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Kay Bossone

Kay Bossone

A Runway to the Future of Fashion Design

During her career at Saks Fifth Avenue, one of Kay Bossone’s primary roles was organizing private fashion shows in the Philadelphia region. In swanky venues like The Bellevue and area country clubs, Bossone’s events would give fashionistas the chance to preview creations by Oscar de la Renta and other high-end designers.

Although she has long retired from this position, Mrs. Bossone still maintains an active interest in fashion, and Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design has given her ample opportunity to do so. Introduced to Drexel by her husband, the late Edmund Bossone ’48, Hon. ’07, she has been deeply committed to Westphal’s fashion program — ranked among the top-20 in the world — and to the University’s Historic Costume Collection. In addition, she is a member of the Drexel Design Council for Westphal College and has previously served on the Westphal Campaign Committee and on the Friends of Design Arts Board.

Mrs. Bossone credits Westphal dean Allen Sabinson with greatly advancing academic excellence at the College, and she believes the high quality of work by Westphal’s students shows “that they are really being pushed.” She looks forward each year to attending the College’s annual fashion show, which showcases the collections of graduating designers.

“What I love most about the show is the ingenuity of the students; some fashions are wonderfully wild and crazy,” she says. “It’s also rewarding to see how each class is different from the last and to get a sense of what the future holds for fashion design.”

In 2012 the Bossones made a major bequest to the URBN Center, the iconic Robert Venturi-designed building that, in 2013, became Westphal’s state-of-the-art home. Fittingly, their commitment was recognized with the naming of the Kay A. Bossone Fashion Runway, which offers fashion design students the opportunity to present finished garments and accessories to their fellow students and faculty, and for critiques conducted by industry professionals. Extending along the length of the atrium on the URBN Center’s third floor, the runway provides students with an environment that simulates industry standards and allows them to gain professional insight on how to present their work.

“I appreciate the honor of having the runway at the URBN Center named for me,” Mrs. Bossone says. “Just walking through the building gives you a feeling of creativity.”

The Bossones’ gift to the URBN Center is part of their transformative legacy at Drexel. They are among the leading philanthropists in Drexel's history, and the Edmund D. Bossone Research Enterprise Center, designed by internationally renowned architect I.M. Pei, is named in honor of their support of the University. Mrs. Bossone says their generosity has been motivated by her husband’s gratitude for his Drexel education, which he believed laid the foundation for his success as an engineer with the Philadelphia Electric Company (now PECO) and as a real estate magnate. Her involvement with Westphal and with Drexel’s Board of Visitors continues to give her proof positive of the value of their investment.

“I love being in the know about what’s happening at Drexel,” she says. “Each school has so many wonderful students who are excelling in whatever they are doing. It’s just amazing what Drexel has become today.”

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