Local kids design future fashion at Karen's

Author: Elise Thornton

MARLBORO - In five years, Karen Lozner went from teaching a fashion class to owning her own school of fashion.

Karen’s School of Fashion has grown to around 200 students and three locations in Marlboro, Fair Haven and Soho in Manhattan.

"I’ve always been a designer, and I love children and I love teaching," Lozner said.

Lozner attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and, in addition to teaching, has a clothing line called Karen Elizabeth Couture.

"I’m still designing but the main thing is the school right now," she said.

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Karen Lozner, owner of Karen's School of Fashion, poses with some of the fashions she has created. (Photo: DOUG HOOD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

"The teen program is obviously more sophisticated, encompassing (sketching, pattern-making and sewing) and fashion drawing on Adobe and Illustrator, just like real designers do," Lozner said. "The program is created especially for people who want to go to fashion design college."

Older students also have the opportunity to take a textile design class where they design their own fabrics virtually, and then the fabrics are produced for students to work with.

"It’s great because we want to give kids the experience that we got in college and the working environment," Lozner said. "If they want to pursue fashion design as a career, they’re prepared."

The school also offers a design, building, and engineering class where students create small 3D model rooms with functional electronics. The class combines elements of architecture, interior design and electrical engineering.

"That (engineering) class goes into the STEM category, which is … very important for kids for the future," Lozner said.

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Karen Lozner, owner of Karen's School of Fashion, poses with some of the fashions she has created. (Photo: DOUG HOOD/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

"The teen program is obviously more sophisticated, encompassing (sketching, pattern-making and sewing) and fashion drawing on Adobe and Illustrator, just like real designers do," Lozner said. "The program is created especially for people who want to go to fashion design college."

Older students also have the opportunity to take a textile design class where they design their own fabrics virtually, and then the fabrics are produced for students to work with.

"It’s great because we want to give kids the experience that we got in college and the working environment," Lozner said. "If they want to pursue fashion design as a career, they’re prepared."

The school also offers a design, building, and engineering class where students create small 3D model rooms with functional electronics. The class combines elements of architecture, interior design and electrical engineering.

"That (engineering) class goes into the STEM category, which is … very important for kids for the future," Lozner said.