Teaching the fashion innovators of the future

ECA is known for cutting-edge fashion teaching that emphasises personal creative freedom and design innovation while giving you more tutor time than in most other Fashion programmes.

Our annual show is a highlight of Scotland’s fashion calendar.

Our students have won many leading awards, including the GFW George Gold Award for Best Collection (Lauren Smith, 2013), GFW Womenswear Collection of the Year (Melissa Villevieille, 2015), GFW Menswear Collection of the Year (Shauni Douglas and Olivia Creber, 2013), the Christopher Bailey Collection of the Year, the Considered Design Award and the Hilary Alexander Trailblazer Award (Brian Mc Lysaght, 2019), David Band Textiles Award (Alexander Fan, 2019), George Catwalk to Store Award (Rosie Baird, 2019).

Together with the fashion industry group, All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, we co-founded The Diversity Network exploring emotionally considerate design and social responsibility. Working closely with the National Galleries of Scotland, we integrate our research on body image, self-esteem and identity into all our teaching, helping you build your skills in responding with empathy to consumers and their diverse needs.

Learning keeping pace with industry

Fashion is multifaceted and ever-evolving. Our programme reflects this.

As shown in our annual DesignBook portfolio-building projects, we are renowned for upholding high standards of fashion drawing and presentation skills, helping you with understanding brand development and what it takes to shine in a creative business.

You will also develop a variety of technical and pattern-cutting skills - including creative cutting, small-scale cutting, tailoring and outerwear - and encouraged to develop innovations in fabrics, garment manufacture and finishings.

Ultimately, the final year offers you the opportunity to fully incorporate your design strengths into your graduate fashion collection, which can be explored through perspectives of accessory-led design, menswear, womenswear, knitwear and surface-led design. 

Your employment and career development are our priorities. We bring our industry experience and connections to each project, with opportunities to participate in competitions and lives briefs set by H&M, Dr Martens, Mackintosh, Sophie Halette and more. Our graduates have gone on to work for top design brands, including Balenciaga, H&M, Reiss, Cos, Warehouse, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Gucci, to name but a few.

If you'd like to study on an undergraduate programme at Edinburgh College of Art, you must apply through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. You can find out how to do this on the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder, where you'll also be able to

• see the structure of the programme and what you will study each year
• see detailed entrance requirements for each programme on the Degree Finder
• get information on what to expect after you apply
• find out about fees
• find out where to go for further advice and guidance.

If you have any questions about the application process, your qualifications or deadlines, our Undergraduate Admissions Office will be happy to help you.

Email the Undergraduate Admissions Office: futurestudents@ed.ac.uk

You can find information and guidance about submitting a portfolio for entry in 2025 on our undergraduate portfolio guidance page. 

Undergraduate portfolio guidance | Edinburgh College of Art