Philadelphia may be thousands of miles from Paris runways but when it comes to fashion, we may be a lot closer than we think.  The fashion industry in the Philadelphia region is active and flourishing, with strong academic programs, fashion celebrations, and new, innovative designers making a splash.

For those interested in fashion as a career, Philadelphia has many great options.  Moore College of Art & Design, for instance, the first and only women's art college in the nation, has strong ties to the fashion industry that date back to 1848.  Moore’s founder Sarah Peter was the wife of Philadelphia's British Consul and an advocate of women's education and advancement.
 
Today, Moore fashion graduates can be found in top fashion houses such as Diane von Furstenberg and Walter Baker.

Drexel's Fashion Design program, part of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, is nationally recognized as a top-flight program featuring a unique six-month Co-op experience that complements coursework in conceptual design, presentation skills, CAD, and manufacturing procedures. The curriculum covers all facets of fashion design, from men's, women's, and children's wear, to swimwear and couture and prepares students for careers in fashion design, styling, advertising, and computer-aided and technical design.

A study abroad program at the London College of Fashion during sophomore year offers an international perspective of the fashion world. And what would a fashion education be without a fashion show? Students conclude their studies senior year with the presentation of their collection in the Drexel Fashion Show, a high-caliber event featuring professional models and prominent local media coverage.

An Antoinette Westhphal student was the first American to win the 2005 International Competition for Young Fashion Designers in Paris. 

“Philadelphia University’s Fashion Design program has been receiving international recognition since the early 1990s,” according to Clara Henry, Director of Philadelphia University’s Fashion Design Program.  And it’s growing due to its program, its reputation, and the media.  “Philadelphia University’s Fashion Design program is one of the largest and most successful in the country.  In recent years, because of increased exposure in popular culture – through television shows such as Project Runway and coverage of the entertainment industry and awards shows -- more and more students are interested in a career in the fashion industry,” said Henry.
 
“Philadelphia is definitely an innovative place for fashion.  In fact, many of our graduates have remained in the city and some have started their own companies, such as Os Os clothing, started by Bethany Santos and Carly Franks. This is an environmentally conscious firm that individualizes each garment through the use of fabrication,” Henry adds.

Local fashion designers and Smak Parlour shop owners, Abby Kessler and Katie Loftus, credit Philadelphia as being a creative, accessible, and affordable city to live and own a business in.
                              
Fashion is fun but designers have to be technologically astute as well.   Moore, for instance, offers a certificate in Fashion Technology.  “Technological advances in the industry have improved speed-to-market of products, reducing lag time and turnaround time,” said  Henry.  “At Philadelphia University, cross-disciplinary work among the programs results in a cooperative design process.  This unique collaborative experience emphasizes and results in innovative concepts and products. At the same time, University scientists are doing cutting-edge research on the safety of apparel and textiles and designing the next generation of protective apparel for the military, so science and design go hand-in-hand.”

“New programs and software such as U4ria and Gerber Technology have improved the fashion design industry tremendously from pattern grading to industrial cutting.  These programs allow companies to create designs quicker and easier-what was once completed by hand can now be completed digitally -thus improving production, accuracy and cutting cost making all companies more efficient.  In the world of fashion today there is an enormous promotion to support green products and fabrics, which influence a lot of designers-such as safer dye treatments, organic fabrics and so forth.  All of these concepts add more options for material selection along with the standard natural and synthetic fabric,” explains Crystal Shamblee, Academic Director of Fashion Design for The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

In Celebration of Fashion

Philadelphia not only teaches fashion, educating many of the best in the business, but as a region, it also celebrates this thriving industry. 

According to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, “In the last half-century Philadelphia has produced a number of exceptional talents in the field of fashion design. James Galanos, Gustave (Gus) Tassell and Ralph Rucci are three Philadelphia natives who have achieved international stature.”  The work of these artists was celebrated in an exhibit titled A Passion for Perfection, which opened in September of 2007.  “Our inaugural exhibition in the Spain Gallery will highlight the work of three remarkable artists with Philadelphia connections,” Curator of Costume and Textiles Dilys Blum said. “We hope this new gallery and the adjacent study center will become a resource and a destination for future generations of designers, and for all those with an interest in textile and costume history.”

Earlier this year, Casey Saccomanno, a senior fashion design major at the Philadelphia University, was awarded one of the first $25,000 Geoffrey Beene National Scholarships at the YMA Geoffrey Beene Fashion Scholarship Dinner in New York. 

And then there are Philadelphia shows, growing in attendance and reputation.   

Another event showcasing Philadelphia fashion, entering its 15th year, is the Philadelphia Phashion Phest. The event dates back to 1994 when modeling agency maven Sharon Phillips Waxman decided to put together a show to showcase fashion retailers from across the Delaware Valley.  Dubbed Phashion Phest, its mission is to showcase upscale fall fashion and beauty for both women and men that are accessible to them in the Delaware Valley region. Each year more than 20 retailers participate.

Through the years this fashion event has seen steady growth. In 1994 the city of Philadelphia created the “Phashion Phest Philadelphia Award” which is presented to the outstanding individual who has made a tremendous contribution to the Philadelphia Area fashion industry. (www.thisweekinphilly.com)

Philadelphia is truly becoming a fashion force, nationally and globally.  Schools boast increased interest in their programs, a growing student body, and greater number of graduates who stay in the region to live and work. It is their passion and talent that will ensure Philadelphia’s place as an international design and fashion center.  New York and Paris – here comes Philadelphia! 

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