Fashion Forward: Lab Renovations and Program Growth are Empowering DU Fashion Students to Design Dream Careers
While putting the finishing touches on a pair of men’s denim shorts that would appear on the runway of ŷַ’s spring fashion show, Michael Hunter saw a fitting representation of the passion for his craft.
For Hunter, a senior fashion design major, the countless hours of preparation for the annual production are comparable to his prior experience as an athlete.
To him, success is found at the intersection of dedication and purpose. And at ŷַ, Hunter discovered the perfect place to become fully immersed in the world of fashion.
“You have to put in the effort,” Hunter said in the weeks leading up to the April show, which showcased the original collections of graduating seniors. “I used to play basketball and it’s the same thing. You have to practice and you have to put in the hours. Just being here, I feel I have the space to create. I have the freedom to create.”
It’s a philosophy shared by other budding designers in the department. And a key reason why the university’s fashion lab, newly remodeled and dotted with brand new, state-of-the-art equipment needed for turning creative visions into garments, is available to students 24 hours a day.
“There is so much work that goes into this,” agreed senior Albina Ikizli, adjusting the tan blazer she described as “elevated office wear” on the sewing mannequin next to her workspace. “Spending a couple hours a day is not going to be enough. Sometimes you have to be here 10, 11 hours.”
That dedication can be felt throughout the Fashion Lab these days—a renewed energy beneath the space’s bright lights runs through it like the stitching on a freshly crafted garment. The department is growing and earning new attention. Efforts are being made to attract more first-year and transfer students interested in fashion design and merchandising, draw additional faculty and guest speakers, and launch a new design class in accessories.
And the program is gaining regional attention, thanks to participation in local shows and the revival of Chicago Fashion Week, a 12-day extravaganza last fall.
“The department is on the move,” said McKinley Johnson, fashion lecturer. “It is a contemporary environment that really does help students find their own voice and their own vision. It’s exciting here.”
Enhancing a Promising Program
Offering degrees in fashion design and fashion merchandising, ŷַ is one of only two four-year colleges with fashion education programs in the Chicago area and one of only five programs in total, said Melissa Fernandez Carr, chair of ŷַ’s Fashion Department.
To further build up ŷַ’s program and prepare students for professional work in fashion design, fashion merchandising, business endeavors, costuming and more, workspaces within ŷַ’s Fashion Lab recently underwent renovations and new equipment was added.
“The upgrades to our fashion lab were driven by the need to provide our students with the tools and environment necessary to thrive in today’s competitive fashion industry,” Fernandez Carr said.
This equipment includes 12 new, modern, industrial-grade sewing machines; fabric dye vats in a dedicated space for coloring fabric; 3D design software; digital printing technology; industrial washing machines and dryers; and new tables and desks with storage space.
The space dedicated to the fashion department has also been reconfigured. The former computer room is now the dye lab, which also contains sewing machines, an area for cutting fabric, and a precision laser cutter for wood, leather, plastic and vinyl. Students have more space to work, machines to work with, and equipment that is easily accessible, Johnson said.
The students are ecstatic about it,” he said. “We are getting more students in the fashion department, so we need more space to accommodate how our department is growing. And these labs are so important for the department, for students to create what they imagine. If they don’t have the resources, they can’t make it happen.”
“President Glena Temple has been such an advocate for our program,” Fernandez Carr added. “When she came on board, she saw that this is a viable program and that we need to elevate it. I thank her so much for how she has been an advocate for us.”
Elevating the program also involves providing students with real-world experiences as they learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry and engage in initiatives that open doors to future careers.
Each spring, seniors design an original collection and produce an annual, professional fashion show at ŷַ. Students also step outside the department to contribute to regional fashion shows, like the Piazzolla Fashion Stradivari Gala, where four seniors previewed their senior collections this spring. A partnership with the prestigious Driehaus Design Initiative has meant further exposure for ŷַ designers, including participation in the annual Driehaus Fashion Awards, while the Fashion Mentorship Program introduces students to professionals in the design and merchandising industries.
“Students have the opportunity to work with professionals in and out of school,” Johnson said.
Forging Trend-Setting Careers
Today, alumnae/i have gone on to launch fashion lines, work for prominent corporations within the fashion industry and teach at the college level.
“What makes my job so fulfilling is seeing what our alumnae/i are doing,” Fernandez Carr said. “I’m especially happy seeing our students continue this passion they have, this love for fashion. And we do want them to come back home and show what they are doing.”
That’s just what happened in October 20