San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Kansas City and Phoenix are all places fashion designer Maria Behnen has called home. Currently, she teaches at Arizona State University’s Fusion on First, an apartment community and entrepreneurial incubator that helps students master their crafts, from architecture to fashion design. “It’s very rewarding to give back and help ASU grow the fashion program,” Behnen says. It’s a full-circle moment for the designer: She found her love for fashion in her own college days at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She’s since created four of her own collections, run shows at New York Fashion Week, and worked with Tory Burch and Gwen Stefani on their collections. “I just love creating,” she says. Now, Behnen is teaching the next generation at ASU through design classes and capstone programs. mariabehnen.com
