Ornella Santoni
Adjunct
- she/her/hers
Ornella is an innovative and critical thinker who incorporates problem solving and purpose into her designs. Her ingenuity in fashion has grown from a lifelong fascination with the biological processes that occur in nature and the continuous mechanical and technical innovation of humankind. Her inquisitive nature, curiosity, need for exploration, and passion for learning forged her career. Ornella earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rochester Institute of Technology in NY, after which she worked as a research assistant in both the Department of Neurology and the Department of Biomedical Genetics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Ornella then achieved a Master of Science in Fashion Design from Drexel University in PA.
During her studies at Drexel, Ornella was awarded first place in a national competition from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists for the design of an outerwear collection, which featured original prints, origami, and smart fabrics with embedded electronics. Her Graduate Thesis Lingerie Collection earned the Carole Hochman Creativity in Intimate Apparel and Design Award. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree, Ornella worked as an Assistant Designer, Assistant Technical Designer, and an Illustrator Instructor at Komar Brands - an intimates and loungewear design firm. She currently works for QVC as an Illustrator for the Home and Fashion Design Departments. When she is not researching and reading about the how’s and why’s of life, Ornella can be found lost in fabric and music in her studio or outdoors connecting with nature and admiring it’s beauty.
