Laura Tanzer

Laura Tanzer serves as an Adjunct Professor at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D), creating wearable sculptural art through sustainably sourced fibers, textiles, and vintage findings while integrating photography, fashion illustration, and textile-based printmaking. Based in East Petersburg, PA after relocating from Arizona, her practice bridges artistic creation with environmental consciousness.

Her educational foundation includes:

• AAS in Fashion Design and AAS in Fashion Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology
• BS in International Business/Marketing and MBA in International Business/Finance with Certificate in Environmental Management from New York University
• PhD in Social and Business Response to Climate Change from the University of Arizona

Tanzer's research explores sustainable material innovation within fashion systems, examining cultural relationships through textile artistry and climate-responsive design. Her multi-disciplinary approach combines technical garment construction with conceptual investigations of consumption patterns, utilizing deadstock materials and vintage elements to challenge conventional fashion paradigms while maintaining artistic integrity.

As an award-winning Master Artisan, she exhibits at juried craft shows nationwide and conducts community workshops focused on mending, patternmaking, and sustainable textile practices, emphasizing hands-on skill development and environmental stewardship in creative processes.