Shanghai Textile Industry Workers' College is an independent adult school approved by Shanghai Municipal Government and registered with the Ministry of Education of the Peoples' Republic of China. Relying on the advantages in faculty, majors, course resources and management, the school offers three majors: Garment and Apparel Design, Business Management and Public Affairs Management. All majors are oriented towards professional job capabilities, emphasizing practical teaching to improve students' knowledge, skills and educational level through part-time learning. The target students are mainly amateurish students and students with high school diplomas.

Shanghai Textile Industry Workers' College is also one of the earliest pilot schools in China to participate in higher vocational and technical education. From 1999 to 2009, it concurrently offered full-time higher vocational education. In 1997, it was awarded the title of "Excellent College" in higher education evaluation by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. The College has a team of teachers who can carry out education and teaching in various fields such as higher vocational education, adult continuing education, industry cadres and social training, which have provided sufficient guarantee for the innovation, transformation and development of the school in various historical periods.

The cooperation with Shanghai Open University began in 1979. Initially established in early August 1979 as the Shanghai TV University Textile Bureau Auxiliary Station, it was renamed the Shanghai TV University Textile Workstation in 1987; the West Branch of Shanghai TV University in 1998; and Fashion College of Shanghai Open University in April 2017.

The Fashion College adheres to the educational purpose of "Two Focuses" of the Open University, fully relies on the industrial resource advantages of Orient International (Holding) Co., Ltd. as well as the historic opportunity of fashion industry development, and participates in the construction of two new undergraduate majors in Marketing and Visual Communication Design. In addition, the Fashion College also offers two majors of junior college in Business Management and Administration, and two undergraduate majors in Urban Public Safety Management and Administration, forming the characteristics of the school that combines industry characteristics, modern distance open education and industry talent training.