What The Heck Is Vogue Summer School?
Written by Daphne Bryant
Images courtesy of Vogue
Help! A ridiculous social media saga has completely taken over my feed! What the heck is Vogue Summer School?
According to its website, the pre-college programs at Vogue College of Fashion give teens with a deep interest in fashion first-hand experience in the industry. There’s a bunch of different programs, not just the ones in New York. In London, the Fashion Business sector gives students an inside look at renowned British brands like Vivienne Westwood, while exploring the creative and business strategies behind both heritage labels and emerging disruptors. Alternatively, if you’re craving something broader, the Fashion Camp program in Madrid offers a general understanding of fashion, combining a mix of creative workshops, industry talks and practical projects that cover styling, photography, constructive feedback and more. Sounds well-rounded, genuinely fun and oh yeah—you’re in fucking Spain!
Personally, I found myself most envious of Vogue NYC’s Fashion Media program. The two-week course dives into many of the things I’ve had to teach myself while building Dreamworldgirl Zine: digital storytelling, editorial production, bringing publications to life through events, and creative direction for photoshoots. I’d be lying if I said these programs didn’t sound incredible. If I were sixteen with aspirations of working in fashion journalism, this would have been my dream summer. After further review, I don’t see anything wrong with the concept of Vogue Summer School itself. It’s immersive, hosted in major fashion hubs, and provides resources that most kids only fantasize about. If you can afford it, and if you apply yourself, something like this could definitely change your life.
So then...where’s the disconnect? When did Vogue Summer School go from an exciting educational opportunity to a tone-deaf TikTok Trend?
A lot of the criticism has to do with cost. The New York programs cost roughly $8,000 for just two weeks. That's about what my parents paid for five weeks of study abroad classes in Europe, and roughly what I pay for six months of rent in Los Angeles. Holy shit. Even as someone who grew up with significant privilege, I can recognize how absurd that number is. Like holy shit, do you know how happy I’d be if there was $8,000 in my bank account right now? I get it, I get it, it’s Vogue, but the expensive price tag ensures that the program will be a rich kid’s playground. Many of the people attending do not actually have the rigorous portfolios or talent-based applications that you’d expect from a program of this caliber. It’s not hard to get into Vogue Summer School, so as long as you have the financial means to be there, you’re golden. Strange optics if I do say so myself.
Another frequent complaint has less to do with the program itself and more to do with how students present themselves online. To be fair though, these are teenagers. Many teenagers, especially privileged ones, aren’t exactly known for their self-awareness. The Edikted outfit hauls, chatty vlogs, and reckless spending habits can appear out of touch, but it’s also pretty typical high school content. Personally, I’m not all that bothered by the influencer-heavy videos or even the“ bad fashion taste.” Personal style is subjective, and I’m not interested in policing how teenagers dress.
What’s far more perplexing is that this summer, multiple students were reportedly sent home early for behavioral issues. One student posted about her experience on TikTok, claiming“ Everyone’s drinking, everyone’s vaping, everyone’s smoking, everyone’s getting tattoos, everyone’s going to bars, everyone’s getting piercings. I [only went because I] wanted to be a, like, trendy, niche micro influencer. I just want to blow up and, like, be viral.” If this statement is representative of even a portion of the student body, it reveals a much bigger issue. Some attendees seem more interested in the social status that comes with saying they went to Vogue Summer School than actually learning about fashion. Of course teenagers are going to party, experiment, and make questionable decisions: that’s hardly shocking. What’s surprising is that these kids are doing it at a place that costs thousands of dollars and offers access to industry professionals, major fashion houses, influential cities, and career opportunities that many people would kill for. Why risk getting sent home just to chase a viral TikTok?
One criticism I haven’t seen discussed as much is that Vogue Summer School doesn't carry the same academic weight as many accredited pre-college programs. Unlike programs at schools like Parsons or FIT, Vogue Summer School generally doesn’t offer college credit. While it’s certainly an interesting addition to a résumé—and an undeniable flex—without guaranteed credits, Vogue Summer School is not so much a school as it is an experience. Still...
During my freshman year at Emerson, I had a friend who attended Vogue Summer School before it became the social media phenomenon it is today. As egregious as I found her occasionally haughty attitude, she really did know a lot about fashion history and had a super distinctive personal style at such a young age. Last I heard, she had pivoted into film, but she clearly got something meaningful out of the experience.
On the other hand, one of my closest friends in LA works in fashion, and almost none of her biggest opportunities came via elite programs. She studied Fashion Merchandising at Cal State Long Beach, but she’s spoken openly about how her career was built through random jobs, unexpected connections, and saying yes to opportunities that happened organically. No Vogue Summer School required.
Are you a teen or parent reading this, wondering if Vogue Summer School is worth it? While I’m no fashion guru, I would say that it really depends on what you’d be going to Vogue Summer School for. If it’s to be an influencer or achieve virality, I can promise you there are cheaper ways. Start a Substack and write about fashion. Reach out to brands for PR. Post styling videos, trend commentary, runway reviews, celebrity fashion breakdowns—whatever genuinely interests you. Hell, apply for a scholarship to another pre-college program and vlog that experience instead. If your goal is to build a career in fashion media, communications, beauty, styling, publishing, or business, Vogue Summer School could actually be the move. The programs are surprisingly specialized, and the opportunity to learn from professionals at Vogue, Condé Nast, and other leading fashion companies is difficult to replicate. The networking alone could be invaluable, especially if you’re coming from a small town or lack industry connections. However, if you’re interested in the technical side of fashion—garment construction, pattern-making, sewing, textiles, or advanced illustration—I would probably skip it. At least right now, Vogue Summer School doesn’t offer anything substantial in those areas. From what I’ve gathered, its focus is on the more conceptual stuff, like trend forecasting, pitching stories, art direction, consumer behavior, etc.,
Ultimately, Vogue Summer School isn’t the joke that TikTok has made it out to be. The real issue isn’t the curriculum, it’s the culture that’s formed around it online. Before applying, do yourself a favor and research, read a few student stories and figure out what you actually want to get out of the experience. Go because it aligns with your goals, not because an influencer convinced you it’d be a cool place to spend your summer.
