At Pratt, we define fashion as cultural messaging through clothes. As a student here, you’ll contextualize fashion within a social framework, forming a strong point of view on the issues we face today and challenging them through your craft.
Elie Romero, winner of the Christopher Hunte "On Point" Award, at the Pratt Fashion Show, 2019
The Fashion Design curriculum fosters development of individual identity within a collaborative environment, informed by self-reflection and engaged critique. Students are expected to apply an informed understanding of materiality, fashion history, theory and contemporary culture to their design decisions, producing collections that engage with issues of sustainability and social responsibility.
Student Work
Watch our annual fashion show and imagine what you might do here at Pratt Fashion! Through rigorous attention to production, technique, and contemporary aesthetics, you’ll develop your design practice and with it, agency to create change.
The design studio is at the core of your educational experience at Pratt. We consider the design studio a creative space and a community. The culture of the design studio is one of creativity, experimentation, and exploration. Students are encouraged to take risks and push the boundaries of what is possible. The studio is a community to find support, encouragement, and inspiration.
Maker Spaces and Labs
Sustainability and material exploration drive our passion for making. To prepare students to become leaders within the creative community, Pratt Fashion offers a wide variety of resources including access to Shima Seiki 3D knitting machines and Framis NOSO technology, as well as a dedicated Textile Research Library within the department and a Textile Dye Garden on campus. Explore facilities.
Fashion Internships
Students have the opportunity to explore different aspects of the New York fashion design industry through their choice of internships at top design companies including Thom Browne, Zero Maria Cornejo, The Row, Altuzarra, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Oscar de la Renta, and Creatures of the Wind. The internship provides them with hands-on experience and professional networking skills, as well as practice in how to write a resume and present their portfolio. Pratt students are required to complete three credits of internship during their course of study. A Pratt faculty adviser guides each student throughout the experience, making sure the students’ learning objectives are met.
Fashion Competitions
All Pratt Fashion students participate in annual design competitions including the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Design Scholar Awards, the Gucci Changemakers Scholars Program, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Student Fashion Design Competition. Integrated into the curriculum, these competitions provide avenues for scholarship support and exposure within the fashion community.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an incredible experience that can extend the boundaries of creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the college experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learn about resources.
Our Faculty
Pratt’s distinguished faculty of outstanding creative professionals and scholars share a common desire to fully develop each student’s individual potential and creativity. The faculty come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds representing the breadth of fashion complexity. This multiplicity of views and experiences provide for a tailored education that is as unique as each of the students. See all Fashion Design faculty and administrators.
Pratt’s distinguished alums are leading thriving careers, addressing critical challenges and creating innovative work that reimagines our world, at a diverse selection of companies and institutions. They also go on to become entrepreneurs and principals leading their own studios and businesses.
Thinking seriously about Pratt? Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step.
Building your portfolio can be daunting. We’ll answer your questions and help you feel confident about the portfolio you submit with your application. Start building your portfolio, now.
Find yourself at home at Pratt: our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighbors. Check us out.
New Graduate Program Takes a Critical Approach to Fashion
✨ Fashion Collection + Communication program, launched this fall at Pratt Institute, challenges students to rethink the fashion industry with a critical eye.
According to Lisa Z. Morgan, Chair of the Fashion Department, the program encourages students to take a "radical" approach to fashion—one that not only embraces creativity but also addresses urgent issues like climate change, social justice, and ethical supply chains. 🌍✨
Students will learn traditional fashion-making skills—like draping, fabric manipulation, and research—while also specializing in areas such as knitwear, textile creation, dyeing, and reinventing vintage garments
For more details, read the full New York Times article in the link in our bio
#FashionWithPurpose #CriticalFashion #SustainableFashion #PrattInstitute #FashionInnovation #FashionEducation #RadicalDesign #SocialJustice #ClimateAction
Today, our Shoe Design students presented their final projects, and we couldn’t be more proud! 💡🖤
Swipe to see some of the standout pieces and join us in celebrating their amazing achievements!
#ShoeDesign #FashionDesign #StudentWork #FinalProjects
✨ Black Dress Talks: Celebrating Black Excellence in Beauty ✨
This recent event was an inspiring celebration of the Black men and women shaping the beauty industry. Moderated by Pratt Fashion Professor and founder of Black Dress, Adrienne Jones, we were joined by a powerhouse panel of award-winning beauty experts:
@dtbeauty71 (D’angelo Thompson)
@skinbymamie (Mamie McDonald)
@ursulastephen (Ursula Stephen)
@fornayalfred (Alfred Fornay)
@karendupiche (Karen Dupiche)
They shared powerful stories of creativity, resilience, and triumph, diving deep into the challenges they've overcome and the groundbreaking work they continue to do. ✨
Photography by @artphotofilms 📸
#BlackDress #BlackBeauty #FashionAndBeauty #BlackDressTalks #BeautyIndustry
✨ We are excited to showcase the incredible work of our MFA students, who have been inspired by the hands-on workshop and fabric donation from @internationalpleating ✂️🧵
A huge thank you to Tom's Sons International Pleating, a family-owned business that's been perfecting the art of pleating since 1931. Located in the heart of NYC’s Garment District, their unmatched craftsmanship and dedication to quality continue to set the standard in the textile world. 🌟
We can't wait to see where these explorations take them! ✨
#MFAStudents #TextileArt #Pleating #FashionDesign #InternationalPleating #Craftsmanship #NYCGarmentDistrict #StudentWork
💥Inside the Studio with the Design Duo Behind SC103💥
We are proud to spotlight Pratt Fashion Design BFA alumni '15, Claire McKinney and Sophie Andes-Gascon, the innovative founders of SC103. Since launching their fashion label in 2019, they have distinguished themselves by resisting dominant trends and maintaining a fresh perspective in the industry.
In 2021, Claire and Sophie dedicated themselves to SC103 full-time, leading to remarkable recognition in publications such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. They have hosted successful pop-up shops from their studio in Manhattan and have recently transitioned to a new space in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where they continue to produce and design all of their garments.
To learn more about their journey and experiences at Pratt, please read the full interview linked in our bio 🔎.
#SC103 #PrattAlumni #FashionDesign #BrooklynFashion
🌍✨ Last week, Pratt had the honor of ringing the @Nasdaq opening bell alongside Laurene Powell Jobs of Emerson Collective, Tom Steyer of Galvanize Climate Solutions, and other innovators to kick off New York Climate Week 2024! We were recognized for our leadership in art, design, and climate resiliency at the Building the Future Summit.
🌟 Featured were our talented students @wrenwallker and recent alumna @a.g.schmale.designs from the BFA in Fashion Design programs.
📸 Wren's Shoes symbolize the belief that the ground is sacred and alive, reminding us that we are integral parts of the Earth and emphasizing the importance of sustainability.
📸 Aimee's Collection "That Was In Tents" explores summer camp and Girl Scouts as a microcosm of society, focusing on sustainability through quilted garments made from upcycled sleeping bags. She creatively reinterprets historical Girl Scout uniforms using modern design elements.
#Pratt #Nasdaq #ClimateWeek2024 #FashionDesign #Sustainability #Innovation
🌍✨ Last week, our Fashion MFA and undergraduates had the incredible opportunity to engage with Liz Ricketts from @theorispresent! We’re inspired by their justice-led circular textiles economy that uplifts communities and promotes sustainability, and their commitment to transforming the fashion industry for the better! 💚✨ #FashionForChange #SustainableFashion #TheOrFoundation #CircularEconomy #EnvironmentalJustice. We dove into a thought-provoking discussion about the intersection of education, environmental justice, and fashion innovation!
Pictures:
1. Clothing Zombie @jeremyhutchison @danipujalte
2-3. The Or Foundation Beach Monitoring Team has counted and measured thousands of textile tentacles
across a seven kilometer strip of Accra, Ghana’s coastline. @theorispresent
Tonight Black Dress Talks: Journalists 6-8pm at Higgins Hall register online or livestream via the link in profile. Speakers Harriette Cole, Teri Agins, Walter Greene and Lindsay Peoples moderated by Professor Adrienne Jones.
Free and open to the public with registration.
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Jane B. Nord endowment, Black Alumni of Pratt, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Office at Pratt and the Academic Senate
We are thrilled to honor Francesco Risso, Creative Director of Marni, with the 2024 Pratt Fashion Visionary Award, Risso’s perspective on fashion has made a remarkable impact on the field and the minds of the next generation of fashion designers.
Last week Risso came to campus to share his expertise with our graduating fashion students and critique their in-process thesis collections. The accomplishments of Pratt Fashion’s graduating seniors will take center stage at “The Show,” the 123rd annual runway event, scheduled for Friday, May 3rd. Read more from WWD at the link in our profile.
@asliceofbambi @Marni @PrattFashion @Pratt_SoD
#PrattInstitute #PrattFashion #FrancescoRisso #Marni
To prepare students to become leaders within the creative community, Pratt Fashion offers a wide variety of resources including access to Shima Seiki 3D knitting machines and Framis NOSO technology, as well as a dedicated Textile Research Library within the department and a Textile Dye Garden on campus. Advanced courses and electives, as well as study abroad opportunities, offer students pathways to explore critical topics including gender, race, size inclusivity and activism through the lens of fashion.
INTERNSHIPS
Pratt students are required to complete three credits of internship during their course of study. Students have the opportunity to explore different aspects of the New York fashion design industry through their choice of internships at top design companies including Thom Browne, Zero Maria Cornejo, The Row, Altuzarra, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Oscar de la Renta, and Creatures of the Wind. The internship provides them with hands-on experience and professional networking skills, as well as practice in how to write a resume and present their portfolio. A Pratt faculty adviser guides each student throughout the experience, making sure the students’ learning objectives are met.
COMPETITIONS
All Pratt Fashion students participate in annual design competitions including the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Design Scholar Awards, the Gucci Changemakers Scholars Program, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Student Fashion Design Competition. Integrated into the curriculum, these competitions provide avenues for scholarship support and exposure within the fashion community.
Upon completion of their studies, students:
Students will exhibit fluency in 2D and 3D construction processes that are innovative in cut, shape and silhouette using diverse embodied approaches.
Students will analyze and use properties and principles of materiality to make design decisions informed by sustainable practices.
Students will communicate design philosophy with evidence of fashion history, theoretical underpinnings, and contemporary culture that addresses issues of justice, equity and social responsibility.
Students will design, produce and present cohesive, contemporary and authentic collections that demonstrate their active engagement as collaborative leaders of the creative community.
