Lisa Z. Morgan Appointed Fashion Chair at Pratt School of Design

The Position Includes Oversight of the School’s Newly Created MFA Program in Fashion Collection and Communication

Design industry veteran Lisa Z. Morgan has been appointed as the new chair of the Department of Fashion at Pratt Institute’s School of Design, taking over from Jennifer Minniti.

Prior to this role, Morgan served as the department head of apparel design at the Rhode Island School of Design since 2017. Meanwhile, Minniti will be embarking on a one-year sabbatical before returning to the department as full-time faculty for the new MFA program.

With an extensive background as an interdisciplinary designer, artist, author, and educator, Morgan started her new position on Monday. She will be responsible for overseeing approximately 40 faculty members and 300 students in the undergraduate fashion design program and Pratt’s new MFA in fashion collection and communication, which is set to welcome its inaugural class this fall. The department also offers a fashion minor and a textiles minor to students across various disciplines.

Dean of the School of Design, Anita Cooney, expressed her excitement about Morgan’s appointment, stating, “With Lisa’s distinctive creative background, exceptional teaching experience, innovative and collaborative curriculum development, and successful leadership experience, I am confident she will be a valuable addition to our community at a time of new growth for the department and new interdisciplinary opportunities.”

Morgan is known for her cofounding of the artistic practice and couture lingerie brand Strumpet & Pink. She has contributed to various platforms, written and curated Design Behind Desire, and her work has been featured in numerous publications and museum collections worldwide.

Reflecting on her new role, Morgan stated,

My experiences, both lived in and in practice, have prepared me to co-imagine the fashion department by engaging intercultural competencies and fostering collaborations and methods of sense-filled communication that challenge hierarchical and extractive structures. I am thrilled for this opportunity to co-conspire with the fashion department and the wider Pratt Institute community.”

Morgan holds a master of art from the Royal College of Art and a bachelor of art in applied arts from the University of Creative Arts in the U.K.