In the mid-1990s, fashion education became more fully integrated into the academy, allowing students of fashion to receive more than vocational training. Their studies in fashion design or fashion merchandising were now combined with a traditional liberal arts or business education, leading to a bachelor’s or baccalaureate degree. This had the effect of formalizing, even legitimizing, fashion as an academic pursuit and a desired career. And with the burgeoning proliferation of fashion content in the media, especially with Project Runway and blogging, followed by smartphones and social media, colleges and universities were quick to realize the profit potential of offering fashion degree programs.

Shifting a fashion education into a more liberal arts setting requires students to take non-fashion courses such as sciences, mathematics, history and so forth, in order to meet accreditation standards. While this ensures a more well-rounded education, it also means less time to focus on fashion related subjects and skills training. For bachelor-level students, this means taking a series of foundational courses, and perhaps an elective or two, without ever having the chance to deep dive, or gain expertise in any one particular area. The goal then becomes on providing a foundation of knowledge and the ability to think critically--the hallmarks of a liberal arts education-- on which students can build, once they enter the industry. While there is certainly value in this approach, it has also led to a wide chasm between what knowledge and actual skills students graduate with, versus what employers expect of them, or need.

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