Nicola Watson, PMP

Founder & Director, Le Fashion Lab

Nicola Watson is a fashion industry professional, educator, and entrepreneur with extensive experience spanning apparel design, curriculum development, and educational leadership. She holds a Master of Arts in Fashion from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Her professional background includes designing multimillion-dollar apparel brands for major retailers, including Target and Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as helping launch independent fashion brands from initial concept through product development and market introduction.

Nicola’s teaching experience includes serving as a Fashion Instructor for SCAD’s Community Education Department, Adjunct Faculty in the Art/Fashion Department at Clark Atlanta University, and Guest Lecturer in Fashion and Marketing at Bauder College. She is also the author of Fashion Designer Career Guide: Insider Tips for Fashion Career Planning.

In 2009, Nicola founded Le Fashion Lab with a vision to make professional fashion education more accessible, practical, and responsive to the needs of aspiring designers and apparel professionals. She developed the school’s original curriculum and instructional approach, emphasizing hands-on technical training, small class sizes, and flexible learning opportunities.

Under her leadership, Le Fashion Lab has evolved into a nationally accredited postsecondary institution offering in-person and synchronous online Fashion Design & Garment Construction programs. Her work encompasses educational program design, institutional development, faculty leadership, and the creation of industry-focused learning experiences that connect technical education with professional opportunities.

Through Le Fashion Lab, Nicola continues to advance her vision of providing accessible, high-quality fashion education while strengthening pathways to entrepreneurship, workforce development, and careers in the apparel industry.