Fashion Design & French Culture
Why Choose This Program?
Explore
Have fun discovering the fashionable streets of Paris.
Network
Meet new friends and fashion experts. Build your own community.
Get Inspired
Sketch, prototype, and showcase! Gain skills to create your own fashion designs.
The Destination
Welcome to Paris, the first city to make an industry out of fashion.
Paris has always been at the forefront of style—from the Baroque extravagance of Louis XIV to the haute couture (“high sewing” or “high fashion”) of Rose Bertin, fashion designer to Marie Antoinette. Dozens of top world fashion houses were founded in Paris (Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior just to name a few), and Paris Fashion Week is one of the world’s most important fashion events happening twice a year.
In “the cultural heart of Europe,” you breathe in diversity, ingenuity, and beauty. Paris has around 130 museums and art galleries that are dedicated to a variety of artistic disciplines, including fashion. Café culture, dating back to the 17th century, is deep in the soul of Paris, and it’s where you can settle in on the terrace with a café au lait and find locals discussing new trends. Mixing the past and present, the romantic and revolutionary, the city is an incredible playground, especially for young creators and artists like you.
Cultural Awareness
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Paris.
Sample Itinerary
Top Rated Activities
Natural Dyeing Workshop at Murs à Fleurs Wildflower Farm
Wandering through rows of vibrant blooms at Murs à Fleurs wildflower farm, bold reds, soft yellows, blues, and purples stand out against a cool green backdrop. Nature’s palette is on full display, revealing the influence the natural world has had on fashion designers throughout history. Among the fresh floral scents and laughter of friends, you gather poppies, buttercups, and other blooms that will soon transform into custom dyes for your handmade t-shirt.
Guided by a local expert, you dive into the ancient dyeing process, extracting pigments from flowers using traditional methods. The workshop ties your knowledge of color theory to centuries-old techniques that are gentler on the planet than chemical dyes. You also uncover the history of Murs à Fleurs, a 1600s orchard now revitalized as a thriving small business.
This workshop is a cornerstone of the Fashion Design program, exploring natural dyeing’s history and impact. As you design your t-shirt, you imagine a future where sustainable practices define fashion—a future shaped by creators like you.
Student-led Fashion Show
The music starts, and the classroom transforms into a Parisian runway. Lights flash, and your friends cheer as you step onto the catwalk, modeling your own creation—a modern twist on the classic French beret. This fashion show is the culmination of three weeks immersed in Paris’s iconic fashion scene, where you’ve explored haute couture, tackled over-consumerism, and discovered the art of sustainable design.
Throughout the program, you’ve worked with your fellow Global Navigators to source materials from Montmartre thrift shops and the sprawling Marché St. Pierre fabric market, breathing new life into recycled fabrics. A professional seamstress guided you as you turned your vision into reality, sewing your beret with precision and care.
Now, it’s your moment to shine, and you can’t stop smiling—feeling full of pride at your work and your friends. The excitement and energy in the room is electric!
This experience has elevated your skills in fashion design and given you a tangible creation to add to your professional portfolio. Whether for fashion school admissions or pursuing your creative passions, your time in Paris has prepared you to design with purpose and boldness.
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Eligibility
- Participants must be 14 years old and above.
- Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our scholarship page.
For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.
Dates & Fees
Application Fee
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition.
More questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations or contact us.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Summer Session I 2025 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $6,950 | |
| Program Summer Session II 2025 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $6,950 |
Ready to change your life?
What's Included
Interactive Classes
Housing
3 Meals/Day
(Dietary Needs Accommodated)
All Ground Transportation
(Once In-country)
Optional Flight Chaperone
(Flight Cost Not Included)
Pre-departure Advice and Orientation
Access to WIFI
(No international data plan or SIM card included)
All Cultural Activities and Excursions
Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection
24/7 Emergency On-site Support
Our Staff
Delphine Mauny
Center Director
A born-and-bred Parisian, Delphine has extensive experience in international education, having worked with American high school students, college students, and adults traveling to France.
Program Leaders guide and support our High School Summer Abroad participants through every step of their program.
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