Huntington High School fashion design and illustration program students are always hoping for a burst of creativity as they seek to develop new and appealing clothing items.
Huntington teacher Kim Valerio recently led a group of 12 fashion program students into Manhattan to give them a different educational experience than a traditional classroom can provide and to keep them fully motivated and inspired. The teenagers traveled to the Big Apple on the Long Island Railroad for a tour of exhibits at the Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology.
Huntington High School art teacher Kim Valerio.
“First we took a guided tour of the exhibit ‘Fabric in Fashion,’ which explores the cultural history of textiles in Euro-American women’s fashion over the last two and a half centuries,” Ms. Valerio said. “The exhibition focuses on four of the most common fibers in Western women’s fashion: silk, cotton, wool and synthetics.”
The group from Huntington then toured the exhibit “Exhibitionism: 50 Years of the Museum at FIT Exhibitionism: 50 Years of The Museum at FIT,” which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the museum at FIT by bringing back 33 of the most influential exhibitions produced since the first one was staged in 1971. “More than 80 looks are on display,” Ms. Valerio said.
The Huntington teenagers ate lunch in the FIT cafeteria and stopped in The Style Shop, FIT’s student-run retail boutique. “We also met up with my former fashion design student and intern Olivia Hannigan, who is a fashion design student at FIT,” Ms. Valerio said.
Kim Valerio Profile
A graduate of Harborfields High School, Ms. Valerio obtained an undergraduate degree at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. After working for many years in graphic arts, mostly in New York City, she returned to college and obtained a master’s degree at Long Island University/ CW Post.
Ms. Valerio completed her student teaching requirements in Huntington. She then worked as a substitute teacher in the district and in several surrounding districts. She was hired as a part-time art teacher in Huntington UFSD in 2010 and became full-time in 2015. Through the years she has worked in all eight buildings in the district.
Ms. Valerio teaches courses in creative crafts and fashion at Huntington High School and directs the student fashion shows at the annual district art show.
Huntington Fashion Design Program
The Huntington fashion program has attracted a fervent following over the years. Fashion Design and Illustration I students learn to illustrate the fashion figure and construct a garment from a pattern. Second year students explore draping on a fashion form and advanced illustration, creating a garment from their own design.
The third level “tilts” toward the business of fashion and producing a portfolio of illustrations and designs that expresses a personal style and high level of competence. Students create a fashion magazine, understand the workings of the merchandising and management side of the fashion and have hands-on experience producing the annual fashion show.
Portfolio Development is designed for students interested in studying art in college. “This is an exciting course that allows all art majors to develop a professional portfolio of their art work,” according to the Huntington High School course guide. “Quality rather than quantity is stressed, for this course can assist you in gaining acceptance into an art college. Visits from various colleges as well as professionals in diverse art careers will be arranged.”
For more information about the fashion program contact Ms. Valerio at kvalerio@hufsd.edu.
