IFM turns 30!

Established in 1986 on the initiative of the Ministry for Industry and of professionals from within the sector (professions relating to textile, couture, ready-to-wear, apparel, distribution), its ambition is summed up by Pierre Bergé, who heads the Executive Board: « I founded IFM in 1986 to combine management and creation and to allow encounters between profiles that have no prior knowledge of each other. « Everyone at IFM learns to speak the other’s language ».

Thirty years later, IFM, member of the Conférence des grandes écoles, a state-recognized institution delivering an accredited degree, has widely developed its scope of activities: postgraduate and executive education, research and expertise. From around forty students on the Fashion Management Postgraduate Program in 1986, the school has moved to 180 students, spread over 5 higher education programs. It also trains 2,000 executives each year.

« Through its success, IFM contributes to the development and competitiveness of French fashion industries », declared Emmanuel Macron, Minister for Economy, Industry and Digitalization.

The program portfolio has rapidly extended to include fashion management programs but also since 2000 a fashion design program which today offers three majors (Garment, Accessory and Image).

IFM’s faculty has grown ever stronger and includes professors recognized in their discipline as well as a large number of associate professors and business professionals who lecture on the different programs.

Academic research totals around thirty reference works published by Editions IFM and 22 issues of the academic review « Mode de Recherche ». Lastly, its Economic Observatory constitutes a key resource for analyzing the evolution of textile, fashion and luxury markets.

Today, IFM’s aim is to :

• Train designers and managers, by always placing them as close as possible to business reality;
• Accompany the development of fashion and design industries through an offer of executive education for managers;
• Contribute to the « fashion and innovation » outreach of Paris and of France via high-level academic research;
• Propose prospective analysis of major changes in the sector thanks to the expertise of its economic observatory.

« IFM fuels companies with the talents they need in terms of skills, diversity and commitment » as Bruno Pavlovsky, President of Chanel’s fashion division and President of the Cercle IFM points out.

IFM nurtures very close links with companies. The Cercle IFM, its Circle of corporate sponsors includes 16 companies and foundations, prestigious brands and flagships of French and international fashion and luxury, which support the institution’s development and provide a substantial scholarship scheme. Thanks to their generosity, around one in two students currently benefits from these scholarships, enabling IFM to lead a deliberate policy towards social and international diversity.

IFM’s Alumni Association counts over 2,000 graduates working in 50 different countries. It supports IFM’s development and constitutes a strong community of creative and business-minded individuals.

Dean Dominique Jacomet, and Sylvie Ebel, Executive Director, stress that « 2016 will turn a new page in IFM’s development with three strategic priorities: international development, entrepreneurship and digital innovation ».

Internationalization of programs is set to increase: today 40% of IFM’s students are non French. This momentum will be kept up in particular through the Fashion Design Postgraduate Program and the MSc in International Luxury Management.

2016 is also the first year for the IFM Start program which addresses students and young entrepreneurs who wish to develop start-up projects in creative industries. With the IFM Labels program which accompanies young creative labels in their take-off, IFM also demonstrates its drive to encourage creation and innovation.

Finally, 2016 will see the emergence of an array of studies and courses linked to digital innovation: MOOC, blended learning and executive education programs.

Events throughout the year will allow the institution to be fittingly celebrated: anniversary evening, exhibitions, lectures, debates etc.