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Fern Mallis

Born: 1948

Fern Mallis is one of the most important names in fashion. 

Graduating from the University at Buffalo in 1969, Mallis went on to win a spot for an internship with Mademoiselle magazine and acquired a full time job there. She then moved on to become the fashion director at Gimbel's East, and started her own public relations company, Fern Mallis PR, in 1986. After her time at Gimbel's East, Mallis then applied to fill the roll of Executive Director for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). While in that roll, she started "Fashion Week", now known as one of the "Big 4" fashion weeks in the world, according to UB's "At Buffalo" publication. She was Executive Director of the CFDA for ten years. When "Fashion Week" was acquired by IMG in 2001, Mallis became their senior vice president for IMG Fashion and left that position in 2010. 

She now is the host of an interview series titled, "Fashion Icons" that takes place at the 92nd street Y in New York City, hosts a radio show on Sirius XM Radio titled, "Fashion Insiders with Fern Mallis", serves on various boards for philanthropic organizations such as Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, The Partnership for the Homeless, has created The Heart Truth's Red Dress Initiative for Women's Heart Disease and chaired their event, "Sidewalk Catwalk", in New York City's fashion district. 


Affiliation(s): Alumnus
Record Group(s): 30
Biographical File Contains:
  • Publications