Fashion entrepreneur Ebony Pratt didn't have a defined personal style until, at age 15, she cut off her long hair, bleached the remains, and dyed it a multitude of bright colors. Suddenly, she stood out and was recognized for her unique look. "I started feeling good about myself, because I started expressing myself and that's where I started it," said Pratt, 46, who grew up in North Philadelphia.
"Then I started developing my own personal style and loving it, actually loving my style, loving who I was becoming as a person." That self-expression morphed into a love of clothes, leading Pratt to work as a personal shopper during high school and afterward. Over the next two decades, her career took her into the world of pop-up shops, boutiques, design and real estate before she created her e-commerce styling business, Fashion Dealer Society.
Now, Pratt is looking to bring all of those skills together into a school in Kensington. The Fashion Retail & Style Institute at 426 E. Allegheny Ave.
is a 12-week program for people looking for careers in the clothing industry. Pratt plans to teach four groups of 25 students each year, with weekday classes on merchandising, entrepreneurship and other fashion-related topics. Applications are open now, with the first course beginning Jan.
20. The 240-hour program covers the history of fashion and basic design, textile properties and manufacturing, operational aspects like inventory and selling online, how to create appealing designs and store .
