January 20, 2010

Pamela Ptak, adjunct fashion professor, was one of 16 designers, some from as far off as Africa and the Philippines, competing for a grand prize that includes $100,000 and a spread in Marie Claire magazine on the 7th season of Project Runway. The seventh season premiered Thursday night, January 14th on Lifetime Television.

Pamela told us, “I’d always loved the show from its first season. I saw it as a terrific teaching tool to inspire my students.” And now Pamela is setting an example that will surely inspire our students as they root for her success. “I absolutely love the passion, drive and enthusiasm of Drexel fashion design students,” she said.

Nearly ten years ago Pamela launched her own couture line designing made-to-order clothing for private clientele from Philadelphia, New York, Dallas and all over America. After graduating from Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, she studied at the French-founded Maison Sapho School of Dressmaking & Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Pamela soon realized that not every woman can afford expensive made-to-order couture dresses and set her sights on designing quality ready-to-wear garments. Her ready to wear pieces got the attention of Runway’s Tim Gunn and ultimately a spot on this season’s show. “My inspiration comes from God and nature,” she said. “I study the beauty of human & animal anatomy, especially the long shapes in bone structure.” Prior to coming to Philadelphia, Pamela worked for top advertising agencies in New York City and then spent years freelancing for designers in New York on collections for the Paris Haute Couture & New York Fashion Weeks.

At Drexel, Pamela has taught graduate courses in couture design since 2004. While the outcome of the show is probably determined, we’ll have to watch to see if Pamela won. If nothing else, being on the show has given Pamela lifelong friends, “I met such a diverse array of designers working on Project Runway,” she said.