope this helps!

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919 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, California, 90015 Museum entrance located on the Ground Floor

213.623.5821

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FIDM Seeks a New Beginning

Last fall, undergraduate enrollment across the nation increased for the first time since the pandemic, according to the National Student Clearinghouse . While many colleges across the nation are seeing their student bodies grow, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is not one of them.

The downtown-based school recently laid off 95 employees due to declining enrollment, on top of a further 322 employees that were let go in the fall. FIDM had also been pursuing an acquisition of its business operations by the Skema Business School , an educational institution based in France. Last month, one day before the deal was set to close, Skema quietly terminated the impending deal after deciding that requirements from the U.S. Department of Education were “untenable.”

FIDM is a specialized private college founded in 1969. While the school previously offered an array of fashion and design programs, it is transitioning to a focus on the business management and marketing side of the creative industries.   FIDM’s main campus is in downtown, and the school previously had additional campuses in San Francisco, Orange County and San Diego.

The school reported that it had 1,381 full-time students enrolled in the fall of 2022. This is down 58% from its enrollment of 3,288 full-time students in fall 2012, according to the National Center for Education Statistics . As part of an ongoing effort to cut its operating budget, FIDM closed its three satellite campuses between 2020 and 2021, which the accrediting agency said contributed to the institution’s enrollment declines.  

According to a notice filed with the state’s Employment Development Division , FIDM’s recent layoffs include 44 instructors, five department chairs and three vice presidents. Kim Wetzel , executive director of human resources at FIDM, said to the EDD that the layoffs are expected to occur on June 17 and attributed them to “business conditions.”

Those business conditions, according to FIDM advisory board member Angela Hawekotte , are based on the school’s decline in student enrollment, which was “exacerbated” by the pandemic.

“Obviously, a decline in enrollment dictates the need for fewer staff and faculty to service the students,” Hawekotte said.

Cancelled purchase agreement

In September, Skema Business School announced it had entered exclusive negotiations to purchase FIDM in its entirety in a deal that was expected to close in “early 2024.” As part of the acquisition, Skema students would have been able to “enjoy new academic and immersive experiences in Los Angeles,” while FIDM students in select programs would have had access to disciplines taught at Skema. Additionally, FIDM would have been renamed as the “Skema Business School L.A.”  

In a statement at the time, FIDM vice president of education Barbara Bundy said the school was “very excited” by Skema’s interest.

“We are convinced that the mutual quest for excellence of our two institutions could give FIDM students new aspirations and avenues of employability in a rapidly expanding global industry,” Bundy said.  

However, Skema recently announced that it had decided to stop pursuing the transaction. FIDM has made no apparent public announcement on the deal’s cancellation. Hawekotte said that the school was informed the day before the deal’s anticipated March 1 closure date that Skema was backing out. Skema stated that the decision was based on its findings during the legal period of analysis of the information provided by FIDM that “several material conditions” had not been met. However, Hawekotte said FIDM had fulfilled its end of the deal.  

“While FIDM had performed all it was required to do under the proposed transaction, apparently the Department of Education’s requirements of Skema to operate an educational institution in the United States were untenable to Skema,” Hawekotte said.  

She added that, in order for Skema to have federal student loans made available to its students after the acquisition, it was required by the Department of Education to provide a collateralized letter of credit, to produce its French entity’s financial statements and to have those statements prepared and audited according to U.S. accounting standards.  

Skema did not respond to a request for comment.

When FIDM laid off 322 employees in the fall, it told the EDD that it anticipated a “substantial percentage” of those individuals would be offered new employment at Skema following the change in control. That wave of layoffs affected 225 faculty members, seven department chairs and five counselors, among others. The EDD was told that although those employees would “most likely will retain their jobs under new ownership,” that decision would be made by Skema.

“The October (report) was in contemplation of the Skema transaction, and obviously, as part of that transaction, it assumed termination and possible rehiring,” Hawekotte said. “(FIDM will) do what is necessary in order to meet its obligations to teach its students.”

FIDM did not clarify whether its steps to meet those obligations will entail rehiring any staff, or if the school expects further layoffs following the deal’s cancellation.  

Accreditation battles

As a provider of bachelors-level programs, FIDM’s accreditation is overseen by a non-governmental regional agency called the WASC Senior College and University Commission . In 2013, the commission granted FIDM initial accreditation as a baccalaureate institution – the school was previously accredited as an offeror of associate degrees and two-year programs in 1978 and as an arts program provider in 2003.  

The commission commended FIDM at the time for assets such as its support for student learning, leadership and linkage to industry, but it also voiced a few areas of concern. A 2018 accreditation review flagged FIDM’s long-term financial viability as a significant issue and, in 2021, the university commission stated that FIDM’s institutional leadership had moved slowly to take the necessary steps to cut costs and to find new ways to increase enrollment and revenue. FIDM’s gross revenue was $44.2 million in fiscal-year 2022, down 35% from two years prior.

FIDM was placed on accreditation probation in July 2021 after continuing to not meet the commission’s standards. Students who attend unaccredited schools do not have access to federal financial aid, and some graduate schools and employers may not acknowledge degrees from unaccredited programs.  

“The financial sustainability of FIDM was noted as a major concern by the commission after the 2018 accreditation review, particularly related to persistent declines in enrollment that have resulted in reductions in revenue and net income,” the commission said in its 2021 report. “Unfortunately, this downward trend has continued, despite significant cuts to the operational budget and the sale of a significant asset.”

The probationary period gave FIDM two years to address its decade-long drop in enrollment and its budgetary deficits. The commission said that, although the Covid-19 pandemic fed into those issues, its problems had preceded the pandemic by some time. FIDM predicted in 2021 that its financial deficits would continue for “at least three more years,” despite cutting its operating budget by about $10 million.

  “It is imperative that FIDM create and implement a concrete resource and development plan that includes realistic budgeting, enrollment management and diversification of revenue sources,” the organization wrote in 2021.

In March of last year, the commission said that FIDM had improved in several areas but still had not provided “evidence of long-term financial viability.” If the issue was not remedied prior to the probation period’s expiration in July, the organization said it would take the “adverse action” of withdrawing FIDM’s accreditation.  

ASU financial agreement

In April of last year, about a month after receiving that warning, FIDM announced a financial agreement with Arizona State University . An ASU spokesperson said that this agreement involves ASU purchasing FIDM’s downtown location at 919 S. Grand Ave. and the rights to the adjacent Grand Hope Park. ASU is also buying the “intrinsic rights” to FIDM’s intellectual property, such as its brand, trademarks, copyrights, website domains and social media accounts.

FIDM design students will now be offered transfer options to ASU, and ASU’s fashion education programs will be renamed ASU FIDM. According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times , an undisclosed number of FIDM fashion programs may be discontinued as a result, and the surprising nature of the announcement left many students “in the lurch.” FIDM will continue to operate as a separate education institution from ASU, and the college itself is still owned by FIDM founder and president Tonian Hohberg .

Upon the plan’s expected completion at the end of June, FIDM will no longer “be responsible” for its fashion and design students and will instead focus on the “business-oriented” side of the creative industries. This will include degrees in product development, business management, digital marketing and international manufacturing.

Previous FIDM degree programs, such as fashion design, apparel design, graphic design and creative industry studies, will be offered through the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. FIDM did not respond to request for comment on whether it will continue to have any connection with students who were previously enrolled in its fashion and design programs.  

While the agreement with ASU has caused stress for some students, it was a profitable solution for FIDM’s continuing financial stresses. The WSCUC reported that the sale relieved FIDM of the operating costs of the building and is anticipated to result in “significant cost savings” for the school. Following the ASU agreement, the WSCUC removed FIDM from probation and commended the school for its strong brand and reputation, its “diligent” work on the ASU agreement and its improved transparency and communication.

The ending of its probation had a few provisions, including the need for FIDM to prove that the elimination of its long-term debt through escrow has been achieved. The commission previously stated in 2021 that FIDM’s long-term debt of $28 million was scheduled to mature this year.

Next steps for the school

Prior to its cancelled acquisition by Skema, FIDM’s next review by the WSCUC was set to be held this fall. Now, that timing is up in the air as the accreditation institution evaluates the situation.  

“WSCUC is revising FIDM’s institutional assessment schedule and evaluating next steps in light of the changed circumstances,” WSCUC president Jamie Studley told the Business Journal. “WSCUC will evaluate FIDM’s accreditation status at that time and the institution’s structural-change proposal, which included a change of ownership.”

As for FIDM’s plans, Hawekotte said the university will do what is necessary to teach its students, and emphasized that its accreditation is independent of Skema.  

FIDM did not respond to request for comment on whether the school is looking for a new third-party buyer, or any forecasts for fall enrollment this year.

“We continue to work with (WSCUC) as we navigate our future without the Skema transaction,” Hawekotte said.

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