This page will serve as a resource to all those interested in all that the high school is doing. The High School of Fashion Industries is located in the heart of Manhattan's Chelsea district. Serving grades 9 through 12, HSFI is a public school part of New York City's Department of Education. HSFI has career and technical education programs related to fashion, art, and merchandising. Our students are an extremely talented group and are often afforded several opportunities to exercise their talents through various partnerships and programs at HSFI.
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Below you'll find a little history regarding the High School of Fashion Industries. "The High School of Fashion Industries history begins in 1926. A garment center loft on West 31 Street, its initial purpose was to train a work force for the many different trades of the fashion industries. Most of the students were immigrants or children of immigrants who were working toward better lives in a new country. As part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project construction of a new school began in 1938. In 1941 Central Needle Trades High School opened its doors. The curriculum was almost entirely vocational focusing on sewing, machine work and fashion design. The school had many ties to the labor movement in New York as illustrated in the landmark murals in the auditorium [see groups images]. As the fashion industry of New York changed so did the high school. In 1956 the name was changed to the High School of Fashion Industries and new majors were added."
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Today the high school stands as a testament to the power of career and technical education. HSFI has hosted educators from Denmark, Austria, Turkey, and Japan in addition to many others from several states within the US. Publications such as the New York Times and Women's Wear Daily have taken notice of our faculty and student work. In closing here is a statement made about the high school after a visit by representatives of the National Center for Research in Vocational Education:
'Students we observed in classes and spoke with in groups were self-confident and motivated. They expressed great pride in their school, respect and admiration for their teachers, ad a strong sense of commitment to their education. They clearly felt a sense of connection to the school and the school family. Students who plan to pursue careers related to the occupational focus of the school felt they were receiving a first rate education for these pursuits; students who planned on careers unrelated to the specific focus felt they were receiving strong academic preparation as well as valuable work skills… The teachers and administration we observed and met were dedicated and innovative…Students told us of teachers working with them before school, after school and on lunch hours….'
This organization, associated with the University of California and the U.S. Department of Education, was able to witness some of the amazing things that are happening at HSFI. We invite you to find out more about what this amazing institution is doing for its students!
