15 Fashion Design Camps for High School Students

TL;DR

You’ll find 15 fashion design camps here, from one-week studio camps at Texas Woman’s University and Kent State to three-week programs at Parsons and NYU. The biggest differences are length and cost, since St. Kate’s five-day workshop costs $300 while Vogue Summer School’s residential option is $7,865 for two weeks. Most programs suit students in 9th to 12th grade, and several, including LIM’s Fashion Design Studio, teach sewing from the basics. Immerse Education’s Career Insights pathway in Fashion & Design runs for two weeks in New York for students aged 15 to 18.

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If you love sketching outfits, experimenting with fabric, or putting together looks, fashion design camps for high school students let you test that passion in a real studio. Instead of only scrolling through runway photos, you sew garments, drape fabric on mannequins, and present your work in a show or exhibition. That experience can also help you work out how to get into the fashion industry and which part of it suits you best.

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Fashion camps come in a few formats, from afternoon workshops and one-week residential camps to three-week college-credit programs. Depending on the camp, you might style a photoshoot with Vogue, prototype a garment in Kent State’s KnitLab, or curate an exhibition from NYU’s Costume Studies collection. Many also include field trips to museums, design studios, and fashion showrooms.

What are fashion design camps for high school students?

Fashion design camps for high school students are summer programs, often run by universities and design schools, that teach you to sketch, sew, and develop original fashion ideas. Most last between four days and four weeks and end with a fashion show, an exhibition, or portfolio pieces you can keep.

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Programs vary more than you might expect. Some focus on sewing and garment construction, while others cover styling, merchandising, sustainability, or curation. Before you apply, check the age range, whether housing is included, and how much sewing experience you need. Costs range from a $300 workshop at St. Kate’s to nearly $8,000 for residential programs in New York.

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To help you compare your options, we’ve put together a list of 15 fashion design camps for high school students!

15 Fashion Design Camps for High School Students   

1. Texas Woman’s University: Fashion Design Camps

Location: Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX
Cost: $595 (day camp) + optional overnight lodging package of $395 (double occupancy) or $450 (single occupancy) | No scholarships or financial aid available
Cohort size: Maximum 20 campers per camp
Dates: Five-day camps; the 2026 Teen camps ran June 8-12 and July 6-10 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Registration for 2026 opened February 1st; all 2026 camps filled, with waitlists available
Eligibility: Teen Fashion Design Camp: ages 13-18 | Junior Fashion Design Camp: ages 8-13 | International eligibility not specified

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At Texas Woman’s University’s Fashion Design Camps, you spend five days developing sewing and apparel construction skills alongside fashion sketching, trend boards, textiles, color theory, and design concepts. You learn from TWU Fashion faculty and local fashion industry professionals, while undergraduate fashion students assist you throughout each day. 

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Most activities take place in the historic Old Main Building, home of TWU’s fashion program since 1903. The week wraps up on Friday afternoon with a mini fashion show where you showcase what you’ve created to family and friends.

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Why it stands out: You build core sewing and design skills in a single week and finish by presenting your work in a student fashion show.

2. Immerse Education's Fashion & Design Summer School

Location: Barnard College, Columbia University, New York

Cost/Stipend: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; an average of 7 participants per class

Dates: 2 weeks during the summer

Application Deadline: Multiple cohorts with rolling admissions

Eligibility: High school students aged 15 to 18 years old from around the world; open to international students

The fashion industry is a massive world full of opportunities from every side. If you are a high school student who is looking to kickstart your journey in the fashion world before college, Immerse Education's Career Insights pathway in Fashion & Design is the right option for you. In this course, you get to explore professional paths in fashion, learn the basic foundation of fashion design, create a personal project, and earn a certificate of completion at the end of the program. 

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During the program, you'll learn from industry professionals, go on industry visits, and build workplace skills in Career Skills sessions, while creating friendship bonds through day trips and excursions in your free time. In short, this program will really prepare you for reality in the fashion industry.

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Why it stands out: The program balances academic foundations, personal projects, and industry exposure while offering structured insight into real fashion career pathways.

3. Interlochen Arts Camp: Fashion Summer Program for High School Students

Location: Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
Cost: $7,550 | Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 27th - July 17th, 2027 (Session 1) | July 18th - August 8th, 2027 (Session 2)
Application Deadline: January 15th, 2027 for both sessions
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12; a portfolio is required | Open to international students

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Interlochen’s Fashion program is a three-week residential session where you spend six hours a day creating fashion and wearable art. You’ll master garment construction and sewing techniques, study historical and contemporary designers, and use fashion figure drawing to capture proportion, movement, and silhouette. You’ll also explore how different materials can express your artistic ideas, then build a cohesive line of wearables. Your session ends with an exhibition where you showcase the collection you’ve created. You work in the Dow Center for Visual Arts, which includes a dedicated fibers studio, and can attend virtual lectures and college presentations from guest artists.

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Why it stands out: You develop a full, cohesive fashion collection over three weeks at one of the country’s best-known arts camps.

4. Vogue Summer School

Location: Vogue College of Fashion, New York, NY
Cost: $6,215 (day program) | $7,865 (residential program) | $350 off if you apply by the early bird deadline
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Two-week terms: June 6-18, June 20th - July 2nd, July 4-16, or July 18-30, 2027
Application Deadline: January 31st, 2027 (early bird) | March 31st, 2027 (regular decision), with rolling admissions afterward; more info here
Eligibility: Rising 10th - 12th graders and graduating seniors who are 15+ by the first day | Open to international students, with proof of English proficiency for non-native speakers

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Vogue Summer School is a two-week pre-college program where you choose a course in fashion styling, media, communication, or business. In the Fashion Styling course, you learn how fashion images are created, from fashion editing and content creation to developing visual concepts and producing a studio-based photoshoot. 

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Throughout the program, Vogue and Condé Nast journalists and other industry leaders guide your exploration of the field. You visit designer studios, flagship stores, galleries, and industry headquarters across New York City. If business interests you more, the Fashion Business course has you develop your own brand with a business and marketing strategy.

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Why it stands out: You combine fashion styling and creative concept development with photoshoot production and behind-the-scenes exposure to New York’s fashion industry.

5. Kent State Summer Fashion Academy

Location: Kent State University, Kent, OH
Cost: $1,650, including six nights in a residence hall, all meals, supplies, and materials
Cohort size: 30 participants
Dates: One week; the 2026 academy ran June 14-20 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: First-come, first-served; 2026 registration opened March 1st
Eligibility: Students who have completed their sophomore year, are 16-18, and are interested in fashion careers | International eligibility not specified

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The Kent State Summer Fashion Academy gives you a week to explore both the design and business sides of fashion through studio projects and team activities. You develop a three-dimensional design from an initial idea through to a finished garment, while testing and prototyping ideas in Kent State’s digitally equipped KnitLab and TechStyleLAB. 

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A day at the Design Innovation Hub lets you explore product development tools and techniques, while other sessions cover fashion design foundations, fashion history, and its role in society. The week includes a visit to the Fashion Museum and builds toward a final fashion show and family celebration.

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Why it stands out: You take a fashion concept from an initial idea to a finished garment while working with university-level design and prototyping facilities.

6. NYU High School Summer Art Intensive: Curating Fashion

Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost: $2,800 (2026 tuition); on-campus housing and dining cost extra | Scholarships available
Cohort size: 18 students
Dates: July 5-25, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: March 15th, 2026 (financial aid applicants and international students) | April 15th, 2026 (final)
Eligibility: Students aged 15-18 entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade | Open to international students, with proof of English proficiency and an F-1 visa

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You explore fashion through history, culture, research, and exhibition-making in this three-week NYU intensive. You work directly with faculty from Steinhardt’s MA program in Costume Studies, researching fashion history and analyzing textiles, design, and construction within their cultural contexts. 

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Studio workshops are complemented by guest speakers, historians, curators, and exhibition designers, plus class visits to museums across the New York City region. Using pieces from the Costume Studies collection, you help create a group-curated exhibition held in the Commons and Rosenberg galleries in NYU’s Barney Building. Classes run Monday to Friday, and NYU student housing is optional.

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Why it stands out: You go beyond designing clothes to investigate how fashion is researched, interpreted, and presented in a public exhibition.

7. FIT High School Summer 4-Day Workshops

Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY
Cost: $440 per four-day workshop
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Four consecutive days in June or July
Application Deadline: Summer registration typically opens in February and runs until early June
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9-12 in the fall, or graduating seniors | International eligibility not specified

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You spend four days exploring a creative subject at FIT through its short summer workshops, which meet six hours a day. You choose from topics such as fashion design, business, illustration, marketing, styling, photography, forecasting, product development, and toy design. 

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You learn on FIT’s campus in the heart of New York’s Fashion District, giving you a chance to experience the college environment alongside other high school students. The short format makes these workshops a good fit if you live outside New York and want an intensive taste of FIT in a single week. Workshops don’t carry college credit.

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Why it stands out: You can get an intensive taste of FIT and its fashion-focused environment in just four days.

8. Otis College of Art and Design: Summer of Art - Fashion Design

Location: Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $4,390 (full program) | $2,690 (individual class) | Housing with dining adds $2,800 (2026 rates)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6-31, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Registration for 2026 opened in November 2025, with a $200 early enrollment discount until April 25th, 2026
Eligibility: Students aged 14.5-19 | International eligibility not specified

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Otis College’s Summer of Art is a four-week pre-college program, and Fashion Design is one of its specialization courses. Coursework combines demonstrations, studio work, lectures, and critiques, all taught by practicing creative professionals, many of whom teach in Otis’s undergraduate and graduate programs. 

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The program welcomes experienced young artists as well as students with minimal or informal art training. If you pair your specialization with a Drawing Studio course for a full-day schedule, you can earn three transferable college credits. Summer of Art ends with a final exhibition where you share your work with family and friends.

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Why it stands out: You’ll gain practical fashion-design experience, develop portfolio pieces, and have the opportunity to earn college credit while experiencing life at a leading art and design college.

9. St. Catherine University Fashion Summer Workshop

Location: St. Catherine University, Saint Paul, MN
Cost: $300 | $50 for families who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6-10, 2026, 1-5 p.m. (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: First-come, first-served; a parent or guardian registers by email
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10-12 who identify as women, nonbinary, or genderqueer | International eligibility not specified

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You explore fashion design and career possibilities during this five-day afternoon workshop at St. Catherine University. Activities include draping on mannequins, fashion figure sketching, denim upcycling and embellishment, collage figure drawing, and trend-board creation. 

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You’ll also style a model and assemble a photo shoot while building portfolio materials, including one upcycled garment. A career panel featuring St. Kate’s faculty and fashion-industry alumni introduces you to different paths within the field.

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Why it stands out: You combine fashion design, styling, portfolio development, sustainability, and career exploration in one affordable workshop.

10. FIT High School Summer 10-Day Courses

Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY
Cost: $550 per 10-day class
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer Live sessions in July
Application Deadline: Summer registration typically opens in February and runs until early June
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9-12 in the fall, or graduating seniors | International eligibility not specified

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During FIT’s High School Summer Live program, you spend ten sessions in a course based on an introductory first-year college class. You can choose courses that let you develop your interests, create portfolio pieces, and explore FIT’s majors. 

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Each class runs for three hours in either the morning or afternoon, and you can enroll in one or two courses to create a full-day schedule. With options across FIT’s fashion, design, and business subjects, you can shape the experience around the part of the industry that interests you most. As with the workshops, these classes don’t carry college credit.

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Why it stands out: You can build your summer around one or two specialized courses while creating portfolio work at a leading fashion-focused college.

11. Omaha Fashion Camp

Location: Empire Room, Omaha, NE
Cost: Listed on the camp’s registration page
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12-16, 2027 (preteen and teen session runs 12:30-4:00 p.m.)
Application Deadline: Rolling registration
Eligibility: Students aged 11-17 in the preteen and teen session | International eligibility not specified

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You explore several sides of fashion during this five-day camp, from sewing and sketching to modeling, styling, and photography. The camp was started by Omaha Fashion Week’s producer and a local modeling agency, so you learn from people working in the regional fashion scene. 

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You’ll also shop the Goodwill Pop-Up Shop for garments and fabrics to turn into new pieces. The week builds toward a runway show where you present the looks you’ve designed and sewn. Past campers have gone on to Omaha Fashion Week and fashion schools such as Parsons and FIT.

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Why it stands out: You take a garment from sketch to runway in one week, with support from the team behind Omaha Fashion Week.

12. Drexel University: Pre-College Fashion Design Program

Location: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Cost: $2,400, covering accommodations, meals, materials, and field trips ($300 deposit at registration)
Cohort size: 16 students
Dates: July 12-18, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: The 2026 program filled; final payments and forms were due June 12th, 2026
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their sophomore year and are 16+ | International eligibility not specified

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Drexel’s Pre-College Fashion Design Program is a one-week residential program where you live in the dorms and build portfolio work. Studio projects cover fashion illustration, draping, print design, natural silk dyeing, and technical sketching, using tools like Clo-3D and Shima Seiki’s Apex knitwear design software. 

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Drexel faculty and industry professionals lead lectures on sustainable design, historic costume, digital technology, and using AI as a design tool. Field trips take you to Philadelphia design studios, art museums, and spaces like the Bok Building, home to the city’s makers and artists. You’ll also join a silk screen workshop and evening outings with your cohort.

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Why it stands out: You combine traditional fashion techniques with digital design tools, sustainability topics, industry exposure, and residential college life.

13. LIM Fashion Academy

Location: LIM College, New York, NY
Cost: $325-$375 per course | Bundle discounts for multiple courses
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 12-15 and July 19-22, 2027 (Fashion Design Studio runs July 19-22)
Application Deadline: October 30th, 2026 (early bird, $25 off) | June 24th, 2027 (registration closes)
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors aged 14-18 | International eligibility not specified

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LIM’s Fashion Academy is a day program of non-credit courses taught by fashion industry experts, and you can register for as many as your schedule allows. In the Fashion Design Studio course, you spend the week in LIM’s Sewing Studio learning basic sewing skills while creating a fashion product. 

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The course also includes a trip to a Garment District fabric store, so you choose materials for your design the way professionals do. Lunch each day features an industry guest speaker as part of the “Fashion at Lunch” series. Other courses cover fashion styling, merchandising and branding, and creative direction.

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Why it stands out: You create an original fashion item in LIM’s Sewing Studio while learning sewing basics from industry experts.

14. Parsons Summer Intensive Studies: New York

Location: Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York, NY
Cost: $5,805 + $274 university fee
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 28th - July 16th, 2027
Application Deadline: April 1st, 2027 (international students who need a visa) | May 1st, 2027 (general)
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18 and recent high school graduates | Open to international students

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You spend three weeks studying art and design with Parsons faculty in an intensive tailored to high schoolers preparing to apply to college. The program uses project-based learning, art and design field trips, and industry guest speakers to build your technical and creative skills. 

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Classes run Monday to Friday on Parsons’ Greenwich Village campus, and you can live on campus or commute. Supervised evening and weekend activities focus on fashion, art and design, and exploring the city. You’ll also earn three college credits for completing the program.

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Why it stands out: You’ll combine college-level Parsons coursework, industry exposure, and three college credits in the heart of New York City.

15. Pratt Summer Scholars: Sustainable Fashion + Textile Exploration

Location: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: $395 | Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 6-17, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: First-come, first-served; 2026 registration opened April 22nd
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9-12 | International eligibility not specified

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In Pratt’s Sustainable Fashion + Textile Exploration class, you explore sustainable fashion through a series of studio lessons taught by faculty from Pratt’s Schools of Art, Design, and Architecture. The course introduces you to circular design, textile recycling, upcycling, and zero-waste thinking. 

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You’ll design techniques that build your awareness of sustainable fashion practices and help you make informed textile choices. The two-week format gives you focused time to put these ideas into practice rather than studying sustainability only as theory.

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Why it stands out: You approach fashion design through sustainability, with studio work centered on circular design, textile reuse, upcycling, and zero-waste thinking.

Frequently asked questions: Fashion Design Camps for High School Students

What do you learn at a fashion design camp?

At most fashion design camps, you learn sketching, sewing, and garment construction, then put your work on show. TWU covers sewing, trend boards, textiles, and color theory, while Drexel adds draping, silk dyeing, and Clo-3D software. Some camps go beyond design, as Vogue teaches styling and photoshoot production and NYU focuses on curating a fashion exhibition. If you’d rather learn over a longer period, compare these fashion design courses for high school students.

Do you need sewing experience for a fashion design camp?

No, most fashion design camps welcome beginners and teach sewing from the basics. LIM’s Fashion Design Studio teaches basic sewing skills in its Sewing Studio, and TWU’s camps focus on sewing and apparel construction for campers aged 13 to 18. Otis says its Summer of Art suits students with minimal or informal art training too. More intensive programs, like Parsons’ three-week course, are aimed at students already preparing art and design college applications.

How much do fashion design camps cost?

Costs range widely, from a few hundred dollars for short workshops to several thousand for residential programs. Pratt’s two-week class costs $395, and FIT’s four-day workshops cost $440. At the higher end, Parsons charges $5,805 plus a $274 fee, and Otis’s full program with housing costs $7,190. NYU, Vogue, and Pratt offer scholarships or financial aid, so ask about support before ruling a program out.

Can international students attend fashion design camps in the US?

Yes, several fashion design camps in the US accept international students, though you may need a visa. Parsons sets an April 1st deadline for students who need a visa, NYU’s Curating Fashion requires English proficiency and an F-1 visa, and Vogue asks non-native speakers to show English proficiency. Many shorter camps don’t say either way, so email them before applying. Immerse Education’s Career Insights pathway in Fashion & Design welcomes students aged 15 to 18 from around the world in New York.

Do fashion design camps help you build a portfolio for college?

Yes, many camps are built around work you can use in art and design college applications. Otis’s Summer of Art includes critiques and portfolio development, and Drexel has you create original designs, digital artwork, and 3D renderings. St. Kate’s workshop sends you home with portfolio essentials, including an upcycled garment, while FIT’s 10-day courses let you create portfolio pieces. For more ideas, explore these fashion summer programs in NYC for high school students.

What careers can a fashion design camp help you explore?

Fashion camps can introduce you to careers in design, styling, merchandising, marketing, curation, and production. St. Kate’s workshop includes a career panel with alumni working in the industry, and LIM’s courses cover styling, merchandising, and creative direction. Immerse Education’s Career Insights pathway in Fashion & Design adds industry visits and covers supply chains, pricing, and retail, and from age 14 you can earn 8 UCAS points. To test a career further, look at these fashion internships for high school students.

Explore fashion careers before you apply to college

Sketching a collection, sewing your first garment, or styling a photoshoot shows you which side of fashion excites you most before college applications begin.

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The right fashion design camps for high school students match your skill level, budget, and goals, whether that means design, styling, or business.

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Several camps on this list filled up in 2026, so start comparing options early and keep a shorter workshop ready as a backup plan.

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To learn about fashion careers and the skills that lead to them, browse our Career Exploration blogs for guides on industries, roles, and next steps.