College hosts Fashion Industry Conference

High school students from around the state will learn about the fashion industry from business professionals. 

The School of Apparel Design and Development will host the sixth annual Fashion Industry Conference on April 29 for high school students throughout Washington.

The conference aims to introduce potential career paths in the fashion industry to high school students while high school instructors explore college level expectations for students. Fashion programs at Washington state colleges and universities and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) will attend. The conference will consist of workshops, contests, a keynote speaker, guest panels and a fashion show.

This year’s keynote speaker is Seattle Central alumnus Rafael Soto, a successful fashion designer whose clothes are sold in retailers in New York, Atlanta, Hong Kong and Toronto. He also works for Amazon’s private label division.

Current college students’ work will be featured in a fashion show, with student representatives from colleges including Central Washington University, Seattle Pacific University, Washington State University, FIDM, The Art Institute of Seattle and the School of Appeal Design and Development at Seattle Central.

The Fashion Industry Conference is organized through a collaborative effort between the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and industry professionals.