Language

English

Start date

October 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

8 Months

Project your creativity and your passion for fashion in this course to discover the knowledge, skills and tools you’ll use in your university studies.

Respect for your own distinct personality and style, with individual progress monitoring to encourage your evolution as an artist are the hallmarks of this course. What’s more you’ll be learning from a team of professionals that includes lecturers from the official degree courses at IED Barcelona, one of the most prestigious international fashion schools in the world.

During the first semester you’ll acquire the necessary grounding and know-how in terms of dress codes, trends, languages, history and fashion photography. In the second semester you’ll acquire the specific technical skills you need to create a collection.

The dynamic, open and multidisciplinary learning experience culminates with the creation of your own personal portfolio you can use when applying for a university degree course.

Information to decide

An open, multidisciplinary and dynamic learning experience to take the first steps in your professional fashion career. 

In this course you’ll acquire the essential knowledge and skills you need to find your way in the multifaceted fashion universe.

The Foundation Course in Fashion adopts an active learning approach encouraging you to develop your own creative talent and personal autonomy with the materials and resources provided by IED Barcelona. What’s more, the team of lecturers is made up of professionals working in the sector from the IED Bachelor of Arts in Design, Fashion Design and BA (Hons) Fashion Design courses.

In particular, you’ll be creating your own personal portfolio as the course progresses.

If you’re a creative person interested in the world of fashion and aesthetics, if you want to apply to a university to take a degree in fashion but lack the basics you need to create a portfolio of your work, this is the course for you. 

You’ll get your first taste of the professional world of fashion at one of the best schools in the world, in the cultural context of Barcelona, a real creative hotbed on the European fashion scene.

You’ll learn the ropes from lecturers with extensive professional and academic experience who’ll actively encourage you to develop your own artistic identity and a unique aesthetic style.

You’ll be learning in a dynamic, multicultural environment with students from all over the world studying very different areas of design, enriching your personal and academic experience.

Syllabus

What will you learn?

In this course you’ll acquire the language skills and know-how you need to take a subsequent university degree, including a degree related to art and photography. You’ll also create your first collection of customised garments, working on every stage of the design process from the first, initial idea to the creation of your portfolio collection. 



FIRST SEMESTER MODULES

ACADEMIC ENGLISH AND FASHION LANGUAGE
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF ART
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY
ART AND DESIGN RESEARCH



SECOND SEMESTER MODULES

COLLECTION
DIGITAL DESIGN
TECHNICAL DRAWING
FASHION ILLUSTRATION
FASHION LAB

Faculty

Director

Julia Weems

International stylist and costume designer

Teacher

Eñaut Barruetabeña

Fashion Designer

Teacher

Willy Villacorta

Fashion photographer and lecturer specialised in visual identity and art direction

Teacher

Amanda Nazareth

Fashion, Art and Portfolio Lecturer

Teacher

Sheila Casado

Fashion designer and lecturer

News

Professional fashion catwalk with models parading

17 September 2026

IED fashion takes centre stage at 080 Barcelona Fashion

Acceptance Letter (by IED Barcelona lecturer Jeakyong Sim), Compte Spain and L’AMAR (brands founded respectively by IED Madrid alumni Santi Mozas and Nacho Lamar) will take to the catwalk at Spain’s most international fashion event in October.

Crowded stalls of an auditorium

15 September 2026

More than 200 students from 52 nationalities open the 2026-2027 academic year of the IED Barcelona

On 14 September, the Welcome Event welcomed a new generation of creatives and designers joining the undergraduate programmes.

14 September 2026

Chimera – Hybrid Artifacts: Design Connects Turin and São Paulo

Seven bags, two cities and one shared project. A collaboration between Italy and Brazil has evolved into an international design journey, bringing together different cultures, materials and design languages.

11 September 2026

Issue 4: Material World - Plural Intelligences

What happens when we recognize the intelligence of materials and learn to work with it responsibly, collectively, and collaboratively?

11 September 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao temporarily transforms Doña Casilda Park with ‘Sareak’

A cross-disciplinary project bringing together nearly 200 members of the community to reflect on contemporary communication through design.

11 September 2026

Peio Santisteban’s “Flores para un monstruo” Wins the IED Madrid Fashion Talent Award 2026

Twelve students from the Fashion Design Bachelor’s Degree at Istituto Europeo di Design Madrid presented their collections for the second consecutive year as part of the OModa Madrid Es Moda programme.

07 September 2026

Fashion show and festival: the IED Public Programme is back

In September, IED's Public Program returns with a calendar of events across its campuses in Italy and Spain, offering opportunities for dialogue, exchange and discovery open to the community and the wider public.

07 September 2026

From Turin to Tokyo: IED and Pioneer Denim bring new visions of denim to the international runway

Projects by students on IED Torino’s Undergraduate Programme in Fashion Design, developed using materials supplied by the company, are heading to Tranoï Tokyo and Denim Première Vision as part of the collaboration with Pioneer Denim, bringing together research, experimentation and product culture.

07 September 2026

IED Madrid Alumni Talent at OMODA Madrid es Moda 2026

Designers and IED Madrid alumni Luis Berrendero and Carlota Barrera have taken part in this edition’s programme, alongside other IED Madrid initiatives such as its Fashion Show 2026 and the event with Roberto Verino.

Don't miss it

14 September 2026 - 18 September 2026

Barcelona

IED Barcelona 2026 Undergraduate Welcome Week

The welcome event for undergraduate students, teachers and staff to mark the official opening of the new academic year will take place on Monday 14 September.

Exhibitions and Festival

02 October 2026 - 08 October 2026

Madrid

Sepiia’s 10th Anniversary Exhibition

IED Madrid alumni and designer Federico Sáinz de Robles celebrates the 10th anniversary of his brand, Sepiia, with an exhibition.

An open notebook showing two pencil sketches, one of a lamp and the other of designer handbags
Exhibitions and Festival

17 October 2026 - 17 October 2026

Barcelona

Barcelona Dibuixa 2026: “The Power of Hand Drawing”

IED Barcelona is offering this workshop, where participants will discover, guided by architect and lecturer Gianfranco La Cognata – Laco 2, how design takes shape through illustration.