Dr. Dawnn Karen is a Teachers College, Columbia University graduate and Mother of the Fashion Psychology Field® and its
Fashion Psychology Institute®.
As a Fashion Psychologist and First Black Psychology Professor (at one point the youngest professor) at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she is newly known for creating
the worldwide TikTok and Pinterest trends
“dopamine dressing” leading to
"dopamine decor" and "dopamine beauty".
She is a doubly-signed author to 2 of the
"Big 5" publishing houses- Hachette US and
Penguin Random House UK for her book
Dress Your Best Life, published in 5 languages with 6 book covers. It is currently a #1 Bestseller in Commercial Fashion on Amazon!
See reader reviews!
She receives global invitations to give various speaking engagements at clubs, ceremonies, museums, libraries, high schools, universities, expos, and conferences doing so for a number of years. Her most notable invitations were from TEDx, the United Nations' Empower Women, the Prime Minister of Ukraine for their Kyiv Security Forum, and New York's Columbia University Alumni Association.
The Cut's 'Media Darling', she regularly contributes to major networks and publications in more than 40+ countries across 6 continents. Editorially she has worked with Nordstroms, Harvey Nichols Dubai, Bazaar Kuwait, Iran Front Page,
Vogue Australia, Vogue Germany, Vogue Mexico, Vogue Business, Elle Ukraine, Elle Netherlands, Glamour Italia, Sunday Times South Africa, Essence, Rolling Out, Emotion Germany, Forbes Czech, WWD Japan, Tatler Asia, The Globe and Mail Canada, South China Morning Post, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, BBC News, Bloomberg, Talkspace, the NBA, Selfridges and many many more.
The Guardian's 'Wardrobe Whisperer' she currently works with students, professionals, public figures, celebrities and corporations to assist in "creating an alignment between the attitude and the attire™" aka
"styling from the inside out™".
Fun Fact: She previously worked in the
fashion industry as a formerly signed model, an accessories designer, a freelance writer and a fashion pr girl.
After graduating from the
Cleveland School of the Arts
for vocal music and creative writing
at 17 years of age,
Dawnn Karen began teaching at the collegiate level very young
(at 19 years of age) for incoming freshmen as a Peer Educator (Wellness Connection) and Mentor (TRIO/SSS) while attending
Bowling Green State University.
In the summers, she worked as a
Servant Leader (teacher) for elementary students and later a
Site Coordinator (principal) for
K-12 students both under the
She went on to gain a professorship at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
after graduating from
Teachers College, Columbia University.
There she became the
1st Black
(African American-Jamaican)
Psychology Professor
(since the year 1992)
and the youngest Professor to teach.
At FIT, she has worked as a Professor for
8.5+ years teaching over 55+ classes
to 1650+ students.
See photos with students here.
She has held some of the highest student evaluations on campus averaging
a performance evaluation score of 5.6/6.
See what the students
are saying on the social media platform Rate My Professor here.
Please note although she has completed a master's degree from an Ivy League, she has in total completed
121 credits at the graduate level in the psychology discipline.
Consequently,
The New York Times dubbed her
"The Dress Doctor" after conducting an investigative journalistic assessment to verify how she created a new discipline within the
Psychology Field and the Fashion Industry at large.
PROFESSOR
Fun Fact: As a child she was accelerated a grade skipping
5th grade.
PIONEER
Dawnn Karen takes pride in being an inventor and innovator within academia and the industry owning registrations with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on her
Fashion Psychology Field®. She seemingly owns the 55th Division in Psychology.
Facing many obstructions and obstacles, she is often imitated but never duplicated. Although she has been a victim of academic and industry theft by colleagues, senior professionals, institutions & corporations, she has still forged ahead for several years.
She has appeared in the United States District Court, Southern District, and the Court of Appeals (United Kingdom) testifying to this, entering both legal systems seeking justice and vindication.
To avoid the participation and the perpetuation of this age-old hazing practice, we suggest all prospective students learn from the Pioneer herself, at
the Fashion Psychology Institute®.
Fun Fact: She received her
first and only award for her pioneering efforts from the University of Maryland College Park's WETATi's Academy.
