Study at Global Fashion Capitals
Fashion is a global industry. And Kent State University School of Fashion, consistently rated among the best fashion institutions in the world, continues to draw industry notice. Currently, it is the only fashion program in the United States that makes study away experience a compulsory part of the curriculum.
The School of Fashion’s Study Away program provides immersive opportunities for students to engage with international fashion industry professionals and observe street style and retail venues in some of the top fashion capitals of the world.
For more information visit www.kent.edu/fashion/study-away.
FLORENCE
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Kent State University Florence Center is the university’s flagship education abroad program. Alongside masters of couture fashion, Kent State students study Italian fashion and culture, fashion design, merchandising planning and buying, product development and the luxury market.
NEW YORK CITY
At Kent State University New York City Fashion, students can engage with the famous fashion and fashion-related companies based in the city—and experience New York Fashion Week. Courses offer students a range of entry points into the world of fashion, including design, merchandising and journalism.
PARIS
The Paris American Academy places students in one of Europe’s fashion capitals to learn the origins of fashion and explore its future with experts in the European luxury business. Students can specialize in couture techniques, design process, or fashion merchandising and communication. Class projects offer opportunities to design a boutique, forecast trends and assist backstage at Paris Fashion Week shows.
HONG KONG
Hong Kong Polytechnic University is one of the world’s leading institutions and home to the Institute of Textiles and Clothing. The city’s vibrant fashion scene provides students with access to up-and-coming designers and factories that produce clothing items for well-known brands. Courses are offered with specializations in technology, intimate apparel and activewear, knitwear design and technology, retailing and marketing.
LONDON
Fashion students in London study at Regent’s University, located in the heart of one of the world’s fashion hubs. The program engages students in real-world projects as they network with industry-leading professionals. Instructors are successful fashion professionals who provide access to design studios and rich resources used in the industry.
LOS ANGELES
In Los Angeles, students are immersed in a world of fashion while exploring its role in the wider universe of art and design. Field trips include tours of fashion design studios, production facilities and sustainability-based companies, as well as galleries, museums and architectural projects. Students meet leading fashion designers, principals of creative agencies, studio owners and internship coordinators.
SOUTH KOREA
Just an hour from Seoul, Dankook University offers classes that help students gain insight into the industry and the rising popularity of South Korean fashion. Students learn about current trends as well as the history of fashion at nearby museums focused on fashion and art. This immersive program helps students learn about Korean culture and gain a new perspective on the world.
2023 Hall of Fame
In 1989, The Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising inducted the first class of honorees into its School of Fashion Hall of Fame. The inaugural class included Rodgers and Silverman.
The Hall of Fame was established to recognize outstanding contributors to the world of fashion and create opportunities for Kent State fashion students to connect with leaders in the industry.
This year, as the School of Fashion celebrates its 40th anniversary, it has named Omar Salam, founder and creative director of the global fashion house Sukeina, as the 2023 inductee of Kent State University’s School of Fashion Hall of Fame.
Salam joins an illustrious group of inductees that includes Kenneth Cole, Estée Lauder, Oscar de la Renta, Dana Buchman, Leonardo Ferragamo and Josie Natori.
He plans to exhibit a selection of his spring/summer 2023 collection, titled “Cardinal,” this spring at the Kent State University Museum. A full exhibition of his work will follow in January 2024.