Learn why PhilaU Fashion Design graduates stand out and employers are excited about hiring them.

A Program Modeled on the Industry

The program is modeled on the way the fashion industry really works from conceptual development through the sales floor. Students learn how to succeed in and connect every aspect of the industry from creating and selecting materials to honing and developing their style to designing for varied target markets to the business and management of building brands. The PhilaU program not only mirrors the fashion world but also immerses students in the industry through campus projects and visitors and internships with top designers and companies in Philadelphia, New York City and around the world. From large-scale chains like Urban Outfitters and Ann Taylor to couture designers like Vera Wang, our graduates are sought after because they can hit the ground running and have the talent, knowledge and experience they need to rise quickly.

Expert Faculty with Industry Ties

Our faculty members have served as senior leaders in design and product development for apparel manufacturers. They have worked as everything from fashion designers and illustrators to fashion journalists. They are industry consultants who regularly lend their expertise to major apparel companies and are often featured media experts commenting on fashion trends. As fashion insiders, they're in step with current market trends and share valuable up-to-the-minute insights on an industry that is always on the move. Through their professional connections our students have interned with and/or been hired by companies and designers.

A Track Record of Student and Alumni Success Stories

From students who consistently win top honors in prestigious competitions like the Geoffrey Beene Foundation National Scholarship Awards to the first Project Runway winner to graduates who hold leadership positions with industry leaders in the fashion industry. Here are just a couple: Gianna Cosentino '02 directs her own line, The New Romantics Line at Free People and Kaitlyn Doherty '11 won an international handbag contest and had her work featured in InStyle magazine.

The Global Perspective Employers Want

PhilaU has an international reputation among designers, corporate fashion leaders and the fashion media. Our rich heritage as a leader in the textile industry launched this reputation decades ago. Today, we are known for graduates who have earned a global perspective through our emphasis on international study. We have semester programs in London and Rome as well as partnerships with programs around the world including Milan, Tokyo and Paris. Through international experience, students gain a cross-cultural mindset as they deepen their design skills. They learn to recognize, import and even anticipate trends. It is an education that gives them a competitive edge in fashion's global marketplace.

PhilaU's Nexus Learning Style

Active, collaborative, real-world, infused with the liberal arts is our distinctive style of learning throughout all our programs. In PhilaU's signature Nexus Learning projects students gain experience designing, selecting, sourcing, product developing and managing sample production overseas. What this means for fashion students is unparalleled opportunities to work in multi-disciplinary teams of students majoring in fashion design, marketing, textiles, industrial design, and graphic design. Our student teams work with real companies like QVC and Abercrombie & Fitch designing new fashion lines and products. They create their own clothing lines and produce an Annual Fashion show attended by industry insiders looking for rising stars. Infused with the liberal arts means our students gain a broader global perspective where inspirational sources can originate can take inspiration from art, literature, and science. It also means that our designers are great communicators, critical thinkers and problem-solvers.