Mr. Emil J. DeJohn, a longtime resident of Wyncote (Cheltenham Township), university professor, and celebrated fashion designer, passed away on June 24. He was 88.
Mr. DeJohn attended John Bartram High School, then went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from University of the Arts where he received the prestigious “Critics Senior Design citation” his senior year, his obituary said. He got his start in the industry working as a fashion illustrator at The Philadelphia Bulletin.
A resident of Wyncote for 57 years, Mr. DeJohn “was an influential designer of his time working for Bill Blass, Jean Scott, Jones New York, Schrader Sport, Eagle’s Eye, OshKosh B’Gosh, and even his own label ‘Alex by Emil DeJohn’,” his obituary said. “He was chosen to design the Just Say No (to drugs)’ garment collection for Nancy Reagan which is now featured in the Smithsonian.”
He dressed such celebrities as Barbra Streisand and Julie and Tricia Nixon.
He was chairman of fashion design at Moore College of Art and Design, director of the fashion design department at Drexel University, and professor of fashion design at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, his obituary said, during which time he was awarded the David Yurman Angel Award, The Charlie Scott Award for Excellence, The Crystal Award for Excellence, and Teacher of The Year, among others.
Mr. DeJohn was also involved in many non-profit organizations and volunteered and gathered fundraising gifts for Ronald McDonald House, Children’s Crisis Center, and Crossing the Finish Line.
Services were held on Thursday, July 2 in Ambler and Cheltenham.
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