Every school has a founding story. Ours starts with a simple observation: nobody was teaching design the way Liza Day believed it should be taught. So she built the school herself.
A Career Built on Making Things
Liza Day has spent more than 30 years in the fashion industry. In 1989, she founded Arteenelle Designs Inc. in Vancouver, followed by Noccoma Manufacturing, which grew within four years into a 9,000 sq. ft. factory producing garments for labels like London Fog, Umbro and Marmot. She later spent 12 years in New York City running a manufacturing firm that sold to major national retailers.
Along the way, she became a sought-after consultant and mentor for emerging designers. She has coached Project Runway participants and winners, and once helped a 13-year-old protégée get her fashion line onto the racks at Nordstrom.
When Liza returned to Vancouver, she knew exactly what the industry needed and what most design education was missing. That became The Cut Design Academy.
Hands-On, From Day One
At The Cut, students learn by doing. Every program is built around practical, real-world skills, taught in a professional studio environment with an 8:1 student-to-instructor ratio. That means real attention, real feedback and real progress.
Our programs combine skills that are usually taught separately, so students build a complete toolkit in a shorter period of time. By the time they graduate, they are job ready, or ready to launch their own brand.
Programs Chosen With Purpose
Liza handpicked every program we offer, choosing areas where industry demand is strong. From the Diploma in Fashion Design & Creative Arts and Pattern Making & Assembling Technique to Gerber Pattern Making & Grading and our AI Integrated Graphic Design Core Certificate, each one exists because it leads somewhere.
Taught by People Who Do the Work
Liza deliberately hires instructors who are active in the industry. Our faculty bring experience from brands like Arc’teryx, MEC, Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew. Some design costumes for film and television, including hit series like Riverdale. Others also teach at well-known colleges across Vancouver and beyond.
Students are not learning theory from a textbook. They are learning current, working knowledge from people who use it every day.
Boutique by Choice
The Cut could easily have grown into a large, multi-million-dollar brand. Liza chose not to.
Keeping The Cut boutique is intentional. It keeps the school comfortable, cozy and creative. It feels like a studio, not an institution. Students know their instructors, instructors know their students, and the energy in the room is genuinely fun. In a space like this, people take creative risks, and that is where brilliance comes out.
Opening Doors, Not Just Classrooms
Liza’s commitment to students goes beyond the curriculum. The Cut awards thousands of dollars in scholarships, runs free workshops throughout the year and regularly brings in industry guest speakers so students can connect directly with the people shaping the field.
She also founded The Cutting Room, a work-learn manufacturing studio that handles pattern development, sampling and production for brands including Herschel, Lija and Dish & Duer. It is one more way students see how the industry really works.
What The Cut Stands For
At its heart, The Cut stands for one idea: talented people deserve an education that respects their time, sharpens their skills and prepares them for real careers. Small classes, practical training, working professionals and a creative community are not extras here. They are the whole point.
Ready to find your path? Explore our programs or request more info.