A Fashion Program in the Fashion Capital

Pratt takes the city of New York as its urban 

offering students a wealth of opportunities to gain crucial experience beyond the classroom environment. Museums, archives, and design studios familiarize students with design processes and histories; internships at top design companies such as Zero Maria Cornejo, Rag & Bone, Ralph Lauren, and Donna Karan offer hands-on experience and professional networking. All Pratt fashion students participate in annual design competitions sponsored by the CFDA and YMA FSF; competitions sponsored by companies such as Cotton Incorporated and Supima Cotton are integrated into the curriculum, providing avenues for scholarship support and exposure within the fashion community. Public critiques with faculty, peers, and outside design authorities help students crystallize and articulate their design visions. A mandate to show work publicly—in gallery environments, on the street, in showrooms—instills appreciation for the true spectacle of fashion.

The Fashion faculty is comprised of professional practitioners from across the industry, including directors at top design houses, historians, curators, and craftspeople. Some have worked for Donna Karan, Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo, Nike, Liz Claiborne, Fole & Corinna, Ralph Lauren, and Geoffrey Beene; some have built their own companies such as Study-NY, to promote modern sustainable fashion, millinery, and more. Their work has been featured in a wide range of publications including the New York Times, Essence magazine, The Fader, and The New Yorker. Seen on stage and screen at the Metropolitan Opera, on Broadway, and on Bravo TV, faculty work has also sold in Barney’s New York, Henri Bendel, Saks Fifth Avenue, and countless independent retailers. 

Guest practitioners from all fashion backgrounds join faculty in the classroom as visiting lecturers, advisors, and critics. Each semester, a full roster of fashion experts is invited to talk theory and practice with Pratt students.