Student Success Indicators

The Program Uses the Following Student Success Indicators:

retention and completion rates
employment rates
salaries
employer critiques of student performance
mentor critiques of student performance
off-campus exhibitions of student work
industry and media feedback on student performance
alumni achievement

Retention and Completion Rates

Otis Fashion Design's 4-year graduation rates are higher than average (68%) compared to private 4-year colleges in California. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, in a survey of 74 private 4-year colleges in California (including Stanford University and California Institute of Technology), the average 4-year graduation rate for 2012 was 59.9%, and for 2013 was 61.3% (2014 data was not yet available). It is equally important to note that California ranks 4th in private 4-year college completion rates across the U.S. With evidence-based student learning outcomes that adhere to industry standards, at the completion of the program, students in the Fashion Design Department are able to:

Adapt their artistic abilities to support their future design careers.
Develop a systematic, critical approach to problem-solving at all levels of the design process.
Articulate design ideas verbally, visually, and digitally.
Assess, propose, and apply various techniques related to drafting, draping, and constructing garments.
Relate the design process to the appropriate manufacturing process.
Demonstrate professionalism by managing time to meet deadlines with quality work and effectively collaborating in teams.
Research and relate fashion design to a broader socio-economic, historical, and environmental context.

Notable Alumni

Sandy Oh, Head of Men's and Women's Sportswear at AG Jeans. I have been a part of the AG family for the last 7 years. I have recently been given the opportunity to head all of our sportswear division which includes all categories from essential basics, elevated loungewear, classic outerwear pieces to woven styling. Most of my career has been in the women's sportwear category with a bit of menswear along the way. Here at AG, I now have a bigger opportunity to expand on my men's design and aesthetic. In the last few years I have created an amazing Indigo Capsule Collection which was an exclusive line for high end retailers. I was able to design the collection from concept to styling to the final production. This by far was my most emorable capsule collection to really display my love for elevated sportswear. Throughout the years here at AG I have also worked on various collaborations for the brand and have been designing the Made in Italy Collection as well. With the amazing education and training I received at Otis I have flourished as a not only a talented but a confident designer. I have also been able to be a mentor to future aspiring designers as well. Since graduating in 2005, I have always been so thankful to the faculty and staff in the fashion department. They were there to guide me while I was a student and have guided me throughout my last 15 years of my career. Fashion will always be a part of who I am in all shapes and form. I love clothes and making clothes for others. Cheers to the next 15 years of my fashion design career!

"After graduating from Otis College of Art and Design (2006) with two Silver Thimbles and a CFDA award for Menswear, Marcus spent 10 years designing Contemporary and Designer collections in NYC. In fact, it was his Senior Year Mentor at Otis, John Varvatos, that offered him his first job and brought him to NYC to be a Design Assistant. He then made the shift into the Performance/Activewear world as the founding designer of Theory's athleisure division; Theory 38 (Theory+) and as the Director of Lululemon's concept collection; Lululemon Lab NYC. This was a full-circle moment, having designed several performance collections for Nike as an intern during sophomore and junior year Summers at Otis. Finally, before joining The North Face, Marcus spent 2 years as a Design Director of Menswear at Lululemon in Vancouver, BC. Marcus has been with The North Face for two years. Along with leading several areas of the design team, Marcus led collaborations with Supreme, MM6, and Gucci. Coincidentally, The North Face was his Junior Year Mentor Project while at Otis in 2005." Marcus LeBlanc, Global Creative Design Director at The North Face

"I was born and raised in South Korea on a small island called Jindo. Moved to the U.S. at the age of fourteen to major in flute performance. As soon as I realized that I couldn't play the flute as well as other top artists, I quit playing because if I wasn't the best, I didn't want to waste my time. What was next? I loved science, art, and biology, so I decided to be a doctor. Then, I realized that I couldn't look at blood without throwing up. Well, I moved on to my next passion: architecture. My father was an architect, and that made him very proud. Again, life took another turn, and I finally changed my major to Fashion Design (it's too long to explain) and entered Otis, obviously because it was the best school for it. After four years of sleepless nights and crazy amounts of training, I was hired by the Mentor I worked with during my Junior year: Nike. Fifteen years later, I am still at Nike. I never got bored with design and building products for many different types of athletes. My career took another turn recently and I am now a Technical Design Director, working on designer collaborations. With the solid foundation I built during my Otis years, I am ready for more adventures to come!" Michelle Kwak (Otis class of 2005)

Employer Critique

At the close of internships, employers provide valuable feedback to the Chair (as well as directly to the students) about students' performance during the internship. Although this information is used to improve student preparation and the program overall, on the whole, the feedback is extremely positive. Below are a few testimonials that were collected for the purposes of the program review.

Mentor Critiques Of Student Performance

Jason Wu, Jonathan Simkhai, Ralph Lauren, Dominque Lemieux/Cirque du Soleil, Bob Mackie, are just a few mentors who have repeatedly mentored Otis students because they are continually impressed by the caliber of student work. Todd Olham has said Otis is the only school he will actually participate in a design project with students due to the quality of student work.

Off-campus Exhibitions Of Student Work

The continued collaboration with Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills displaying Senior work demonstrates the high-quality and desirability of student work.

Additionally, mentors have requested further exhibitions including:

Multi-stop tour of "Considered Design" sustainability project with Nike/Hurley
Live performance at Disney Studios, followed by an exhibition at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood in conjunction with Monster's University premiere, of ;Disney Monster's University sustainability project
A runway show of “bike to train to back again” smart design project featured at MTA’s Union Station
Sourcing at Magic displayed six designs produced by students from the Senior class at the Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas

Industry And Media Feedback

The good reputation of the program continues to solicit informal feedback from industry leaders who frequently laud and reach out to the program. This feedback may come from a call, via email, or walking in the door (because they were in the neighborhood). Moreover, the fashion show and student work receives positive recognition by media outlets proving that it is both relevant and newsworthy.

Testimonials

Rod Beattie ('86), Designer for Bleu

Chris Chang ('87),Designer for Poesia

Jennifer Tong ('98), VP of Agron

"Time at Otis is tough, there is no doubt, but it's a life-long investment. The connection you get from mentorship programs are vital, the relationship you develop with your friends lasts life-long, and the knowledge you acquire from the program will kick start your dreams. I'm currently a Senior designer at Nike, who was my mentor during my Jr. year. It's a place where I'm expanding my horizons now with technology and innovation being my strong suit with the foundation I earned from Otis.”

- Michelle J. Kwak, Senior Product Designer Nike INC.

"The fashion program at Otis is difficult. Even as someone who was very confident in my own talents and ideas, I was awakened to the real world and its expectations of me as a creative professional. For me, Otis gave new meaning to words like discipline, dedication, and the concept of hard work. Through it all, I knew that the instructors had my best interest at heart and that I was being prepared for the future that I saw for myself. Now, after 15 years in the fashion industry, I look back on my time at Otis with pride and gratitude.I'm proud of myself and my classmates, who are still some of my best friends today. I'm grateful for leaders like Jill Zeleznik who pushed me beyond my comfort zone and laid the foundation for a successful career. From Luxury to Athleisure and Outdoor, I have always felt prepared for whatever opportunities cross my path. Otis set a standard that I take into the office everyday.”

- Marcus LeBlanc ('05) Global Creative Design Director - The North Face

"The 4 years I spent at Otis, were some of the best years of my young life. The creative space was crucial in training me to be a successful designer. Although challenging and demanding at times, the disciplined curriculum at Otis structured my life and helped set me up for the career I love and thrive in. I have met my best friends and life partner at this school, and have learned how to collaborate and stay focused."

- Azadeh "Ozz" Nooryani ('06), Design Director Women's OTM at Lululemon

"Through the Otis Senior Mentorship Program, A.L.C. is so proud to have had the opportunity to help support and work side by side with the next generation of emerging talent. Own it!"

- Xo Andrea Lieberman, Creative Director and Founder of A.L.C.

"There are no words to describe how much I love working with the students. The ideas, creativity, and enthusiasm are infectious. Please know this ... that what you shared and gave to me this semester during this process far and away outweighed what I hopefully shared with you. You guys rock!"

- David Meister, American Fashion Designer

“As a design recruiter for URBN Inc, I search the world for talented designers and OTIS students are always at the top of my list! Students that come out of this program have exceptional sketching ability, areforward-thinking with fashion concepts, and are able to producecollections with the most impressive detail. I'm always amazed by what I see from students year after year when hiring for design positions andconsistently see projects from these students that demonstrate another level of creativity!"

- Brooke Mawson, URBN inc., Design Recruiter

"The unique in-person mentorship program, part of Otis Fashion curriculum, kick-started my career into high gear at John Varvatos in 2006. A company like this at the time was seemingly impossible to connect with, especially as a student. The Otis Mentorship Program gave me the opportunity to work with the man himself, John Varvatos. I had the chance to showcase my skills to John and in result lead to working at his company in New York. John Varvatos and Otis fashion were 100% the catalysis to my success in the apparel industry. Today, I'm the Director of Lululemon Men's."

- Kirk Von Heifner ('06), Men's Design Director at Lululemon

"I'm forever appreciative of the education I received while attending Otis. I was challenged creatively to push boundaries, only after understanding and respecting the fundamentals thoroughly first. That is a learning tool that I still carry with me. The faculty's meticulous attention to detail in every sketch, stitch, and presentation is something that I continuously think of on a day to day and in my own workflow now. It's in this type of training that I received as a student, that I will forever cherish as an Alumna. Being invited back to be a Mentor was an absolute honor. Apart from the unbelievable sketching talent that the students showcased, it was really amazing to work together with them to help make their vision come to life. Working through fit and design challenges throughout the process was a very real experience that occurs in the industry all the time. It was so magical to see all of their incredibly hard work pay off in the final collection! I was so proud of them! Having an education from Otis along with exposure to actual industry processes and professionals is an unbelievable opportunity for creatives that are looking to get prepared for a career in the Fashion industry."

- Sapna Von Sick, Alo Yoga, Sr. Designer

"It's a gift to work with people who are starting out on their journey.Working through the process of questioning for them is good for us because we took that reinvigoration for practice. The breadth of ideas was inspiring. I also learned a lot by working with the teaching staff. They are so focused on how to help the students grow, and they communicate that clearly with us and the students."

- Amy Adams, Senior Designer, A.L.C.

"Overall I found OTIS students to be better prepared, technically advanced, and more qualified than students from other fashion schools. The quality of output from the junior and senior level interns far surpass those of interns we've hired from other schools. I wish I could have hired all three (3) of our interns! They were eager to learn and appreciated their time with us. They worked hard and came prepared for a real-life role. Kudos to Rose and the entire staff at OTIS!"

- Lisa Hollister, Manager Talent Acquisition, J Brand

"Otis students are consistently pushing the creative envelope and able to add value to our company the moment they join our teams! They have extremely strong illustration and drawing skills. Additionally, the exposure to industry professionals and feedback from their program helps them to have a big picture understanding of the fashion business. Their students have an amazing blend of strong creative skills mixed with a focus on their career in Fashion."

- Katie De Witt, Human Resources, Abercrombie & Fitch

"OTIS students have a passion for design and detail, that is apparent when interviewing and working with the students we select for our internship program. They come prepared to work hard, learn, and develop their growing skillsets and leave as better designers."

- Angella Lugioyo, Nike SB & Hurley Human Resources

"Dear students....stretch your imagination, challenge your resistance, and expand your mind. You will all have great success and a deeper love of Fashion. Warm hugs."

- Vivienne Hu, American Fashion Designer

Seizing the opportunities to connect, learn and grow at otis has provided me with the foundational toolbox to explore different avenues within fashion and the world of design inorder to achieve my lifelong goal of being an entrepreneur and artist.

-Sara Angelucci, CEO & Founder Armature LLC.

Alumni Achievement

With a jumpstart on internships, relevant preparation, and a robust network, alumni thrive and advance quickly in the industry making their way to positions of leadership or developing their own collections or brands.

Cynthia Vincent ('88), Designer

Claire Pettibone ('88), Designer

Eduardo Lucero ('89), Designer

Angela Furlong('83), Design Director, Sundance

Jennifer Tong ('98), VP of Agron

Danh Tran ('06), Designer for Buttercloth

Kirk Von Heifner ('06), Mens Design Director for Lululemon

Azadeh "Oss" Nooryani ('06), Design Director Women's OTM at Lululemon

Susan Matherson, Costume Designer

Rob Beattie ('86), Designer for Bleu Swim

Alumni Career Positions

‘83 Angela Furlong (Design Director, Sundance)

’86 Rod Beattie (Bleu Swim, Founder and Designer)

‘87 Chris Chang (Poesia, Founder and Designer)

‘87 Devon Burt (VP Apparel Innovation Design, Nike Inc)

‘87 Robert Tuggle (Design Director, Eddie Bauer)

‘88 Cynthia Vincent (Founder)

‘88 Shawna Trpcic (Costume Designer: Firefly, Angel, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse)

‘89 Claire Pettibone (Founder and Designer)

‘89 Eduardo Lucero (Founder and Designer)

‘91 Janina Gutierrez-Barajas (Global Creative Director, 20th Century Fox)

’92 Red Carter (Founder and Designer)

‘92 Soo Koo (VP Product Development at Warner Brothers Consumer Products)

‘93 Marisol Gerona-Bradford (VP Design & Development, NBC Universal Consumer Products)

‘98 Amy Liu (Senior Designer, Kellwood)

‘99 Bao Tranchi (Bao Tranchi Bodywear, designer brand)

‘04 Yuree Jung (Senior Designer, James Perse)

‘04 Heather Brown (Design Director, Pac Sun)

‘05 Charmaine De Mello (Senior Designer, Alexander Wang)

‘05 Sandy Oh (Senior Designer, AG Jeans)

‘05 Nurit Yeshuran (Director of Concept and Style, Tiffany & Co.)

‘05 Debbie Sabet (Design Director, Vince)

‘06 Claire Chouinard (Patagonia)

‘06 Marcus Le Blanc (Design Director at The Northface)

‘06 Danh Tran (Founder, Buttercloth)

‘06 Sapna Parikh (Senior Women’s Designer, Alo Yoga)

‘06 Kirk Von Heifner (Design Director, Lululemon)

‘07 Dana Engleman (Senior Designer, JBrand Collections)

‘07 Su Im Chung (Senior Designer, Barbie Mattel)

‘08 Westley Austin (Head Designer, Men’s wear, 7 for all Mankind)

‘08 Kristin Friedlander (Head Designer, Topson Downs)

‘08 Natalia Giacomelli (Design Director, Good American)

‘08 Crystal Kim (Senior Designer, GSTAR)

‘10 Naomi Hwang (Head Designer, STATE)

‘11 Cherise Shikai (Assistant Designer, Lululemon)

'17 Keely Gallagher (Associate Designer, Lovers & Friends)

'17 Tammy Li (Associate Designer, A & F)

'17 Nicholas Dolcini (Assistant Designer, J. Crew)

'18 Aja Komine (Assistant Designer, Guess?)

'18 Amanda Cox (Designer, Bailey 44)

'18 Marcus Reynolds (Associate Designer, Manhattan Beachwear)

'18 William Wang (Assistant Designer, AG Jeans)

'19 Soomin Chun (Assistant Designer, Theory)

'19 Olivero Perez (Assistant Designer, Jason Wu)

'19 Nastaran Eskandani (Assistant Designer, KOHL'S)

'19 Shirley Park (Associate Designer, J. Crew)

'19 Julia Park (Assistant Designer, A.L.C.)

'20 Lynn Kim (Assistant Designer, URBN)

'20 Rachel Kim (Assistant Designer, URBN)

'20 Verona Tu (Assistant Designer, Rhude)

'20 Wendy Kuo (Assistant Designer, Proenza Schouler)

'21 Julia Choi (Assistant Designer, Jonathan Simkhai)

'21 Caleb Stern (Intern, Rag + Bone)

'21 Isabella Lopez (Assistant Designer, Free People)

'21 Natalie Aivazian (Assistant Designer, Universal)