Looking back at ASU FIDM's first year

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On Aug. 17, 2023, Jared Wall started the fall semester at ASU as a fashion student and as the first student to be registered at ASU FIDM — the new fashion school at ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. 

Just a few months before Wall enrolled, ASU announced the expansion of the fashion program in the Herberger Institute to Los Angeles, becoming ASU FIDM. Operating from both Phoenix and Los Angeles, the school empowers students to find success in the fashion industry through innovative courses and curriculum, mentoring from expert faculty, access to the latest technology and professional facilities and opportunities for real-world experiences, internships and building connections. 

This is a look at some of the highlights from the first year of ASU FIDM.

Fashion in the Park
At the beginning of the first semester for ASU FIDM, ASU FIDM hosted Fashion in the Park, an informal evening gathering for ASU FIDM, including members of both the  Arizona State University community and the legacy FIDM community in Los Angeles. 

Held in Grand Hope Park in downtown Los Angeles, the event showcased designs by ASU FIDM faculty, worn by professional models who mingled with the attendees. Students had the opportunity to directly engage with the work and with faculty. 

Read more. 

LA Road Trip
In February, 40 Phoenix-based ASU FIDM students boarded a charter bus for a three-day, two-night fashion-centric trip to Los Angeles to experience ASU FIDM in LA.

Students took an in-depth tour of the ASU California Center Grand building, which included a demo of the Textile Testing Lab with Professor Deborah Young, a tour of the ASU FIDM Library and its unique resources by Jennifer Blue, and a showing of the ASU FIDM Museum Study Collection by curators Christina Johnson and Christina Frank. They also  took tours of the premier showroom locations in the LA Fashion District, including the Cooper Design Space and The New Mart. That week in LA, ASU FIDM hosted costume designer B. Åkerlund, a frequent collaborator with Beyoncé, Madonna and Lady Gaga, for a guest lecture that the students also attended. 

“I’m super appreciative of all the work put into this trip and how many people took the time to help us students,” ASU FIDM student Riley Kennedy said. “This trip was not only a great opportunity, but also so fun. It was such a cool learning experience and also allowed us to make connections within the LA fashion industry.”

Read more. 

Uncertainty Fashion Show
ASU FIDM senior design students unveiled their capstone collections at the Uncertainty Fashion Show in April at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Twenty six designers showed 100 looks. 

Meet the designers and see more of their looks on the ASU FIDM Instagram channel.

Summer Camp
ASU FIDM kicked off its very first LA summer camp this summer. The Fashion Design Summer Camp gave young students a taste of industry insights and practical skills, setting them up for success in their future careers.

Fashion Statements
ASU FIDM Museum, LA’s only fashion museum, announced its “Fashion Statements” exhibition this summer and held the opening reception in September. The exhibition marked the inaugural show under the ASU banner, a significant milestone for both the ASU FIDM Museum and Arizona State University, underscoring ASU’s growing influence as a leader in the arts and a key player in the creative economy. For the exhibition, a group of fashion leaders were invited to select pieces from the museum’s 15,000-piece archive and offered interpretations and perspectives on style and creativity. The opening night reception drew an exciting crowd, including fashion influencers like Michelle Violy Harper, Valerie von Sobel and Johnny Valencia.

Read more. 

A version of this story originally appeared in ASU News.
Cover photo, LA Road Trip and Summer Camp photos by Derren Versoza
Fashion in the Park photo by FJ Gaylor
Uncertainty photos by Orlando Pelagio
Fashion Statements photos by Monica Orozco
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