Coming Soon: Penn State’s First Fashion Club

This may not be New York City or Paris, but that doesn’t stop stylish students from making State College streets their very own runway. With over 900 student organizations on campus, it’s hard to believe that there are none entirely devoted to fashion, yet! Fashion lovers across campus – prepare for your day to be made. Penn State’s first fashion club is currently in the works and we think it’s the perfect place for fashionistas and fashionistos to unite.

Valley chatted with Maddy Fass, the club’s founder and president, to get the scoop on what’s soon to hit Penn State. Though the club is still in the building process right now, Fass let us know that there’s a lot for fashion lovers to look forward to.

As an intern and style guru for collegefashionista.com, Fass is constantly on the lookout for stylish students on campus. Work through her internship along with a passion for art and design are what pushed her to start a fashion club.

“It was surprising to me that once I started actually looking for people who liked fashion as much as me, there were more here than I thought. Besides Valley, there really isn’t much in State College geared to those interested in fashion,” she says.

Although Penn State has so much to offer students, one thing is for sure – opportunities in fashion are lacking. As Fass puts it, “I think that to be able to involve yourself in fashion here you have to do it yourself, which is what me and Nina Fishchetti (vice president) are aiming to do.”

Since Penn State does not offer a fashion major or fashion courses, students have to be creative if they are interested in a career in fashion. Fass says that she was able to do a fashion major through Integrative Arts, which combines her design, photography, study abroad in Italy and entrepreneurship classes.

With fashion shows, trips to New York City and social media takeover in mind, Fass has some big plans for the club and all of its members. Guest speakers in the fashion world, outfits of the day on twitter and instagram, photo styling contests and internship advice are just a few of the many things the club has to offer.

With help from her vice president, she hopes to create a club that will grow and last at Penn State until even after she graduates.

Fass emphasizes the importance of being able to surround yourself with people who share the same interests as you in a club like this, especially on such a huge campus. She says, “Penn State is no FIT, so creating a fashion club is creating a little niche for people who love fashion at such a large school. I think it’s important to be able to create opportunities for yourself and others, while doing something you really enjoy.”

Photo by Jonathan Hsieh