Designer, Nancy Volpe Beringer

At age 58 and the peak of a successful career in education advocacy, Nancy Volpe Beringer found herself at a crossroads. One sleepless night, she asked herself: “What would I want to learn if I was young again?” Her surprising answer? Fashion design. Nancy's vision, grit, and tenacity quickly put her on a one-way path to realize her dreams. She earned a Master’s of Science in fashion design in 2016 at Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, graduating at the top of her class at age 61. By 2019, she was making waves at the Grammy Awards: Her red carpet look for Philadelphia Grammy Nominee Rapper Tierra Whack went viral and was featured in The New York Times. She ended the year by making history at age 64 as the “oldest” designer ever to be a contestant on Bravo’s Season 18 “Project Runway.” As one of the show’s final four, she showed at New York Fashion Week. And as runner-up, she revealed the most emotional, inclusive and sustainable garments to ever grace a “Project Runway” finale. Volpe Beringer’s couture brand specializes in one-of-a-kind wearable art and focuses on sustainability and the needs of the disabled community. Her award-winning designs use innovative textile manipulations, fabrications, and patterns. This spring, she will launch an innovative up-cycled and adaptive online resale platform.