Department of Fine and Performing Arts
Maggy Francois
Areas of expertise and research: Fashion Design, Costume Design, Stylist, Events, Sewing Technology, Flat Pattern, Branding & Marketing, Apparel & Construction, Trend Forecasting, Portfolio Development, Internships, Film & Stage Production
In 1996, Maggy Francois began her stylish career producing fashion shows for clients up and down the East Coast. With unmatched talent and vision, she launched Maggy Francois, a self-titled special event production company in 2000 committed to “creating the unimaginable” featuring fashions biggest names, Project Runway winner Anya Ayoung Chee & Christian Siriano, Korto Momolu, NBC Fashion Star, Nikki Poulos, Betsey Johnson, Amsale Aberra, Francis Hendy, Jerell Scott, Reco Chapple and Carol Hannah Whitfield & well known local designers. Her ultimate goal was to always increase awareness and bring visibility to the fashion design industry through productions and education. From humble beginnings to soaring above and beyond to achieve her clients her wildest dreams, she continues to turn fantasy into reality and is instrumental in the selection, planning and development of every production. Francois is a visionary with unmatched talent and genius. With more than 20 years in the event planning, public relations and marketing industry, she draws people to brands, causes, events and ideas, by weaving in her certain “je ne sais quoi”.
Maggy also brings visibility to the fashion and design industry as a stylist and casting director for commercials, productions and feature films. An innate sense of style, internship at a bridal salon and styling for several celebrity designers up for a noted career as a fashion aficionado. Maggy François support her clients through life’s many transitions. She’s the curator behind many successful young notable fashion hopefuls by education through design, and she’s also put together the looks for a plethora of other behind the scenes productions, designers and artists. The stylish beauty has worked the set of events & photo shoots for an array of magazine publications, CW Television, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Fox 5, WUSA 9, Old Town Alexandria, Juicebox Communications and more. In addition, she has worked in collaboration with Monte Durham from “Say Yes to the Dress” for TLC Networks & Discovery Communications “Say Yes to the Prom” styling & overseeing designs for underprivileged youth. The show airs every year on TLC Network. Also, you can view her biggest style feature in Glamour Magazine September mega fashion issue and fashion style reporter for Tribune Media/WDCW-TV.
In addition to her love of fashion, Maggy’s passion is education through design; providing her experience as a road map for aspiring students to pursue careers in the fashion industry through Fashion Design programs. Maggy believes “The impact of educating through design is more than just creating clothing, it is fashioning a way of life for young adults to express themselves and their ideas into tangible items.” She has been instrumental in creating numerous fashion industry curriculum guides for educational programs for several organizations, schools & conceived the Project Fundway scholarship for DCFF. Maggy currently owns and operates her Fashion Design Labs creative programs in several community centers.
Maggy led the fashion design program for FCPS and served on the executive board as Marketing Chair and member of Fashion Group International New York, DC chapter, Ambassador for Tigerlily Foundation and a former member of Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts. She is part of Glamour Magazine for the Glamour’s Popularizer 100 community. They chose 100 women nationwide and her first style piece was published in the September 2015 fashion mega issue.
Maggy has been featured in a number of publications including Glamour Magazine, AOL City’s Best, New York Daily News, Ebony Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Black Enterprise, Washington Post’s Fashion Washington, Northern Virginia Magazine, Washington Post, All Things Fashion DC, What do I Wear (WDIW), Washington Examiner, Washington Flyer, DC Modern Luxury, The Examiner, BISNOW, Washington Times, Bellehaven Patch, Connection Newspaper. She has also appeared and dished on fashion on WUSA9 News, Channel 7, FOX TV, WJLA TV affiliate “Let’s Talk Live”, Svelte TV, WPGC Radio, XM Radio, DC Hot Spots, OHMYGOFF TV, The District Dish, Metromix, DC 50 TV, WPFW 89.3. Maggy was also featured in the documentary film “The Politics of Fashion” and recently provided extras for castings, production assistance and event execution for several movies such as “Secrets The Movie”, “Born In The Game”, Couples Night and many upcoming comedy and drama motion picture slated for nationwide releases.
In 2017, Maggy was chosen as "Women of Style" by Modern Luxury Magazine and received the Sunni In The City Award that recognizes women that are giving back to their communities in a major way. Professor Francois currently teaches fashion design as an adjunct faculty member in the Visual Communication and Digital Media Arts (VCDMA) program in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.
Courses Taught and/or currently Teaching:
VCDM 270 Introduction to Fashion
THEA 321 Costume Design I
Site: maggyfrancois.com
Contact: Office: FPAC RM 2227 mfrancois@bowiestate.edu
