As Kent State University’s School of Fashion celebrates the 20th anniversary of its New York City Fashion program, Kent State Today takes a look back through photos taken during the program’s first semester. The NYC Fashion program is a semester-long, education-away experience embedded in the heart of Manhattan’s historic Garment District.
Kent State students began studying at the NYC Fashion program in spring 2006. There were 26 students in that first group of Kent State students who enrolled in the program and studied in New York City.
Twenty years later, the program now immerses approximately 150 students per year in real-world fashion education alongside working industry professionals. The program is offered in the fall, spring and summer.
Fern Mallis, fashion industry luminary and “Godmother of Fashion,” is pictured talking with the first group of Kent State students in the NYC Fashion program in April 2006. The students were on a field trip to Mallis’ New York office when she served as vice president of IMG Fashion. Her connection with the fashion school continues as she was recently inducted into the Kent State School of Fashion’s Hall of Fame. She attended the May 2 induction ceremony in Kent, Ohio, and she is attending the 20th anniversary dinner event celebrating the NYC Fashion program on June 12 in New York City.
Located in Manhattan’s Garment District, home to the largest concentration of fashion employers in the country, the NYC Fashion program offers undergraduate students a semester unlike anything available on a traditional campus. Students take courses taught by NYC-based faculty who are active professionals in the industry, gaining practical insights that complement their academic foundation while using the city itself as an experiential classroom.
Participating students can volunteer at New York Fashion Week, complete prestigious internships, attend exclusive guest lectures and industry panels, and build networks with successful alumni and fashion professionals. The program is open to Kent State’s own fashion students as well as guest students from other disciplines, including journalism, public relations and marketing.
Learn more about 20 years of Kent State’s New York City Fashion program.