It is a Midwest powerhouse in fashion.
Kent State's School of Fashion is ranked among the best in the world.
The school is wrapping up its annual fashion week, and inducting an industry icon into its hall of fame this weekend.
Fern Mallis, known as the Godmother of Fashion, is the founder of New York Fashion Week, which put the American Fashion Industry on the map.
“Organizing, centralizing, modernizing the fashion shows for American designers," said Mallis. "It was a game changer.”
It was gutsy and glamorous - it was the '90s.
"Those were magical years," she said. "Almost 20 years in Bryant Park; creating tents that were truly a fashion village.”
Mallis stopped by News 5 Thursday to discuss the honor of being inducted into Kent State's Fashion School Hall of Fame, and her advice for the next generation.
Like a true pioneer, Mallis continues to reinvent herself.
For the past 16 years, she’s hosted her Fashion Icons series at New York’s 92nd Street Y, interviewing more than 70 industry titans.
"Calvin Klein to Donna Karan, to Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Valentino," she said.
I asked her if there were any common threads after talking with so many people who've had success in the industry.
"Their grandmothers were the most influential people in their lives," she said. "I've heard that more times than I can even count!"
I asked Mallis what it feels like to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"It's a lovely honor," she said.
After a fabulous career that's spanned decades — and she's not done yet — Mallis said she loves paying it forward through mentorship, and tells students to remember that kindness never goes out of fashion.
"It's the most important thing," she said. "You spend more time with your work colleagues than your family, and you want to be around people who are nice. You don’t need someone with an agenda, or who's a diva, or who thinks someone owes them a favor or they’re better than you. Be nice.”
She also encouraged students to be on time, be present, and be grateful.
And when starting out in their career, to work under a designer or work in retail to learn all aspects of the industry.
She said it's important to be creative and authentic — be you — to stand out.
You can hear much more from Mallis during her Hall of Fame Lecture on Friday, May 1, at 11 a.m. at Kent State's Rockwell Hall. It is free and open to the public.
A fun fact: Mallis told me her sister helped design Cleveland's federal building.
