“The interest in that student organization led the university to invest in fashion as a curriculum. So, the institute exists to support the student organizations on campus that are dedicated to fashion, and also, support the staff and faculty to make sure they are resourced with good connections in the industry. That’s really a focus of the institute,” said Schisler, who is based in Columbus, where there are plenty of fashion resources.
The Fashion Institute, housed in the College of Creative Arts, officially became an institute within the university in early- to mid-August of this year.
One of the institutes goals, he said, is to create “high stakes” experiential learning opportunities for students, where students who are studying fashion are given the opportunity to learn by doing.
The institute has the chance to create those opportunities for students.
Credit: Katie Gabe
Credit: Katie Gabe
“By giving them connective tissue to companies and corporations that have projects for them to work on, that have competitions for them to participate in, that’s how students of today will really learn to excel in the jobs of tomorrow,” Schisler said.
Focusing on core areas like sustainability and technology will be part of the institute’s mission.
“Another priority is making sure that we’re continuing to innovate, and making sure that what we’re teaching, how we are teaching and the tools we’re giving our future are creatives are really following the trends of technology and the trends of the industry. So, that will be part of our role at the institute to make sure we are continuing to evolve and prepare our students for the future in fashion,” said Schisler.
There are also plans to create an advisory board to support the institute in terms of industry, technology and direction, as well as to help prepare students to enter the workforce.
“At the end of the day, we are here to support what’s going on today, on campus, and within fashion,” Schisler said.
The Fashion Institute aims to be a gateway to internships, to study abroad programs and resources students might need to advance curriculum.
“I’m most excited to see what we can do in Year 1 to make this our largest and biggest fashion show in the spring of 2026,” Schisler said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to work with the students to make that an amazing event.”
With more than 25 years of experience in fashion, Schisler has served as brand president and creator of UpWest, a digitally native dual gender apparel brand. He held leadership positions at Express and Abercrombie and Fitch after earning his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Miami.
MORE DETAILS
Miami University’s interdisciplinary Fashion Program is housed in the Department of Art and includes courses in the Farmer Business School. It consists of a co-major and minor and includes students from over 40 different majors on campus. Emphasizing creativity and experimentation, the program offers students the opportunity to develop a broad set of basic competencies in design language, technical skills and fashion business.
Online: miamioh.edu/cca//centers-institutes/fashion-institute/index.html and mufashiondesign.com
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