Kent State's School of Fashion Turns 40!
As The Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising celebrates its 40th anniversary, we look back at some of its important milestones:
1981
President Brage Golding receives two checks for $50,000 each as an initial contribution for a fashion design facility (Dec. 31, 1981).
1982
Kent State Board of Trustees passes a resolution to create a school of fashion design and merchandising (June 10, 1982).
Kent State University Dazzle Fashion Show (attended by the Duke and Duchess of Kent, England) is held in Cleveland as a fundraiser for the new school (Oct. 8, 1982).
1983
Fashion designer Shannon Rodgers and apparel manufacturer Jerry Silverman— New York retail fashion partners—donate their extensive fashion collection to Kent State.
Their gift (which includes 4,000 costumes and accessories, nearly 1,000 pieces of decorative art and a 5,000-volume reference library) founds the Kent State University Museum, which is closely linked to the School of Fashion.
Stella Blum is appointed inaugural director of the Kent State University Museum (1983-1985).
Gladys R. Toulis is appointed inaugural director of the School of Fashion (1983-1985).
The School of Fashion officially opens with 350 students and three full-time and three part-time faculty (July 1, 1983).
The Kent State Board of Trustees approves the naming of The Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising (Dec. 9, 1983).
1985
Elizabeth K. Davic serves as interim director of the School of Fashion (1985-1986).
The Kent State University Museum opens to the public (Oct. 1985).
1986
June F. Mohler, PhD, is appointed director of the School of Fashion (1986-1993).
1987
The inaugural student fashion show is held in the Broadbent Gallery at the Kent State University Museum (May 5, 1987).
1989
The School of Fashion establishes its Hall of Fame. The first class of inductees includes Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman (April 1989).
1990
A grand opening of the School of Fashion is held in the newly renovated Rockwell Hall (April 20, 1990).
1993
Jean Lawrence Druesedow is appointed director of the Kent State University Museum (1993-2018).
1994
Elizabeth A. Rhodes, PhD, is appointed director of the School of Fashion (1994–2009).
1997
The June F. Mohler Fashion Library opens in Rockwell Hall (Sept. 1997).
1998
Rockwell Hall is renovated to accommodate the growth of the School of Fashion.
The Morgan Foundation technology grants and endowment allow considerable expansion of technology within the school.
2002
The semester exchange in Hong Kong begins (spring).
The semester program in Florence, Italy, for fashion design and merchandising majors begins (fall).
2003
The School of Fashion celebrates its 20th anniversary with 750 students and 11 full-time and nine part-time faculty.
2006
Kent State’s New York City Studio (now known as Kent State University New York City Fashion) opens with Emily Aldredge as inaugural director (2006-2012).
2008
Fashion designer Stephen “Suede” Baum, BA ’93, competes on Season 5 of “Project Runway,” the final season to air on Bravo TV.
The Kent State University Museum receives Katharine Hepburn’s personal collection of film, stage and television costumes.
2010
J.R. Campbell, MFA, is appointed director of what is then called The Fashion School (2010–2018).
The TechStyleLAB is initiated.
The Kent State University Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary (1985-2010) with the exhibit, Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen. (It receives a second showing in 2018.)
2011
Fashion magnate Leonardo Ferragamo receives an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Kent State (April 7, 2011).
2012
The Fashion School Store opens in downtown Kent (April 18, 2012).
2015
The KnitLAB is created with donors’ purchase of a state-of-the-art industrial knitting machine.
2018
Sarah J. Rogers is appointed director of the Kent State University Museum (July 2018).
2019
Louise Valentine, PhD, is appointed director of the School of Fashion (2019-2022).
2020
Ann Walters, BA ’96, MEd ’19, PhD ’23, is appointed director of Kent State University New York City Fashion, after serving as interim director since 2018.
Fashion designer Will Riddle, BFA ’13, and product development manager Joshua Hupper, BA ’04, appear on “Making the Cut” on Amazon Prime.
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, students present the school’s first virtual fashion show. (The 2021 Fashion Show is also presented virtually.)
2021
Kent State’s School of Fashion Design and Merchandising ranks among the top 10 design and fashion merchandising programs in the United States according to Fashion-Schools.org.
2022
Mourad Krifa, PhD, is named interim director of the School of Fashion (May 22, 2022).
For the first time, Kent State School of Fashion students debut their work at New York Fashion Week (Sept. 9, 2022).
2023
Rockwell Hall is again being renovated to accommodate the growth of the School of Fashion.
2023 Annual Fashion Show (presented by Dillard’s) takes place in the Kent Student Center Ballroom (April 26-29, 2023).
—Phil Soencksen, BS ’89
* Note: A previous PDF of this timeline (which appeared in print) incorrectly listed the year of Jean Lawrence Druesedow's appointment as director of the Kent State University Museum (it was 1993, not 1998). Also, the museum celebrated its 25th anniversary (1985-2010) with the exhibit, Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen in 2010; a second showing of the exhibit occurred in 2018). We regret these errors.