French fashion is a part of France's heritage, its history.
It has always influenced the various trends of western fashion.

The past 150 years of French fashion history are closely tied to the history of the ESMOD school and its founder, Alexis Lavigne. He was born in Pas de Calais and, after completing his training, became a master tailor. As early as the 1830s, he began to teach his students the sewing business. In 1840, he settled down in Paris, and in 1841, he opened the school.

Since that time until now, the ESMOD School has been housed in the heart of Paris in a splendid mansion designed by Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera.

Lavigne laid the foundation for a new profession with the creation of the School. In 1847, he acquired a bust mannequin, which made it possible to reduce the number of fittings. It was subsequently used for shop windows and exhibitions.

Alexis Lavigne was also the inventor of an unchanging feature of tailors, the tape measure, which in Europe even now bears his name – Lavigne.

In 1869, he published methods for the cut-out and sewing of women's clothing, which gave woman the right to succeed in the profession; previously, only men were tailors.

Lavinge studied the sizes and features of the human form and, after a comparative and strategic analysis, created the first versions of sizing charts – which may be termed a precursor to the formation of the pret-a-porter fashion trend.

His work in the area of high fashion is tied to the creation of a collection for the empress Eugenia's equestrian walks, which gave him the right to be called the Great Tailor of the Empress.

From 1861 to 1943, the school engaged in a major publication, producing copies of the series "The Art of Costume", an encyclopaedia dedicated to the 100-year progress of fashion.

Today the ESMOD School is the only private school whose diploma is accepted as being state-issued and of the third degree in the realm of both stylistics and business. The School has a network of affiliates both in France and abroad. ESMOD's students represent more than 60 countries of the world.

ESMOD has two objectives: to attain success and teach how to attain success.

Currently, the school is teaching 500 foreign students and through a network of foreign branches is disseminating the ideas, principles, and traditions set forth by Alexis Lavigne.

The Moscow State University of Design and Technology is the exclusive representative of the ESMOD School in Russia. The programs that the School has kindly offered for the training of our students are the latest developments oriented toward business. And we are fully committed to the ESMOD School's stated objectives – to attain success and teach to attain success.