Jessica Ciarla is an Assistant Professor in the Textiles and Apparel program and a fashion designer with over fourteen years of experience in the fashion industry. Jessica worked in New York City for eight years as both a fashion designer and fashion publicist where she placed editorial coverage and backstage press for prominent fashion houses. In 2009, Jessica moved to Austin and launched her collection CIARLA bride, after receiving her Masters in Fashion Design Advanced at Italy’s Polimoda International Institute of Design and Marketing under the mentorship of the iconic Linda Loppa.

In 2015, Jessica received her second masters in Mass Communications and Journalism with a Concentration in Public Relations. She is the Founder and Social Media Director of TXA (@UTAustinFashion) where she creates and manages content across multiple communication platforms. Jessica is the Chair of the External Communications Committee and spearheads the solidification of editorial placement for the yearly TXA Fashion Show. 

Jessica enjoys mentoring students from diverse disciplines and continues to develop partnerships with industry leaders for collaborative learning experiences. She is dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders by creating course structures that include student-led activities and problem-solving focused briefs. She spearheaded the first-ever TXA 365 Accessory Design, Development and Merchandising course built in collaboration with the design team at Kendra Scott to bridge disciplines from across campus in an experiential learning environment. Jessica strives to bring technology into all of her lesson plans and educate students from both an artistic and entrepreneurial perspective. As a new member of the Steering Committee of the UT Faculty Women’s Organization and founding fellow of the WEL Institute’s Academic Committee, she is dedicated to empowering women across campus. She is the faculty mentor for the winning team of the 2019-2020 President's Award for Global Learning, researching sustainable embellishments for the fashion industry in partnership with academic and industry leaders in Copenhagen and Stockholm. She is currently pursuing a PhD with an emphasis on sustainable design at Iowa State.