Eileen Karp began her fashion design career as a creative designer of loungewear and sportswear. She founded a business designing an exclusive maternity line whose designs sold to Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. She is a graduate of the FIT Fashion Design program, as well as the Textiles and Clothing program at North Dakota State University. She moved into various aspects of creative design and related positions primarily in the cut & sewn knitted and woven sportswear areas. Concurrently, she began teaching as an adjunct at FIT–SUNY and became a full-time professor in the Fashion Design Department in 2007. In 2008, she completed a Master’s Degree in Education from California State University East Bay. She developed a new interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science program in Technical Design at FIT that has grown steadily. In January 2014, Eileen became the Chairperson of the Fashion Design Department in FIT’s School of Art and Design.

Prof. Karp teaches the following FIT Precollege Classes:
HAP 026 Sewing for Fashion Designers
HAP 017 Introduction to Draping for Fashion Design (Level 2)

Teaching Philosophy:
The practice of fashion design constantly evolves and advances through exposure, exploration, and experimentation. Heraclitus said, “The only thing that is constant is change.” To prepare my students for success in this creative field and for life, it is incumbent upon me to develop in them a strong foundation that they know how to tap when, occasionally, the creative well runs dry. I have an obligation to weave into students the ability to be adaptable, flexible, and open.

Industry Experience/Recent Exhibitions:

• Over 30 years of experience in creative design, patternmaking, fashion business, technical design at all price points and types of industry experiences.
• Showed two original works in the annual “New Views” FIT Art & Design School Faculty Exhibit in 2016/2017.