During an interview with alumnae and fashion designer Elizabeth Kennedy, the student body of Villa Victoria Academy learned that the traits of self-respect, confidence and truly listening to others never really go out of style.
Kennedy, a graduate of the Ewing school, recently visited virtually with the students as part of Villa Victoria’s “Alumnae Speaker” series. The series, created in 2017, aims to introduce the students to a wide range of career opportunities by showcasing young Villa alumnae.
Kennedy, a 2003 graduate,earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in fashion design from the Parsons School of Design, New York. After graduation, she worked for renowned designers Donna Karan, J. Mendel and Isaac Mizrahi, where she became the head designer at age 22. She later launched her namesake custom couture brand, designing numerous gowns for the red carpets, including clients Oprah Winfrey, Lena Dunham, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez.
In her virtual presentation, Kennedy notedthat through her work in the fashion industry, she has learned that to be respected she must respect herself.Following her presentation, each student received a pair of specially designed Villa Victoria spirit socks as a memento.