The Fashion Institute of New Orleans (FINO)

Program Overview

The Fashion Institute of New Orleans (FINO) is a District 2 Community Enhancement Corporation program designed to maximize the impact of the fashion and retail industry on Louisiana. The program includes workshops and field trips that enhance students’ natural talent and provide training and business resources in the fashion and retail industries. Instructors and industry professionals bring a hands on approach to the classroom as students are introduced to various aspects of fashion. In addition to receiving an overview of the business, technical and creative side of fashion, students are allowed to select one area of concentration from the following five options: photography & videography, skincare & make-up, fashion design & apparel construction, modeling, and webpage & graphic design. In order to strengthen the industry-education linkage, FINO students participate in field trips to fashion and retail outlets and events. Field trips are designed to teach students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to the real world. Students also have the opportunity to apply what they have learned by producing a fashion show using their own designs. FINO’s top 10 students earn a trip to New York to participate in a mentor/protégé program with fashion industry professionals.