Modern Luxury Spotlight

Asanyah Davidson, Miami Fashion Institute Chair at Miami Dade College

As chair of Miami Dade College’s Miami Fashion Institute, Asanyah Davidson is ushering in the next generation of fashion’s power players. Students in the innovative program pursue a two-year Associate in Science in fashion design and fashion merchandising, utilizing the Institute’s hands-on fashion lab. There’s also a College Credit Certificate in pattern-making and construction, which focuses on the technical skills of garment-making that students can pursue independently or as part of the A.S. program.

Davidson is inspired every day by witnessing her students come into their own. “Watching their faces light up when they develop an idea from conception to completion and share it with others is the best part of my job,” she says.

MFI prides itself on being affordable, allowing students to get the skills they need for a professional career without drowning in student loan debt. “We're really the most inclusive school in the fashion industry,” says Davidson. “We have instructors from the industry and we create opportunity for our students.”

With transfer agreements with schools in Spain and Italy, Davidson looks forward to continuing to expand MFI’s relationship with more international schools. A firm believer in both collaboration and competition, she’s constantly forging connections with companies and independent thinkers to attain their vision of the future of fashion. She also takes her role as a mentor seriously, visiting K-12 schools and teaching students about the joys of pursuing a higher education in fashion. She says, “I believe MFI will continue to grow to be the premier fashion school of the Southern United States.”