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Ranked #5 in the U.S. and #15 in the world by Fashionista

At the Fashion School, design and merchandising majors showcase their talent and innovation in real-world settings. This energized atmosphere has earned the school a consistent ranking among the best fashion programs nationally and globally. Students are required to complete both an approved internship and study-away experience before graduating, and more than 3,000 alumni can be found throughout the industry working for the world’s most recognized brands.

Louise Valentine, Ph.D., Director of the Fashion School

Kent State University’s Fashion School Announces Appointment of New School Director

After an international search, the Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Kent State University announces the appointment of Louise Valentine, Ph.D., as its new director, who holds the Peg’s Foundation Endowed Leadership Chair. Valentine most recently served as professor and chair of design at the University of Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Scotland, U.K.

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Shown is "Make Amerikkka Great Again" (2019), designed by Kent State University Fashion School student Colin Isaacs.

'Wearing Justice' Exhibition at Kent State University Museum Brings Attention to Global Social Issues

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of May 4, 1970, when Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on Kent State University students protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War, killing four and wounding nine, students and faculty from Kent State’s School of Fashion Design and Merchandising are bringing attention to current social issues in the new exhibition called “Wearing Justice: Perspectives From KSU Fashion School Faculty and Students” that is on display now at the Kent State University Museum.

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Sloan Fox pictured with Kenneth Cole at the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards

Kent Fashion Design Graduate Named as Kenneth Cole Annual Footwear Innovation Fellow Recipient

Top designers in the fashion industry were recognized during the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards on the evening of June 3, at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

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Supima Design Competion finalist Shuxian Kong works on her collection "Doodling Childhood."

Fashion Design Alumna Chosen to Represent Kent State in 2019 Supima Fashion Design Competition

Shuxian Kong, a 2019 graduate of The Kent State University Fashion School of Design and Merchandising, was chosen as the university’s representative in the 2019 Supima Design Competition on Sept. 5 in New York for her collection, “Doodling Childhood”. Kong is one of only eight participants chosen in the country to compete in the competition. 

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A Kent State University fashion design student works on a collection.

Kent State's Fashion School Receives Top Badges of Excellence in New Business of Fashion International Report

The world-renowned fashion publication The Business of Fashion recently named Kent State University's School of Fashion Design and Merchandising as one of the best fashion schools in the world for 2019.

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Summer Fashion Academy Participants Dressing a Mannequin

Summer Fashion Academy

The Fashion School's Summer Fashion Academy is a one-week program that introduces high school students to key areas in fashion design and merchandising. The event will take place June 16 - 22, 2019. Registration for the 2019 event is currently closed.  

For those in the New York area, our NYC Studio location is holding a Summer Fashion Academy, July 8 - Aug. 1, in the heart of the garment district. Registration for this event closes June 10. 

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