Having sewn her whole life, Manny Katz branched away from fashion when she finished high school to pursue a degree in journalism. After attending the University of Pittsburgh for a year, Katz determined that the best path for her education was to transfer to SUNY Oneonta to be a dual major in Fashion and Textiles and Media Studies.
Three years later, Katz finished her bachelor’s degree and was heavily involved in both fashion and media-related activities around campus, including taking third place in traditional scene during the annual Student Fashion Society Fashion Show. Having graduated in May 2025, Katz is pursuing her MA in Fashion Design with a concentration in Women’s Wear at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Why SUNY Oneonta?
That's a funny story because I am a transfer student. Initially, like fresh out of high school, I went to the University of Pittsburgh. Then I tried journalism school. I had been sewing my whole life, and I didn't feel like sewing anymore, so I tried journalism school, and journalism school chewed me up and spit me back out. I really wanted to go back to fashion school, and I found SUNY Oneonta.
Favorite Class?
I've had a lot of favorite classes because the Fashion and Textiles program is incredible. Right now, I'm taking Textile Science, and I love Textile Science! I took Innovations in Wearable Art, and that was one of my favorite classes I've ever taken. It was really difficult, but in the end, I managed to make a collection. It was my first collection back in fashion school, and it means so much to me. I also really like I liked Fashion Journalism because it combined both of my majors in a really great way.
In Innovations in Wearable Art, you create two outfits out of recycled materials, and then you create two ready-to-wear outfits based on those. I used old soybean bags and coffee bean bags that I got from Home Depot that were really discounted because they were from the area. I created two outfits with them, which was probably the hardest thing I've ever done just because that fabric is really difficult, it was my first year back in fashion school and I wasn't working with conventional fabric.
So, it was a lot for me. At the end, I got third in the Fashion Show, and I was just really happy. I was ecstatic that I was back in fashion school that just felt right. It pushed me to go further with everything. Last year, did a collection called Tamagotchi, and I did that with Dr. Nathan Osmond, who's a professor in Music Industry as an independent study. We’ve been working together for semester and a half. He's working with me on this collection that I have coming up for this show as well.
I think that's one of the reasons I love SUNY Oneonta the most, because you have so many different people on campus, and every single one wants you to succeed. They care about what you're interested in. This year, I didn't even say to Dr. Osmond, “let's do another independent study.” He said to me, “I'm having so much fun. Let's do it again!” I'm learning from a professor; he's learning from me. It's incredible.
Best Experiences?
I love almost everything that I do on campus. I work at the radio station, and I love doing my show every Tuesday. I met my best friends on campus in my first year. We lived across the hall from each other, so that was awesome. My partner and I lived next door to each other in Ford. I also love doing the Fashion Show every year.
My Activities
I am the program director at WONY Radio. I've been a DJ there for three years, and I love college radio, and I love WONY. I am the Vice President of Student Fashion Society. We do lots of fun events, especially the Fashion Show at the end of the year. We've been really hard at work on that. I do have an internship, which I also love. I've been doing it for a year now. I work downtown at the underground attic with my boss, Liz McElroy, and she's incredible. I feel really lucky that she hired me. I could not thank her for all the knowledge and experience that she's given me.
Advice For New Students
I always say the best advice is to keep an open mind because genuinely, you don't know what you're going to find and you don't know what you're going to like, and you don't know what even a club could end up as your career and something that you're really passionate about. Don't be opposed to anything. Say “yes,” try it, and if it's not for you, then it's not for you. You’ll find that out along the way, but it's important that you try.
Remember Most About Your Time Here
Every single class that I've taken in that major is incredibly memorable in its own way. I've learned so much, and I have taken all the skills that I've learned and applied them in my regular life as well as my professional life and soon to be further academic life. As well as the shows. Genuinely, I think that doing the Fashion Show and being a part of SFS and being a part of or taking Innovations in Wearable Art has changed me as a person and as a designer there because I don't think that if I did initially go to fashion school, I would have any of the passion or the drive to do what I do now.