Aki Choklat brings a wealth of experience in both industry and education to lead CCS’s Fashion Accessories Design program. He has held numerous positions with top-tier, international fashion labels, such as designing a capsule footwear collection for London-based menswear Diverso and consulted with numerous brands, such as Finnish footwear heritage brand Lahtiset. In addition, he directs his own London-based label of shoes, handbags and accessories, including the first bag collection to allow wireless communication between the bag and smartphones via a Near Field Communication microscopic tag. He helped establish and lead the footwear and accessories master program at Polimoda, Italy’s leading fashion school with Ferruccio Ferragamo at the helm, and has taught at the London College of Fashion and De Montfort University. Choklat is also a celebrated author of many design books, one of which – “Footwear Design” – is considered the authority on shoe design.
Aki Choklat is an internationally recognized designer, author, and educator with a global career spanning luxury fashion, creative direction, and academic leadership. As the Linda Dresner Endowed Chair and founding Head of Fashion Design at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, he has strengthened the department’s global presence by building industry partnerships with brands such as Hermès, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Carhartt, and Bottega Veneta, while leading major curricular initiatives—including the three-year BA in Fashion Business Management, the first and only program of its kind in the United States.
Professional Experience
Choklat’s industry experience includes designing collections for international labels, consulting for heritage brands such as Lahtiset, and directing his former London-based footwear and accessories line. He helped establish and lead the Footwear and Accessories and Trend Forecasting master’s programs at Polimoda, Italy’s leading fashion school, and has taught at the London College of Fashion and De Montfort University. In 2025, Choklat was admitted to the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers, a distinguished London livery company, first recorded in 1379, honoring excellence in footwear and leather-related crafts.