Fashion Design and Merchandising

Curriculum Guide

View and download a copy of the Fashion Design and Merchandising

Spotlight

Fashion Design and Merchandising Organization (FDMO): FDMO is a student group with several annual activities. Find out about the group's latest events.

Dorothea June Grossbart Historic Costume Collection: This collection is the result of collaboration between the University Libraries and the Fashion Design and Merchandising program of the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts.

Faculty

Heather McCali: (MFA) Assistant Professor in Fibers and Fashion Design and Merchandising
Margaret Hull: (MFA) Lecturer in Fashion Design and Merchandising
Roslyn Karamoko: (BA) Lecturer in Fashion Design and Merchandising

Program Description

The Fashion Design and Merchandising program offers a professional concentration in the fields of Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising. The Apparel Design curriculum enables student development in conceptual and technical aspects of clothing design from material testing and ideation to finished garment. Studios and labs are well-equipped to provide students the space and tools necessary to explore materials and forms that fulfill their design goals. The Fashion Merchandising option promotes understanding and practical skills related to the buying and selling of fashion products and their development. Instructors bring a range of professional experience to program courses and are active participants in creative fields. Guest lecturers share relevant experience with students and offer networking, internship, and other opportunities in design, fashion journalism, and styling, among other career paths.

Mission

To provide interdisciplinary training that combines skills in fine arts and design with technical training in Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising fields.
To address aesthetic, behavioral, historic, cultural, and marketing aspects of Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising.
To promote professional practices including portfolio development to prepare students for careers in the fashion industry.
To engage in critical dialogue about the role of fashion in contemporary culture.
To challenge students to consider how they might respond to and positively impact the world of fashion.

Facilities / Equipment :: Fashion Design and Drafting Lab; Textile Performance Testing Lab; Digital and Physical Costume Collection; Sewing Lab with Sergers, and Industrial and Non-Industrial Sewing Machines; Computer-Aided Drawing Software; iPads with Apple Applications for design work; Computer Lab with Adobe Software; Dress Forms; Gravity Irons; Steamers
Techniques: Study of Fibers; Study of Fabrics; Visual Merchandising; Product Development; Textile Testing; Garment Construction including Tailoring, Flat Patterning, Draping and additional advanced construction techniques; Machine Sewing; Ideation and Conceptual Development; Fashion Illustration; Group/Individual Critiques; Portfolio Development

What can you do with a degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising? Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising majors working in related professions include: Apparel Designer, Accessory Designer, Costume Designer, Fashion Designer, Textile Designer, Display Coordinator, Fashion Stylist, Personal Shopper, Visual Merchandiser, Retail Manager, Textile Performance, Consumer Behavior, Trend Forecasting, Fabric Buyer, Fashion Journalist, Contemporary Business Technology. For more careers in this field, speak to your academic advisor or the FD&M area coordinator.