Two FSU Fashion Design Grads Selected to Compete on Project Runway this Fall

Two FSU Fashion Design Grads Selected to Compete on Project Runway this Fall

Aug 9, 2016

Two recent Framingham State University graduates will compete on the popular reality television show Project Runway, which begins airing Season 15 this fall.

Nathalia (Castrillon) JMag ’16 and Corey Ortiz ’15 graduated from Framingham State’s Fashion Design and Retailing Program.

“I had both of them in my classes and found them to be exciting young designers and really great kids,” says Professor Pamela Sebor-Cable, who is interim chair of the Fashion Design and Retailing Department. “We could not be more excited for them.”

Ortiz was a member of the Fashion Club and Black Student Union during his time at FSU. During his junior year, he received the Joan Murtaugh Study Abroad Scholarship to study in Florence, Italy, one of the hubs of the fashion world.  

“I came to Framingham State because it was so strong in fashion design,” Ortiz said during an interview just prior to graduating. “Financial aid helped me come back every year. I wouldn’t be here without it.”

Despite just graduating this past spring, JMag has launched an online shop where people can purchase clothing she has designed. She started it as a way to sell her senior year collection. Her goal is to eventually create an eco-friendly brand.

Filming for Season 15 of Project Runway has wrapped up and the show will premiere on Lifetime on September 15th. In a recent blog post, JMag described the experience as the most difficult thing she has ever done, but also the most rewarding.

“This opportunity showed me that through hard work, resiliency and perseverance, I can do anything I put my mind to,” she wrote.

Ortiz and JMag were already friends from their time at Framingham State prior to getting onto the show.

“Corey and I grew really close throughout the past few years and although we are very different, we surprisingly get along really well and I'm happy to share this experience with him,” JMag wrote.

You can show your support for Ortiz and JMag on social media using the hashtags #DesignerCornelius and #DesignerNathalia

If you are interested in learning more about the Fashion Design and Retailing Program at Framingham State, visit https://www.framingham.edu/academics/colleges/arts-and-humanities/fashion-design-and-retailing/index

About Framingham State University

Framingham State University was founded in 1839 as the nation’s first public university for the education of teachers. Since that time, it has evolved into a vibrant, comprehensive liberal arts institution offering small, personalized classes on a beautiful New England campus. Today, the University enrolls more than 6,000 students with 58 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences and professional fields. As a State College and University (SCU), Framingham State prides itself on quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students.