Another Feather in Harold Koda’s Fashion Hat: Pratt Institute Bestows Lifetime Achievement Award on Former Costume Institute Curator

What’s not to love about Harold Koda? As former curator of The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and some of the most exquisite exhibits ever experienced — Dangerous Liaisons (one of his faves), Charles James: Beyond Fashion (one of my faves) and Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations, he’s a humorous, humble soul who loves the collaborative process. After all, his career at the Met has involved working with people like Diane Vreeland and Anna Wintour. He also gives the most flattering compliments (I was completely honored and floored by his favorable attention to my Collection 13 bone pendant!).

Award presentation from good friend Simon Doonan

Koda’s dear friend Simon Doonan presented the iconic fashion intellectual with the Pratt Institute’s Lifetime Achievement award this past Thursday night, after the school’s Class of 2016 fashion show. Honestly, I was blown away by the students’ runway presentation, which included some of the most creative and talented student fashion moments I’ve had the opportunity to view. Seriously.

Fashion Whirled Contributing Fashion Editor and colleague Olga Vi was able to catch up with Mr. Koda prior to the awards step-and-repeat, where she learned that his move into his career was accidental, along with his sage advice to students for career success. “There’s no one way to go about it. I’ve thought about this for my presentation tonight. If you’re going to be a designer or do anything to be successful, just do what you love. Because at the end of your career, the only things you’re going to regret is that you wasted your time. But if you do what you love, you enjoy it. It’s the most important thing for everybody!”

Congratulations from all of us at Fashion Whirled!