New RED Fashion School Opens in Norwalk, Offering Connecticut’s First Recognized Fashion Design Certificate Program
Students will work alongside world-class fashion designers to explore their creative talents & develop necessary skills to pursue a career in fashion


RED Fashion School Opens in Norwalk, Connecticut

Students will work alongside world-class fashion designers to explore their creative talents & develop necessary skills to pursue a career in fashion over the 15-month program.

World-class fashion designers and brands are helping to shape the next generation of cultural innovators in Norwalk, Connecticut, the home of the new RED Fashion School (RED).

Opening its doors to the first enrolled class on Nov. 15, 2023, RED offers Connecticut’s first recognized certificate program in Fashion Design. The second enrollment for the program begins on Jan. 2, 2024.

Over the course of 15 months, students will design, market and produce their own fashion collection, while learning the entire vertical design process — including sample room production and sales.

Students will also explore their creative talents and personal style while building the necessary skills to launch their own brand or work in a fashion house.

Among the industry-recognized design instructors is RED’s Founder, Irina Simeonova, who has showcased collections at New York Fashion Week, been featured on French Fashion TV and sold her collections across the U.S. and Canada.

She also founded the New England Fashion+Design Association (NEF+DA) in 2006, an organization based in South Norwalk that offers fashion design education to children and adults — which ultimately provided the inspiration for launching RED.

“After 17+ years of working with talented design students, I saw a need for an intensive, fast-paced program focused on the skills to gain employment or transition back into the workforce quickly afterward — whether that means launching your own fashion brand or working with a major label,” Simeonova said. “Our new Fashion Design Certificate Program at RED helps fill this void while providing a unique vertical education model that focuses on Research, Education and Design.”

Simeonova also noted that RED’s location in Norwalk plays an important role for graduates and the community alike:

“RED is poised to elevate educational offerings within our region while injecting fresh talent and collaborative endeavors into the local community,” Simeonova said. “We're empowering our graduates to stay within the area, helping to support new and existing businesses, manufacturing and cultural enrichment in Norwalk and surrounding areas.”

RED is currently accepting student applications. Interested candidates who hold a high school diploma or GED®, are at least 18 years of age and have an innate interest in fashion design can apply at www.redfashion.school.

About RED Fashion School

RED Fashion School (RED) is a non-profit educational institution that brings together contemporary style design education and the insights of working designers to educate the next generation of cultural leaders and innovators through its Fashion Design Certificate Program. RED offers a uniquely vertical model of education, a co-operative enterprise where students are educated through the process and practice of working with world-class designers.

Contact Information:
Irina Simeonova
Founder of RED Fashion School
irina@nefda.studio
(203) 345-0030


Original Source: New RED Fashion School Opens in Norwalk, Offering Connecticut’s First Recognized Fashion Design Certificate Program