Academics

Marist Presents Designer Nanette Lepore at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Marist College
 

Current and prospective Marist fashion students are front row and behind the scenes at fashion's biggest week

Nanette Lepore presented with Marist's Silver Needle Icon Award

NEW YORK (September 8, 2014)Marist College on Sunday presented MaristXNanetteLepore at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, a reprise show of quintessentially American designer Nanette Lepore’s Spring 2015 collection that concluded with Lepore receiving Marist’s Silver Needle Icon Award. Image of Marist Fashion Students in front of Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall

The award recognizes Lepore’s contributions to fashion, including cultivating a distinctly American style; a dedication to supporting American sourcing and manufacturing, specifically her efforts to protect New York’s garment district as a dynamic hotbed of domestic design and production; and her dedication to educating and encouraging the next generation of American designers.

The audience of more than 700 was made up of many for whom the show represented their first up-close look at the workings of the fashion industry’s biggest event, including Marist fashion students and Metro New York area high school students interested in fashion, parents, and guidance counselors, in addition to Marist alumni working in fashion and other industry guests.

The Silver Needle Icon Award was last awarded to designer Betsey Johnson at Marist’s presentation of her February show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

The show was preceded by a reception in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, where guests took in the views of Lincoln Center's busy plaza from the balcony and posed in front of the MaristXNanetteLepore banner for photographs, which quickly made their way onto social media with the hashtags #MaristXNL and #MBFW.

Fashion at Marist

Whether it's business-building behind the scenes or designing for the showroom or runway, the Marist College Fashion Program prepares students to pursue careers in design, merchandising, planning, product development, retailing, operations, fashion promotion, event production, and a gamut of other career opportunities. Students gain the skills, knowledge, and internship experiences within a classic liberal arts academic environment to help them flourish in the fashion industry.

Image "Marist X Nanette Lepore" The four-year curriculum offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design, with supporting minors in Product Development or Merchandising, or a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising, with concentration options in Business, Product Development, and Fashion Promotion. Students excel in entrepreneurial programs, including fashion brand development and retailing laboratories, and participate with honors in high-visibility national competitions. Students show their own work at Marist’s own Silver Needle Fashion Show, which draws judges from top fashion houses and thousands of guests each spring.

Using Marist’s leading-edge technology platform, students and faculty recently launched The FOLD (Fashion Online Learning Domain), the world’s first free and open online peer-to-peer learning environment for fashion. Register for this award-winning learning platform at thefold.marist.edu. Marist fashion students operate Fashionology, an on-campus boutique. Among Fashionology’s most popular items is a student-designed line of clothing, jewelry, and accessories inspired by historic Marist images and logos.

Internship partners include a roster of top American and international fashion companies. Study abroad options include semester programs at the Florence branch campus or in London, Paris, or Hong Kong. Students may also opt for an internship intensive semester with Marist in Manhattan. Marist fashion graduates go on to design and merchandising careers with the top names in the industry, such as J. Crew, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, LDJ Productions (production company behind MBFW, founded by Marist alumna Laurie DeJong), Michael Kors, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, LF USA, and many others.

For more information: marist.edu/fashion

About Nanette Lepore

Known for her bold colors, evocative prints, and signature silhouettes, Nanette Lepore has become one of the leading names in contemporary American fashion. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Nanette married painter Robert Savage and headed east to New York City. Outfitted with only her talent, tenacity, and a $5,000 loan from her father, Nanette launched her label in New York City’s Garment Center.

Inspired by her artsy bohemian childhood and passion for a good party, Nanette's designs are often seen on Blake Lively, Sofia Vergara, Abigail Breslin, Arianna Huffington, Leighton Meester, Taylor Swift, Kelly Rutherford, Ashley Greene, and Kristin Chenoweth.

Nanette’s outspoken efforts to protect New York City’s Garment Center have helped to raise awareness and demand for American-made clothing. Today, Nanette Lepore has grown into an international brand that offers women’s apparel, handbags, footwear, accessories, swimwear, a junior collection with JCPenney, and a home collection. Nanette Lepore has shops across the United States and Asia—including boutiques in New York, Los Angeles, Bal Harbour, Las Vegas, Boston, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

For more information: nanettelepore.com

Asset Publisher