Fashion School Fun Facts: Edinburgh College of Art

Edinburgh College of Art (ECA ) strives to be a place of experimentation and collaboration, celebrated for enabling students from different disciplines to work alongside and with each other and for creating strong linkages with other institutions specialising in the arts.

Origins

The school was established as an independent college under its current name in 1906 when Scotland’s higher education system had to undergo a reorganisation process. In 2011, Edinburgh College of Art formally merged with the University of Edinburgh.

As a result of this union, the two institutions created the University of Edinburgh Art Collection, a collection consisting of about 2,500 works of art, some of which are more than 400 years old.

ECA is located in the heart of the beautiful town of Edinburgh and the green campus is surrounded by the astounding architecture of the Old and New Towns (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

What to study?

The college aims to provide its students who choose to study a fashion or textiles course at Edinburgh College of Art with the practical skills and a rich understanding of context and application in the industry which will enable them to enter a wide range of related careers. ECA is known for cutting-edge fashion teaching that emphasises personal creative freedom and design innovation.

There are three bachelor degrees to choose from, a BA (Hons) in Fashion, a BA (Hons) in Textiles, and a BA (Hons) in Performance Costume.

Students can also choose the BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing.

News

In 2014, Edinburgh College of Art was awarded the ESALA Bronze Award, and the school subsequently received an Athena SWAN Bronze Award in 2017.