Kent State School of Fashion marks 20 years in New York City

By AI, Created 7:27 PM UTC, May 27, 2026, /AGP/ – Kent State University’s School of Fashion will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its New York City Fashion program on June 11-12 in Manhattan’s Garment District. The milestone spotlights a semester-away model that serves about 150 students a year and helps fund housing support so more students can study in New York.

Why it matters: - Kent State’s New York City Fashion program gives students direct access to the country’s largest concentration of fashion employers. - The anniversary highlights a model that combines classroom learning with internships, guest lectures and industry networking. - Proceeds from the celebration will support the NYC Fashion Housing Fund, which helps reduce the cost barrier for students studying in Manhattan.

What happened: - Kent State University’s School of Fashion is marking the 20th anniversary of its NYC Fashion program this June. - The university will host a two-day celebration in New York City on June 11-12 with university leaders, alumni, donors, industry partners and current students. - The program is based in Manhattan’s Garment District and serves about 150 students per year.

The details: - The NYC Fashion program is a semester-long education-away experience for undergraduate students. - Students take courses from NYC-based faculty who are active fashion professionals. - The program is open to Kent State fashion students and guest students from other majors, including journalism, public relations and marketing. - Students can volunteer at New York Fashion Week, complete internships, attend guest lectures and industry panels, and build networks with alumni and fashion professionals. - The June 11 event is a free Portfolio Showcase and Reception from 4-8 p.m. at The Joyce Public House, 315 W. 39th St., in the Garment District. - The showcase will feature portfolios from recent fashion design and fashion merchandising graduates and work from emerging alumni designers. - Media will be able to interview recent graduates and school and university leadership at the June 11 event. - The June 12 fundraiser, “An Evening of Style and Support,” will be held at Queensyard in Hudson Yards. - Tickets for the June 12 dinner cost $750 per person, including a $475 tax-deductible gift to the Housing Fund. - Fern Mallis will attend the June 12 event and will be available for media interviews at 6 p.m. at Queensyard before dinner. - The celebration will benefit the NYC Fashion Housing Fund, which helps make studying in New York City more financially accessible. - People who cannot attend the event are also encouraged to donate to the fund. - Kent State’s School of Fashion says its graduates have a 93% job placement rate and the school now has more than 6,200 alumni. - Kent State says its fashion programs rank in the top 25 in the world and No. 1 among university-based fashion programs in the United States. - The school also says its graduate fashion program ranks No. 5 in the United States. - The School of Fashion offers three undergraduate degrees in fashion design and merchandising, plus education-away programs in New York City, Florence, Paris and Hong Kong. - More information is available here.

Between the lines: - The anniversary is not just a celebration of longevity. It also functions as a fundraising push for housing support, which is often one of the biggest costs for students studying in New York City. - The program’s structure suggests Kent State is using New York City as both a classroom and a recruiting pipeline into the fashion industry. - The presence of high-profile industry figures such as Fern Mallis helps reinforce the program’s standing in the fashion world.

What’s next: - Kent State will use the June events to spotlight alumni work, current student portfolios and industry ties. - Funds raised from the celebration are expected to support continued access to the New York City program through the Housing Fund. - The school is positioning the program for continued growth after two decades in Manhattan.