ACADEMIC INNOVATION

AKTO is the only private school in Greece offering university-level studies in Fashion. The programme includes unique subjects, such as Styling and Moulage, as well as specialized portfolio-building seminars. Free expression, research, innovation, and the connection between Fashion and Art are encouraged, while contemporary social issues are also incorporated, such as sustainability, female empowerment, inclusion, and contemporary discussions around the LGBTQIA+ community.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AKTO actively supports the professional development of its graduates through the Career Office and its wide network. Graduates have established themselves in the job market, with high demand from leading brands such as Iris van Herpen, Italian and Greek Vogue, and the Greek National Opera (Lyriki Skini), while others have created their own fashion brands in

Greece, Spain, New York, and elsewhere. In addition, many are active in Ready-to-Wear companies or collaborate with Greek designers, such as the Loukia atelier. The programme provides the foundation for continuing studies and a career abroad.

EDUCATIONAL VISITS

Educational visits include museums, exhibitions, fashion houses, and showrooms, offering direct exposure to the Fashion industry. In addition, through organized educational trips to fashion capitals such as Paris, Milan, and London, students come into contact with fashion weeks, ateliers, and design studios, strengthening their connection to the international market.

HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARD

The programme combines professional knowledge, experimentation, and innovation through research projects, strengthening critical thinking, professional responsibility, and independent learning. Beyond technical training, it focuses on academic and research development, preparing students for postgraduate studies. Graduates of the programme have been admitted to leading fashion universities internationally, such as Polimoda, Kingston University, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the London College of Fashion.

PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

The programme combines professional knowledge, experimentation, and innovation through research projects, strengthening critical thinking, professional responsibility, and independent learning. Beyond technical training, it focuses on academic and research development, preparing students for postgraduate studies. Graduates of the programme have been admitted to leading fashion universities internationally, such as Polimoda, Kingston University, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the London College of Fashion.

ACADEMIC TEAM

The Fashion Design programme is staffed by accomplished professors with a strong academic background and extensive professional experience. The teaching team combines different generations and approaches, creating a dynamic and multifaceted educational environment that promotes creativity, knowledge, and innovation.

By joining the programme, you gain a well-rounded approach to the field of Fashion and examine its connection to other design fields, such as architecture, sculpture, and the visual arts. At the design level, you will experiment with various drawing techniques and methods (using both manual tools and computers), studying in your figures the female silhouette, poses, proportions, different body types, anatomy, and the movement of the human body, as well as how clothing is depicted on it (colours, textures, folds, etc.).

At the same time, you will get to know the entire garment production process, through a series of technical application modules that frame the programme (final design, pattern, cutting, and sewing). Textiles are an important subject studied in depth, familiarizing you with the characteristics and particularities of fabrics. In addition, through theoretical modules, presentations, lectures, and through the special emphasis placed on research, you will learn how clothing and style developed through the centuries — from Ancient Greece to today — and you will develop your aesthetic judgment. Finally, you will understand the importance and role of the Stylist within the mechanism of the global Fashion market (international trends, references, influences), as well as the broader significance of appearance in communication.

Gaining valuable knowledge at both a technical and aesthetic level, you will be introduced to the field of communication, marketing, and self-promotion. You will discover the role of the contemporary designer and their relationship with the market they address, studying historical and contemporary fashion publications and advertising campaigns from the biggest fashion houses. Through specialized projects, you will discover how a designer shapes their personal style, how they “build” their image, and how they promote their work. You will also learn how fashion businesses are set up and how a clothing production unit is organized. At the same time, elements from the global history of Fashion become influences and points of reference in your projects, while you will also form a broader understanding of the role of socio-economic conditions in the evolution of Fashion, so that you become a well-rounded Fashion Designer.

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr so we can send you the Detailed Study Guide.

Here you can view the Programme Specification And Curriculum Map For Fashion Design.

This programme was developed and is delivered and assessed by AKTO, awarded by and quality assured by Middlesex University London.

YEAR 01

In the first year you will take 6 modules (3 per semester), which introduce you theoretically and creatively to the magical world of fashion.

SEMESTER 01 | MODULES

• History & Theory of Fashion

• Fashion Techniques I

• Fashion Drawing & Design

SEMESTER 02 | MODULES

• History, Culture & Development of Creativity

• Fashion Techniques II

• Fashion Design: Media & Methods

Class schedules are mainly in the morning and early afternoon, in order to smoothly support the transition into the new academic reality, giving members of the student community the necessary “space” for systematic practice, guidance, and intensive presence in the studios. At the same time, this schedule also makes it easier for those who have recently completed secondary education to be smoothly integrated into the daily study programme.

YEAR 02

In the second year you will take 6 modules (3 per semester), designed to enrich your knowledge and go deeper into more specialized subject areas.

SEMESTER 03 | MODULES

• Fashion Styling & Creative Practice

• Fashion Techniques & Relationship with Industry

• Fashion Design in the Contemporary Context

SEMESTER 04 | MODULES

• Styling & Contemporary Design

• Communication in Fashion Design

• Collection Design & Presentation

Maintaining morning and early-afternoon schedules ensures a steady study pace and intensive depth in both studio and theoretical subjects, thereby supporting skills development and personal progress at this critical stage of study.

YEAR 03

In the third year you will take 3 modules. You will also have the opportunity to carry out your Research Project on a topic of your choice and create your own design work based on the same topic.

SEMESTER 05 | MODULES

• Professional Development & Promotion

• Research Project

SEMESTER 06 | MODULE

• Final Major Project

During the development of your research project you will receive consistent guidance and supervision both from your instructors and from your fellow students, aiming to achieve a high level of results and develop a steady work rhythm throughout the semester.

Classes take place both in the morning/early afternoon and in the late afternoon/evening, allowing for substantial research and practical work, while also making it easier for members of the student community to be professionally active. During the third year, having already developed important skills and built a strong portfolio, many students stand out and become active in the job market, through freelance or part-time collaborations, both in Greece and abroad.

In addition, you will have many opportunities for professional practice through Real Work Projects, in collaboration with major agencies, brands, and art and cultural organizations in Greece and abroad.

As Director of the Fashion Design department at AKTO, I invite you to discover the only university-level undergraduate fashion programme in Greece.

This is a complete, specialized programme designed for those who want to work and excel in the multidimensional world of fashion.

Fashion is far more than clothes. It is the present moment, synonymous with today. People can only be silent when they are naked. Everything we wear silently communicates information about us — something we like, elements of our personality. Fashion is creativity, commercial awareness, and aesthetics in a relentless pursuit of what’s new. At AKTO, you don’t just learn to design clothes — you learn to tell stories through your creations. The programme covers every stage of the creative process, from research and drawing to execution and presentation.

With experienced instructors and modern facilities, we give you the tools to stand confidently in a demanding industry. Fashion today is not just about design — it’s about sustainability, inclusion, fair treatment, and decision-making throughout the supply chain. The circular economy and fair trade are no longer optional — they are necessary conditions for meeting the contemporary challenges of the field.

“You can’t stop the future from coming. You have to embrace it.” – Rei Kawakubo

Rei Kawakubo, one of the most influential fashion designers, reminds us that fashion is constant evolution.

At AKTO, you learn to embrace the future with confidence, to innovate, and to create with purpose. If fashion is your passion and you’re ready to give it your whole self, the road to success starts here. Come run this exciting creative marathon with us. Welcome to the world of fashion — welcome to AKTO!

Popi Anastouli
Programme Leader, BA (Hons) Fashion Design

At AKTO, distinguished Greek fashion designers, stylists, and art theorists teach, recognized for both their academic and artistic work. Specialized professors and PhD holders, together with research staff, pass on innovative and in-depth knowledge to students, responsive to the changing needs of society, technology, and the market. AKTO’s academic team helps students express themselves through a free and bold spirit of inquiry and research, aiming for social benefit both domestically and internationally.

Meet the members of AKTO’s Fashion Design Academic Team

For the Full-Time undergraduate study programmes, the academic year has one (1) intake period, starting in October. For the Open College undergraduate study programmes, the academic year has two (2) intake periods. The first period is in October, followed by the second period the following February.

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr for more information about intake periods.

Read below for information about tuition for AKTO’s undergraduate programmes:

• BA (Hons) | Full-Time
• BA (Hons) | Open College

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr for further clarification about tuition and payment methods.

Candidates for the undergraduate study programmes must hold a Greek Lyceum Leaving Certificate or an equivalent secondary education qualification from abroad, such as an IB Diploma, A levels, or GCSE. Citizens of countries that are not members of the European Union or the Schengen Agreement must obtain a student visa or residence permit before enrolling. For candidates whose native language is not Greek, the language proficiency requirement is level B2.​

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr for more information about the enrollment requirements.

At AKTO, we accept applications for transfers and admission via qualifying exams in every enrollment period. The process includes an interview and a presentation of a portfolio from the candidate’s previous academic path. Interested applicants can be admitted to an advanced semester or year of study and complete their studies through AKTO’s programmes.

Read detailed information about the transfer process to AKTO

AKTO subsidizes students with scholarships, tuition discounts, or even full subsidies, depending on the enrollment period, available places, and social criteria.

Read detailed information about:

• Tuition Subsidies & Social Responsibility
• Scholarships

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr for more information.

AKTO, recognizing the pedagogical challenges and contemporary demands of education, offers its students a range of benefits to help them, both with their studies and with their social life. These benefits include:

• ISIC Student Card (International Student Identity Card)
  • Offers countless benefits and discounts to cardholders
• Counselling Centre
  • Specialized psychologists and counsellors
• VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) access
  • Microsoft Office 365
• Weekly Design Software workshops
• Technical Support
• Fonts from Fonts.GR
• E-Registrar’s Office

Read in detail about all the benefits AKTO offers

• Studies at AKTO are supported by modern, high-aesthetic building facilities, forming a contemporary environment ideal for learning and creation, across two state-of-the-art Campuses, the Athens Campus and the Thessaloniki Campus.

  At AKTO’s two Campuses, we give students access to state-of-the-art, specialized equipment in the fields of art and design, through:

  • Libraries
  • Computer Labs
  • Photography Studios
  • Fashion Labs
  • Fine Art Labs
  • Model-Making & Product Prototyping Labs
  • 3D Printing
  • Green Box Studio
  • Amphitheatre
  • AKTO Gallery

Fashion Design embodies constant renewal, evolution, and the adoption of new ideas and achievements. The world of Fashion incorporates into its activities all new developments, both at a social level and those concerning the evolution of technology and communication media. Fashion connects past, present, and future, weaving colourful threads between them, with inspiration, creativity, imagination, and knowledge. New paths are constantly opening up for the researcher, the fashion creator, and the professional who takes on the task of captivating the public by attractively combining garments, accessories, and objects in a Fashion Editorial.

Fashion Design is constantly evolving and adapting to changing times. New technologies, new social archetypes, and Fashion Trends that constantly emerge in Textiles, Key Shapes, and Influences, as well as the need for more sustainable solutions and proposals in Fashion, make up a new dynamic of storytelling and design. Drawing on both old and new references, inspired by tradition and technology, endless possibilities are created in the traditional field of fashion, but also in the metaverse that has entered our lives, broadening the range of professional activity for fashion designers more than ever before!

Graduates of the Fashion Design study programme have many different options available to them depending on their inclination and personal interests, such as:

• Fashion Designers at Ready to Wear brands
• Pattern Makers at Ready to Wear brands (paper pattern design & CAD pattern-making)
• Production Managers
• Researchers and Trend, Material, and Colour Consultants
• Fashion designers and moulage sample makers at Haute Couture ateliers
• Organizing fashion shows
• Costume designers for theatre, film, television series
• Buyers at clothing companies
• Personal Brand
• Stylists at Runway Shows
• Editorial Styling – Fashion Editor (at Magazines)
• Stylists for outfit photoshoots
• Commercial Catalogues & Lookbooks
• Music videos
• TV Shows
• Social Media and Set Styling
• E-commerce sites, Digital Fashion Shows
• Celebrity Stylists
• Prop Stylists
• Stylists at advertising agencies – Advertising spots
• Personal Stylists – Personal Shoppers
• Stylist Assistants

The options available to a contemporary Fashion Designer are truly countless, while a large proportion choose to create their own brand for traditional or e-commerce activity. AKTO’s Careers Office helps graduates connect with the job market and a wide range of professional activity across various fields. AKTO Alumni is the largest 360˚ Art & Design community in Greece.

AKTO’s university Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, awarded in collaboration with Middlesex University London, are recognized as professionally equivalent, in accordance with Presidential Decree 38/2010, as amended by Law 4093/2012, 4111/2013, 4205/2013, and 4635/2019. Middlesex University London is recognized by DOATAP as an institution equivalent to Greek Higher Education Institutions, while our graduates’ degrees have been recognized by A.T.E.E.N. Holders of these degrees are able to take part in ASEP competitions, in accordance with Article 13 of Law 4148/2013.

Read more about the Recognition and Accreditation of AKTO’s University Degrees