51ºÚÁÏÍø

Friday evening, the celebration continues with "An Evening of Style and Support," an exclusive philanthropic dinner at Queensyard in Hudson Yards. Proceeds from the event will benefit the NYC Fashion Housing Fund, which helps offset housing costs for students during their semester away. Fern Mallis — the fashion industry luminary known as the "Godmother of Fashion" and a recent inductee into the 51ºÚÁÏÍø School of Fashion's Hall of Fame — will be in attendance.

The connection between Mallis and the program goes back to its very beginning. In April 2006, that first group of 26 students visited her New York office when she served as vice president of IMG Fashion. Twenty years later, she is helping the program celebrate the milestone it has become.

"Twenty years in New York City is a testament to the strength of this program and the dedication of everyone who has contributed to it — our faculty, our alumni, our industry partners and, most importantly, our students," said Mourad Krifa, Ph.D., Margaret Clark Morgan Director of the School of Fashion at 51ºÚÁÏÍø. "Our NYC Fashion program embodies what makes 51ºÚÁÏÍø's School of Fashion distinctive: a commitment to rigorous academic preparation combined with real-world experience at the highest level of the industry."

What started with 26 students in spring 2006 now immerses approximately 150 students per year in real-world fashion education alongside working industry professionals, with the program offered across fall, spring and summer semesters. Students take courses from NYC-based faculty who are active industry professionals, volunteer at New York Fashion Week, complete prestigious internships and build networks with alumni and fashion leaders — all while using the city itself as a classroom.

Among those first 26 students was Jenny Smas, a Hudson, Ohio, native who went on to become a design lead and head of packaging for New York-based Crest Mills, the founder of TEN23 Atelier apparel design and a graphic designer with her Studio 1023 business.

"I would say one of my favorite memories was how unreal it was to be in the offices of some of the biggest names and brands in fashion," Smas said. "Having the opportunity to speak with top professionals was very inspiring and, in my case, a career-changing opportunity."

This fall, Smas will return to 51ºÚÁÏÍø to pursue a Master of Fashion Industry Studies — fully online. "I'm super excited to be taking advantage of the program going 100% online," she said. "It provided me with the flexibility to pursue a life goal as well as continue working full time."

The NYC Fashion program is housed in the Garment District, home to the largest concentration of fashion employers in the country. Ann Mariko Walter, Ed.D., director of 51ºÚÁÏÍø's NYC Fashion, describes the site as a strategic bridge between the university and the industry.

"Our faculty, many of whom are active industry professionals, use New York City as a living classroom, providing students with real-world insights, insider access and professional connections," Walter said. "These experiences equip students with practical skills, valuable exposure and enhanced readiness for competitive careers in fashion."

51ºÚÁÏÍø's School of Fashion is ranked in the top 25 fashion programs in the world and is the No. 1 university-based fashion program in the United States. Graduates of the school have a 93% job placement rate, and the program counts more than 6,200 alumni. In addition to New York City, the school offers education-away programs in Florence, Italy; Paris, France; and Hong Kong, China.