High School of Fashion Industries

High School of Fashion Industries "Designing the Future Since 1926" Welcome to the Official Page for the High School of Fashion Industries (HSFI).

This page will serve as a resource to all those interested in all that the high school is doing. The High School of Fashion Industries is located in the heart of Manhattan's Chelsea district. Serving grades 9 through 12, HSFI is a public school part of New York City's Department of Education. HSFI has career and technical education programs related to fashion, art, and merchandising. Our students are an extremely talented group and are often afforded several opportunities to exercise their talents through various partnerships and programs at HSFI.

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Below you'll find a little history regarding the High School of Fashion Industries. "The High School of Fashion Industries history begins in 1926. A garment center loft on West 31 Street, its initial purpose was to train a work force for the many different trades of the fashion industries. Most of the students were immigrants or children of immigrants who were working toward better lives in a new country. As part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project construction of a new school began in 1938. In 1941 Central Needle Trades High School opened its doors. The curriculum was almost entirely vocational focusing on sewing, machine work and fashion design. The school had many ties to the labor movement in New York as illustrated in the landmark murals in the auditorium [see groups images]. As the fashion industry of New York changed so did the high school. In 1956 the name was changed to the High School of Fashion Industries and new majors were added."

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Today the high school stands as a testament to the power of career and technical education. HSFI has hosted educators from Denmark, Austria, Turkey, and Japan in addition to many others from several states within the US. Publications such as the New York Times and Women's Wear Daily have taken notice of our faculty and student work. In closing here is a statement made about the high school after a visit by representatives of the National Center for Research in Vocational Education:

'Students we observed in classes and spoke with in groups were self-confident and motivated. They expressed great pride in their school, respect and admiration for their teachers, ad a strong sense of commitment to their education. They clearly felt a sense of connection to the school and the school family. Students who plan to pursue careers related to the occupational focus of the school felt they were receiving a first rate education for these pursuits; students who planned on careers unrelated to the specific focus felt they were receiving strong academic preparation as well as valuable work skills… The teachers and administration we observed and met were dedicated and innovative…Students told us of teachers working with them before school, after school and on lunch hours….'

This organization, associated with the University of California and the U.S. Department of Education, was able to witness some of the amazing things that are happening at HSFI. We invite you to find out more about what this amazing institution is doing for its students!

REMEMBERING 9/11: SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES ENGAGE WITH CURIOSITY, FAMILY STORIES AND QUESTIONS On this 25th Anniversary of...
09/11/2026

REMEMBERING 9/11: SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES ENGAGE WITH CURIOSITY, FAMILY STORIES AND QUESTIONS

On this 25th Anniversary of 9/11, Social Studies teachers Jacob Trimpe and Emily Lake engaged their 11th grade students in discussion by first asking them to write a response on a post it note to three different prompts:

1 - What do you know about it?

2 - Do you have a personal story about it?

3 - Ask a question.

Emily Lake shared some of her reflections after class:

"Although the students were not yet born, as New Yorkers, 9/11 touched the lives of their families. We wanted to open a forum for discussion by asking what they know through the context of what their parents and loved ones remembered and have shared with them. While many of the stories were quite different, there was one common question that was asked. "Why?"


ICE CREAM ON THE VERANDA! AN HSFI TRADITION "The ice cream social is something we do to build community, boost cohort pr...
09/10/2026

ICE CREAM ON THE VERANDA! AN HSFI TRADITION

"The ice cream social is something we do to build community, boost cohort pride and bring joy," said Lativa Reyes, Assistant Principal of Wellness Teams and Community Based Partners.

The sun came out right on time for all grades to enjoy a beautiful first day of school on HSFI's glorious fifth floor veranda.

Thank you for the delicious ice cream!





DIGITAL READINESS: WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
09/10/2026

DIGITAL READINESS: WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

Shannon Kohn, Assistant Principal of Mathematics explains,"On the first day of school, HSFI students...

HSFI GETS LIT! NEW STUDENTS WELCOME CEREMONIES!HSFI DANCE TEAMS bedazzled new students with stellar dance performances t...
09/10/2026

HSFI GETS LIT! NEW STUDENTS WELCOME CEREMONIES!

HSFI DANCE TEAMS bedazzled new students with stellar dance performances throughout the morning.

Celebrating the HSFI school spirit of Community, the teams took new students on a journey that crossed cultures and continents:

DESI DANCE TEAM

Traditional South Asian music styles, notably Bollywood and Bhangra, were brought to life in "Desi Style."

LATIN GROOVE

Bringing the house down with Salsa and Reggaeton! Afro-Cuban rhythms are blended with jazz, Puerto Rican, and other Caribbean musical influences.

ICONOCLANS

High-energy Hip-Hop and Reggae!

2! 3!K-POP

Originating from South Korea (and short for Korean popular music) this dance team's music genre of K-pop blended catchy pop tunes with hip-hop, R&B, electronic dance music and rock.







-POP

DANCE





-HOP

"WHEN THERE'S A SENSE OF BELONGINGNESS, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN IN THE CLASSROOM." --  Principal Daryl BlankHow many NYC High...
09/10/2026

"WHEN THERE'S A SENSE OF BELONGINGNESS, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN IN THE CLASSROOM." -- Principal Daryl Blank

How many NYC High School principals do you know who stand outside the building every single morning and greet each student?

Principal Daryl Blank is one of them, and he's been doing this for the past 16 years.

Here he is at 7:30 am welcoming our new HSFI 9th graders and their families on the first day of school.

Give him a couple of weeks. He'll be greeting the students by name, too.

This seemingly subtle approach has an important strategy behind it. "We want to bring our students to the greatest heights we can bring them, and that begins by making them feel welcome," Blank said. "Belongingness, Literacy, and a focus on HSFI's signature Success Skills are the core of our mission here."



VOLLEYBALL IS ON, GIRLS!COME JOIN US TOMORROW FOR OUR FIRST MEET   VOLLEYBALL  SCHOOLS
09/09/2026

VOLLEYBALL IS ON, GIRLS!

COME JOIN US TOMORROW FOR OUR FIRST MEET



VOLLEYBALL

SCHOOLS

📸 PHOTOGRAPHERS NEEDED! Are you a current HSFI student or alum with immaculate portrait skills? We need you to capture s...
09/03/2026

📸 PHOTOGRAPHERS NEEDED!
Are you a current HSFI student or alum with immaculate portrait skills?
We need you to capture staff portraits for our 2026–2027 Lookbook!

🗓 Shoot Dates: Sept. 8 & Sept. 9 (12:00 PM – 3:00 PM)

🎁 Perks: Monetary stipend & HSFI swag bag!

Scan the QR code or click the link to upload 2–5 portrait samples.
Selected photographers will be notified via email on Sunday, 9/6.

INTEREST FORM: https://forms.gle/4xBQHYiTcCLncARF7

HSFI FLY STORE IS GOING HIGH GLAMOUR AND HIGH TECH FOR FALL 2026!Business teacher Dennis Jimenez and HSFI Seniors Lilian...
09/03/2026

HSFI FLY STORE IS GOING HIGH GLAMOUR AND HIGH TECH FOR FALL 2026!

Business teacher Dennis Jimenez and HSFI Seniors Liliana Sanchez and Niseiry Elliz-Casildo were busy setting up shop and getting ready to launch an amazing FLY STORE debut of not only high glamour merchandise but high tech business software as well.

"In the past, an issue that occurred was that a student could only do a transaction of 1,000 Fashion dollars at a time, so if you had more than 1,000 Fashion dollars worth of products, you had to do multiple transactions and that was delaying the process. Now, for every student and for every category and every product in the store, it is now set up in the system, so the Fashion dollars are automatically calculated as well as the inventory of all of the merchandise," Jimenez said.

In addition to new HSFI branded merchandise such as coffee mugs, umbrellas, and travel bags, for the first time, the FLY STORE will be carrying a collection of Maybelline and Fenty Beauty products that have been generously donated by both companies. Ms. Weiss helped the store get Yankee hat donations.

Packages of free Hygiene products are also available to all HSFI students!

The FLY STORE will be open from 7:30am-8:30am as well as during business class pop ups.





Beauty

Schools

Designing with Ms. Cissie: Paper Bag Puppets Take Fashion by Storm!One of the absolute highlights of our Summer Bridge p...
07/24/2026

Designing with Ms. Cissie: Paper Bag Puppets Take Fashion by Storm!

One of the absolute highlights of our Summer Bridge program has been the incredible hands-on creativity demonstrated by the CTE Department!

This week, our incoming 9th graders had the exciting opportunity to step into a fashion design class and work directly with the talented Ms. Cissie, who has been a dedicated fashion teacher at HSFI for many years. She guided our new students through their very first HSFI design challenges, inspiring their creativity and passion for fashion!

Under Ms. Cissie’s expert guidance, students were challenged to transform ordinary paper bags into creative masterpieces using fabric materials, construction paper, buttons, trims, and textiles.

Rather than just drawing, the students got hands-on experience with real fabric scraps, learning how to add texture and style to their puppets. From high-fashion characters with elaborate fabric hair to quirky, colorful creatures, the class was filled with laughter, innovation, and impressive design talent!

A Huge Thank You to Ms. Cissie! 💖 - We want to extend a massive thank you to Ms. Cissie for her dedication, warmth, and creative energy. She has made the Fashion Department feel like home for our incoming freshmen, easing their transition into high school by showing them just how fun and limitless the world of design can be. Because of her support, our students aren't just learning—they are building confidence, expressing themselves, and making friendships that will last throughout their four years at HSFI.

Address

New York, NY

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+12122551235

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