The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) was a private college founded in 1969 by Tonian Hohberg in downtown Los Angeles. In 2023, Arizona State University (ASU) announced that FIDM would become a part of ASU's fashion education program.
The school officially closed on March 31, 2025 with its final graduating class.
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Academics
The college offered 26 associate degree programs; a Bachelor of Science degree in business management, which was also available via distance learning; and nine Bachelor of Arts degree programs. The college also offered a master's in business administration degree.
The college was accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Due to a commission review finding problems in sustainability and faculty oversight in 2019, status was changed from "Accredited" to "Accredited with Notice of Concern". It was also an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Campuses
In addition to its Los Angeles campus, the college previously had three satellite campuses located in San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego.
The main campus was the Los Angeles campus. The campus featured the modern architecture of Clive Wilkinson, innovative study spaces, a design studio, and the FIDM Museum and Galleries.
The San Francisco campus was located in Union Square. The Orange County Campus had lofts, an indoor/outdoor student lounge, bright colors, and a unique audiovisual igloo.
In popular culture
FIDM served as the location of Lifetime's Project Runway season six, Project Runway: Under the Gunn, Project Runway: Threads, and Project Runway: Junior. Several FIDM alumni, including Santino Rice, Daniel Franco, Guadalupe Vidal, Kelli Martin, and Leann Marshall, were contestants on the original Project Runway show. FIDM was also featured in the MTV show The Hills, which shows the life of upcoming fashion designer, Lauren Conrad, who comes from Laguna Beach and wants to become famous for her designs.
FIDM Museum
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum located at the Los Angeles Campus, was home to a large collection of fashion and costume pieces from the 1800s to today. The museum featured permanent and temporary exhibits, including costumes and designs from early 20th-century Hollywood, theater, and current television shows and films. The FIDM Museum Permanent Collection featured more than 15,000 objects representing over 200 years of fashion, spanning haute couture, ready-to-wear, international ensembles, film costumes, and fragrance. Highlights of the collection included the Lilli Ann, Michael Arnaud, Damask Cecil Beaton, Nancy Dinsmore, Rudi Gernreich, Stella Hanania, Helen Larson, Tina Leser, Maurice Levin, and Gianni Versace Menswear archives.
Notable people
Alumni
Princess Rajwa Al Hussein, Saudi architect and the wife of Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan
Marina Toybina, costume designer
Lubov Azria, fashion designer
Katie Bender Wynn, filmmaker
Amanda Bynes, fashion designer, actress
Lauren Conrad, author and fashion designer
Cris Crotz, Miss Nevada 2010
Candice Cuoco, fashion designer, Project Runway 14 finalist
Kyra Davis, novelist
Lil Debbie, rapper, model, and fashion designer
Nikita Dragun, Beauty YouTuber
Rhonda Harper, surfer and surf coach
Mario Hollands, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
Sassa Jimenez, fashion designer, Philippines
Karen Kane, fashion designer
Lisa Kristine, fine art photographer
Michael Kuluva, fashion designer, professional figure skater, owner of Tumbler and Tipsy
Masiela Lusha, Albanian-American actress, poet, and humanitarian
Leanne Marshall, fashion designer, Project Runway 5 winner
Faculty and staff
Kevin Reagan, graphic designer and author
Bradford Shellhammer, entrepreneur and designer, founding editor of Queerty
Nick Verreos, fashion designer