Fashion Design Program Announced for Fall 2025

John Paul the Great Catholic University is pleased to announce the addition of a Fashion Design emphasis within our BFA in Visual Arts, along with a new minor in Costume Design. The Fashion Design emphasis will be available for students entering JPCatholic in Fall 2025, and courses are already being offered for the Costume Design minor.

The Fashion Design emphasis will provide an in-depth examination of fashion analysis coupled with practical design work. Under the guidance of experienced professionals, students will develop their creative talent with courses in digital design, fabric, sewing, fashion drawing, color theory, production, retail and wholesale, and more. Students can expect the curriculum to constantly evolve to adapt to the ever-changing marketplace dynamics and technology advances.

“Within Catholic higher education, JPCatholic is well established as the leader in the creative arts, and we are excited to grow fashion and costume design within our dynamic community of creators,” said Joe Connolly, Chief Academic Officer. “Our campus culture allows fashion design students the freedom to experiment and nurture their creativity. Our vibrant theater culture and our commercially distributed feature films will provide a very natural and collaborative environment for costume designers in particular to implement their craft.”

The program will be spearheaded by Prof. Elena Chirkova, who started teaching at JPCatholic earlier this year with courses on Fashion Analysis and Sewing. Chirkova has over 25 years of experience in the fashion, modeling, and TV industries, with substantial time spent working with models in Eastern Europe and with well-known European designers. She became a professional model at age 14, which led to work as a runway, print, TV, and commercial model. These experiences, combined with her Master’s in Education and Bachelor’s in Fashion, led to the foundation of Dance in Style in 1998, a design company specializing in ballroom dancewear. In 2007, the company successfully relocated from Russia to the U.S. and expanded to skate wear and gymnastics outfits. Chirkova’s creations have appeared in Season 5 of Dancing with the Stars.

“I am thrilled to be setting out with JPCatholic in the launch of this new program,” said Chirkova. “Fashion and costume design are such beautiful crafts; they serve as a unique expression of the human person, and play an important part in telling a cohesive story. The environment here is prime for the addition of these programs, and I cannot wait to help JPCatholic students grow as designers and build a successful career.”

The emphasis will seek to form innovative fashion design professionals with a deep understanding of the breadth of fashion markets as well as the ability to blend their creativity with evolving technology innovation. It will prepare graduates for meaningful careers in fashion such as digital design, product development, retail management, merchandising, personal styling, and costume design for film, theater, and other entertainers.

See Fashion Design EmphasisSee Costume Design Minor

About JPCatholic:
John Paul the Great Catholic University is “the Catholic University for Creative Arts and Business Innovation,” focusing on combining hands-on programs such as film, animation, design, music, acting, and business entrepreneurship with a Catholic liberal arts education in theology, philosophy, and humanities. Launched in 2006 in the Scripps Ranch community of San Diego, JPCatholic relocated to a permanent campus in downtown Escondido in 2013 and has been accredited with WSCUC since 2015. JPCatholic operates on a year-round quarter system, with students earning a bachelor's degree in just three years.