In my last article, Make Room For Some Fashion, not everyone agreed that Dolce Vita, the newest clothing boutique to hit Ballard Avenue, actually “fits in”; that’s fine. But believe this—the New York Fashion Academy is bonafide Ballard.
I first learned about the school when a distant friend of mine, who works as an assistant to a real estate entrepreneur, mentioned that his boss was trying to purchase a 100-year-old historic building on the corner of Ballard Ave and 24th to turn it into who-knows-what. The investor apparently met some resistance by the current host of the building—the New York Fashion Academy. When I learned that a) an independent fashion school exists in Seattle and b) its owner is a badass and won’t be pushed outta Ballard, I was intrigued.
Since it’s inception in 1979, the New York Fashion Academy is the only independent fashion school in the Pacific Northwest. Right now, certifiable education in fashion is dominated by cookie cutter, corporate-owned universities: Art Institutes, International Academy of Design and other universities that advertise on non-primetime TV. The parent company of the Art Institutes, Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.com) is the most prevalent provider of private education in North America, with student enrollment at about 70,000 a year. EDMC has 67 primary campus locations in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. So for students seeking an education in couture fashion and textiles without conglomerate corporate influence that costs $30k+ in tuition, New York Fashion Academy is the exemplary mom and pop business of the fashion education industry (although there are notable programs at Seattle Community College and Seattle Pacific University).
I would argue that Ballard’s “spirited appreciation of craftsmanship” (which I claimed was exhibited by Dolce Vita in my last entry) is most notably exemplified by the program at NYFA. Created and owned by Terry Horlamus, the school maintains a traditional, almost “Old-World” approach to the teaching of high-fashion design; this place is not an assembly line pumping out graduates as fast as they can get them. Students are seriously challenged to their art core. When I went in for my first day of class, I felt an immediate sentiment of being back in classical ballet class, practicing on worn-down hardwood floors with the master instructor correcting our mistakes with gentle pokes from the cane she used to walk with. The school accidentally exudes a turn of the century European charm to it; it is rigorous, based on respect and discipline and little time or tolerance for pretension.
With almost no attention to interior aesthetics, NYFA is not trying to impress anyone, or entice students with any superfluous distractions. The program stands on the shoulders of local fashion proprietors and players, including Horlamus, formerly of Vogue and the founder of the Puget Sound Chapter of Professional Association of Custom Clothiers, Victoria Glenn, of Victoria’s Bridal, Inc., Washington State’s oldest and largest custom bridal business; and Carol McClellan, stage and on-screen costumer for Heart, Alice in Chains, Sound Garden and Priscilla Presley. Classes are also taught by past alumni of NYFA, demonstrating the school’s confidence in their graduates and giving the faculty fresh perspective and insight. And why wouldn’t NYFA have all the confidence in the world for its graduates? Karly Orr (see above in purple–photo credit: Rose Egge) of NYFA took first place in Project Red Dress, a Macy’s and Seattle Metropolitan Magazine sponsored benefit for the American Heart Association, and all five winners of the Seamless in Seattle competition are from NYFA–dayum!
The New York Fashion Academy (www.newyorkfashionacademy.com) offers an 18 month Certificate Program in Design and Construction (licensed by Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board), as well as individual classes open to the public. It’s clear what my feelings are about the Certificate Program at NYFA, but I feel equally enthusiastic about their individual classes. They are top-notch, thorough instruction on anything from pattern making and sewing to fashion illustration. But don’t expect anyone to appease or applaud you. Nope, this school is very literally, “Old School”.
Free Class at the Ballard Library. 
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