Fashion Institute: Free Masterclasses with Fashion Industry Experts

n July 2025, we’re excited to host a series of free, public master classes at the CUNY Graduate Center, spotlighting major voices in fashion, beauty, and sustainability.

Wednesdays, 4–6 PM | Elebash Recital Hall | 365 Fifth Ave, NYC

July 9 – Valerie Steele: Fashion, History, Museums

Fashion historian and curator Dr. Valerie Steele will discuss the evolution of fashion collecting and exhibition in museums—from the concept of an “imaginary fashion museum” in 18th-century journalism, to the temporary fashion displays at the 1900 International Exhibition in Paris, to the blockbuster exhibitions pioneered by Diana Vreeland. She will also explore the current landscape, in which a variety of museums and luxury brands present diverse approaches to fashion exhibitions.

July 16 – Ngozi Okaro: Redesigning the Future of American Fashion

Ngozi Okaro, Founder and Executive Director of Custom Collaborative—a nonprofit that supports immigrant and low-income women in launching sustainable fashion careers and businesses—will speak about advancing equity in the fashion industry. She will explore how the industry can center equity to achieve goals such as creating clothing that fits real bodies, upholding human rights, and protecting the environment. The conversation will also cover ways to incentivize and revive local manufacturing, and how to build a transparent, fair value chain that connects makers, designers, and consumers.

July 23 – Leslie E. Harris: The Medicalization of Beauty

Leslie E. Harris is General Manager at the Medical Aesthetics Incubator Center, L’Oréal Research & Innovation. In this talk she will explore the recent growing intersection of science, medicine, and beauty culture. She critically examines how advancements in biomedical science—such as dermatology, non-invasive aesthetic procedures, and new medical treatments—have transformed beauty from a marker of health to health as the ultimate beauty aspiration, especially in a post-COVID world. Through the democratization of aesthetic procedures, pharmaceutical interventions, and the changing consumer relationship to medicine, Harris offers a compelling look into how global events and cultural shifts legitimize the pursuit of beauty as a health-related endeavor.

July 30 – Donna Zakowska: Fashioning Costumes, Costuming Fashion

Donna Zakowska is an award-winning American costume designer. She has designed for film, television, theater, circus, opera, music, and puppet theater. Her costumes for the HBO miniseries John Adams (2008) earned her both an Emmy and a Costume Designers Guild Award, and her work for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel received an Emmy Award in 2019, as well as a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination in 2018 and a win in 2019.