90 never looked better!

1934 was a very good year!  As you know, I celebrated my 90th birthday this year.  The School of Fashion Design in Boston is also celebrating their 90th anniversary, and I’m proud to partner with them this year to support student scholarships.

SFD is a special place, and a landmark institution dedicated to preserving the craft of fine garment making and nurturing local fashion designers. SFD alumni include such notable talent as Denise Hajjar, Daniel Faucher, Candice Wu and so many others.

Fashion design takes hard work and commitment, and SFD students need our support to succeed. That’s why I’m pleased to partner with SFD to launch the Yolanda “Glamour” Scholarship Fund!

Please consider making a gift today. Your donation automatically enters you into a Door Prize Drawing on April 11, 2025.  You do not need to be present to donate and/or win.

Donations of $500 or more are entered to win an Anthony Ferrara designer metal mesh halter top;
Donations of $250 or more are entered to win a felt hat from Elore Designs;
Donations of $100 or more are entered to win a seat in an SFD fashion workshop of your choice.

I appreciate your gift in any amount.  Two convenient and secure ways to give:

• Mail your check to the School of Fashion Design, 31 St. James Ave., 2nd floor,
  Boston MA 02116.  Please write “Yolanda” in the memo line of your check.

• CLICK HERE to donate securely online to the “Yolanda Glamour Scholarship Fund”

Please RSVP to attend the cocktail reception

Together, we are helping prepare the next generation of local fashion talent.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

Yolanda

Join us on Saturday, April 5th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM for an engaging and free info session and tour tailored to aspiring fashion designers, fashion and textile arts enthusiasts, and high school students.  Learn about our programs:  Professional Certificate, Workshops, and High School Program.  Tour our bright studio classrooms. Meet our teachers, see live demos in fashion sketching, pattern drafting, French Draping, computer design, and more. 

“How did I get here?” with Jennifer Fournier
Los Angeles costume designer, puppetry and doll fashion
SFD Class of 2002 alum
April 4, 2025, 1-2 pm EST
Live via Zoom from Los Angeles
This is a FREE event, please RSVP. The Zoom link will be shared via email prior to the start.

You never know where your SFD education will take you! Join 2002 alum Jennifer Fournier live via Zoom from Los Angeles, CA as she shares her fashion career journey and wild pivot into the niche field of doll clothing and puppetry costume design!

Jennifer makes patterns and samples for the production of doll clothes for OMG, OMG Tweens, and Rainbow High, as well as animatronic costumes for Disney Imagineering, Universal Studios. She has also done costume work for special effects shops for Aquaman 2, Shazam 2, Secret Headquarters, the most recent Exorcist film and more. She’s worked at Jim Henson Creature shop for Dark Crystal Age of Resistance and Fraggle Rock.

Jennifer will share images of "showroom dolls" that are styled in production quality clothing. She will take us through her career trajectory, and explain how the nature of her work, often produced in editions of only one or two, is very similar to couture design work. “How did I get here" dives into the different jobs you may have as a designer. Jennifer touches on the way we work, how to work with others, meet deadlines, high level work expectations, working with designers, client etiquette and running your own small business.

Jennifer has given this talk to students from Otis College of Art Design, California Institute for the Arts, and now returns to her alma mater School of Fashion Design!

Jennifer’s work can be seen on her website at: www.thevintagesmalls.com

Discover the timeless art of creating tatted lace in this hands-on workshop! Students will explore the perfect threads, tools, and essential terminology needed to bring their designs to life. You will learn foundational stitches and be ready to craft your own lace designs—whether it’s delicate ornaments, jewelry, or elegant trims to elevate your wardrobe.

The morning will consist of an introduction to the instructor, terminology and technique. The afternoon will be practicing the stitches and following patterns.

About the teacher Elaine O'Donal and her company:
Tatted Webs has been a company selling handmade tatted lace for almost forty years. Elaine creates historic and classic pieces as well as patterns with a modern twist. She consistently participates in craft shows along the East Coast as well as shares her technique in classes around the New England area. Every class taught included a demonstration and hands-on portion.

Thanks to a generous underwriting donor, our Embroidery for Mental Health & Wellness workshop is now nearly free of charge! We only ask for a small $5 administrative fee to reserve your seat so that we can monitor class capacity.

THIS CLASS IS SOLD OUT. IT WILL BE OFFERED AGAIN IN JUNE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE NOTIFIED, PLEASE EMAIL: FASHION@SFDBOSTON.ORG

Learn how embroidery can be a tactile self soothing tool for anxiety, ADHD, or general well-being! Join us to create a tactile soothing article of clothing for you or someone you care about.

In this workshop, fashion meets inclusivity and sustainability. Be a part of engaging discussions on inclusive design practices, and learn embroidery techniques that prioritize wellbeing and comfort.

Through insightful discussions, hands-on activities, and expert instruction, students will work towards a final project: creating their own recycled, embroidered piece.

Megan Burke explains the "why" behind specific stitches you will learn as you create the perfect texture for self-soothing tactile input. Students learn about proprioception, pairing physical movement & tactile input with grounding breaths to practice self-regulation and ground in support of mental health. While learning how to create a self-soothing texture, students find comfort and peace in the workshop themselves. The action of embroidery requires both hands and eyes of each participant which simultaneously soothes the mind through repetitive tractile action and prompts open conversation by taking away the pressure of eye contact. This creates a low-stakes environment for open conversation and connection while teaching students a skill that will serve them in their careers in design.

Note: Our workshop program operates independently of our Certificate in Fashion Design core curriculum. Enrollment in SFD workshops does not count toward completion of the Certificate program.

We are currently enrolling for our Fall semester!

Whether you are a returning student or eager to start your fashion design journey, this is your chance to secure your spot and further your education through our proven fashion design program! We offer courses both in the morning and in the evening, as well as an extensive array of electives designed to nurture various interests and foster your fashion design expertise.