Modista is ready to bring the fashion industry to Kent State with their first ever MODIvation Conference.

“(Modista) wanted to do something different that isn’t offered here,” Nazhary Jackson, vice president of Modista, said.

J.R. Campbell, director of the Fashion School; Kori Fields, Kent State alumna and visual artist at Saks Fifth Avenue; and Helen Castillo, a contestant on Project Runway, are just a few names added to the prosperous panel set to discuss the mechanics of the fashion industry.

“We want to keep the conference fashion-orientated, but it’s not strictly for fashion school students,” Jackson said. “If you have an interest for fashion — same way with our members — you don’t have to be a fashion major to join. Modista will welcome you.”

The MODIvation Conference will last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the third floor of the Student Center on April 22. Kent State students can purchase tickets for $25 at modistagroup.yapsody.com.

“It’s been an extremely long road and we’ve been planning this conference for two years,” Jackson said. “The feeling that this conference is finally happening is indescribable, and even though this is Modista’s first conference, this can turn into something much, much bigger with the university.”

Paige Miller is the fashion reporter, contact her at [email protected].