Fashion School Alumni at New York Fashion Week

During New York Fashion Week, fashion mavens of the world converge on the Big Apple for a full week of hobnobbing and haute couture. In a non-stop parade of parties and runway shows, the hottest designers preview their upcoming season's collections for journalists, buyers, celebrities and fashionistas.

If you're thinking that making it to Fashion Week in New York involves dropping out of school and going to a lot of trendy parties, think again. While the celebrities plastered across the pages of In Style may not need schooling to pick out a hot outfit, many of the designers behind these trends study long and hard at top fashion schools around the world.

At this February's show, fashion taboos have been flaunted, and last season's styles have been banished to the back of the closet. However, one thing that will always be en vogue is a college degree. From Parsons The New School for Design to the Fashion Institute of New York, leading fashion schools in the US are well represented at the top of the designer heap, proving that even in the celeb-fueled fashion world, degrees are still de mode.

2007 New York Fashion Week Honor Roll
The fashion industry is more than creativity and passion - it's also extremely competitive. That's why The Art Institutes' fashion programs focus on the creative and business aspects of this fast-paced industry.
If you're an aspiring trendsetter with your sights set on the fashion world, check out this honor roll of fashion school alums from this year's shows:

Calvin Klein - Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
A native of the Bronx, Calvin Klein is no stranger to New York Fashion Week. He attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and launched his first line in 1968. Since then, he has built a fashion empire that grosses $3-5 billion annually. Klein's underwear and denim lines have anchored his soaring success in the fashion business, placing him as an American fashion icon on par with designers such as Ralph Lauren.

Donna Karan - Parson's The New School for Design
After two years at Parsons in New York's trendy Greenwich Village, Donna Karan left school to intern for Anne Klein, who fired her within a few days. Karan's perseverance won her back the job, and her unique take on modern fashion eventually earned her a role as the label's co-designer, before she eventually broke off to start her own design house.

Proenza Schouler - Parson's The New School for Design
One of this year's hottest Fashion Week collections is the result of a chance meeting at Parsons. In 1999, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough teamed up at Parsons on a project that they named Proenza Schouler after their mothers' maiden names. The design duo has become a hot name in the industry with their youthful approach to upscale couture.

David Rodriguez - Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM)
David Rodriguez attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. His fashion week collections run the gamut from office wear to red carpet attire. A multitude of celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Jessica Alba, Kirsten Dunst and the casts of Friends and Sex in the City often appear wearing in his latest fashions.

About the Author
Becki Noss is an art and design career advisor for www.AllArtSchools.com.