TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M University (FAMU) is known for producing changemakers, innovators, and leaders across STEM, business, communications and more. But FAMU has also always produced students who create their own lane—one of style, strategy, and self-taught entrepreneurship.

With no formal fashion program, FAMU students are not waiting for permission. They’re creating runway moments, luxury streetwear brands, and fashion movements that are distinctly Rattler-made. It’s not a gap—FAMU is a launch pad.

“There’s so much creativity on this campus,” said Tamia Williams, a broadcast journalism major, fashion content creator, and the reigning Queen of Orange and Green. “And what makes it even crazier is that we don’t have a fashion program. Most of us learn through trial, error and pure passion.”

Even university leadership recognizes the momentum.

“What inspires me most is how our students and alumni are already making their mark in fashion,” said Allyson Watson, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “Most recently, alums like Jeremy Lorenzo, Melissa Mitchell, and Elijah Rutland have made an impression—launching brands, designing collections, and leading cultural conversations—without a formal program. Their entrepreneurial spirit and creative brilliance demonstrate that innovation doesn’t wait for a blueprint. At FAMU, they’re building the runway themselves.”

FAMU students and alums have created an underground fashion network that thrives through collaboration, modeling troupes, and self-taught entrepreneurship, generating student-led support systems such as:

FACES and IMT Modeling Troupes, which offer professional-style runway training and creative production experience. Events like Set Friday and Market Monday give student designers a platform to sell their work. Students also host thrift flips, clothing swaps, and editorial shoots that promote sustainability and creativity. JCPenney Suit-Up and Dillard’s Fashion Show—in collaboration with FAMU’s Career and Professional Development Center—offers exposure to styling and branding.

FAMU’s fashion footprint also offers courses such as costume design and stage makeup, where students can explore the technical side of storytelling and style.

“The designer takes on a big responsibility that comes with the creative process in costume design,” said Edith Carnley, associate professor in the Department of Visual Arts, Humanities and Theatre. “It starts with the story—and becomes something much bigger.”

Williams, who is also a member of FACES Modeling Troupe, Inc., pointed out how much student designers have accomplished without an official program, but wondered what could be possible if one was implemented. However, establishing a fashion major requires more than interest.

According to Janaya Johnson, a spokesperson for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) —the accrediting body for higher education—adding a degree program is considered a “substantive change,” requiring careful planning, dedicated faculty, and proof of sustainability.

“It’s not something institutions should do in haste,” Johnson said. “Academic programs can be expensive to launch, so it’s best to ensure all your ducks are in a row. When schools take due diligence, programs are usually approved.”

Johnson also added that student interest can spark real change. “Sometimes it starts with just one student, and others catch on,” she said. “That kind of momentum can lead an institution to consider developing a full program.”

SACSCOC guidelines consider launching a new degree a substantive change, requiring a detailed prospectus, a $500 fee, and possibly a site visit—costing up to $10,000 when travel and lodging are factored in.

Despite dedicated fashion programming, FAMU alumna Darling Cerna still founded Darlings Galaxy™, a luxury streetwear brand. She holds a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in medical sciences.

“I always wanted to launch my brand since the pandemic,” she said. “But I held off between school and fear of not having enough time. Once I graduated, I told myself it was now or never.”

Her first piece, “The Flyest on the Highest of Seven Hills” mohair cardigan, was created to mark her graduation from FAMU. After months of perfecting samples and finding a manufacturer—with help from a fellow creative, whose Instagram handle is @strikeglobal—she launched her brand in September 2024.

“I want people to feel beautiful, confident, and like money when they wear Darlings Galaxy™,” she said. “This brand is a legacy for fly girls, guys and kids everywhere.”

She credits longtime friend Chazriq Clarke of Chazam Fans LLC as one of her biggest supporters and the first “fly guy” to wear her designs. “Not everyone shares knowledge,” she said. “So, I’ll never forget the people who did.”

Nevaeh Palmer, a graphic design graduate and member of FACES, has modeled across the country, most notably in a Chris Brown music video.

“I never expected to travel or book campaigns when I first joined FACES,” she said. “But being at FAMU pushed me to go harder. The talent here is raw. There are stylists, models, photographers and brand owners who are full-time students.”

The phrase “Styled by Hustle” has emerged from this movement, a nod to how FAMU creatives do everything in-house: styling, branding, designing, promoting, and supporting one another.

“I’ve seen girls sew gowns from scratch, flip thrift pieces into full outfits, or shoot editorials in the middle of campus,” Williams said. “We don’t just get dressed—we build brands. We make space for the next person. We style with intention.”

While some students are fashionistas, others channel their design skills into stage productions, film projects, and even personal ventures—like one student who used costume construction techniques to launch a bowtie line, according to Carnley.

Ti’Mya Fulton, a business administration major, created Stealth Studios, a streetwear brand that reflects her introverted nature and belief in moving in silence.

“I started just because I wanted to wear clothes I didn’t see anyone else making,” she said. “There’s no fashion major here, but my business classes taught me how to think strategically and grow.”

Fulton began building the brand in late 2021 and dropped her first collection in early 2022. “It wasn’t an overnight success—it’s taken years. But I believe in consistency and patience. If you really want to do something, never quit—no matter how long it takes,” she said.

FAMU students know that creativity doesn’t wait for a curriculum, but some ponder what the university’s fashion ecosystem could look like with real backing.

“The process isn’t always fast,” Johnson noted. “But innovation often starts with interest. And at a place like FAMU, students are already proving the demand is there.”

Until then, the campus continues to prove that with grit, God, and a little garment tape, Rattlers will always find a way to strike.

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