Anna Sui. Oscar de la Renta. Ralph Rucci – Kent State University School of Fashion has nurtured the world’s most iconic fashion designers with its specialised programs and unique resources like the TechStyleLAB, dedicated fashion library, and fashion museum.
Kent State University School of Fashion
From experimental garment design and wearable technology to sustainable business strategies and fashion media, Kent State University School of Fashion prepares the next generation of creative leaders with access to specialised resources. The TechStyleLAB is equipped with digital design and production technologies; a fashion library houses 4,000 print and multimedia titles; and the Kent State University Museum has one of the largest fashion- and design-focused collections in the country.
Within this unique environment, students have access to a curated selection of specialized fashion programs tailored to the realities of the industry. Whether it’s the creative Fashion Design BFA, the business acumen of the Fashion Merchandising BSc, or the industry-shaping vision of the Master of Fashion Industry Studies, each program is designed to give students a competitive edge.
Students will also expand their creative vision with study-away opportunities in New York, Florence, Paris, London, Germany, South Korea, Hong Kong and LA. A member institution of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes, and National Association of Schools of Art and Design… let’s look at how Kent State University School of Fashion is preparing students for a career in fashion—from concept to collection, and runway to retail.
Fashion Design, BA
The Fashion Design Bachelor of Arts degree prepares students for a career in fashion. They will develop technical skills, explore creative problem solving and grow an understanding of the challenges in the industry. The B.A. degree in fashion design offers a diverse art experience; students can create designs for everything from wearable technology applications to knitwear and accessories.
During the program, students will learn about three key stages of fashion design: conceptual, technical ,and production.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Fashion Design integrates conceptual, technical and production design knowledge and skills, leading to a synthesis of the design process from concept to production. These processes include color, design and trend research; technical sketching and rendered illustration; pattern-making and garment construction; appropriate fit and fabric selection; sustainable methods and the ability to communicate specifications for production using industry standards appropriate to specific markets.
The B.A. degree in Fashion Design promotes an emphasis on the diversity of studio practice and liberal art experiences with the most up to date technology applications. Students have the option to select specialties such as wearable technology applications, sustainable development and design, garment knitting, illustration, and accessory design. The degree program prepares students for professional careers by developing technical competency, creative problem solving and conceptual understanding.
Fashion Merchandising, B.Sc
Kent State University School of Fashion
The Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising allows for students to acquire a thorough background in the business aspects of the fashion industry; they develop competencies in fashion theory, retail operations, management and buying, fashion forecasting and promotion, the merchandising for apparel manufacturing and the development and marketing of fashion goods. By the time they graduate, students will have the skills needed for a variety of business roles in the industry.
Students in the Fashion Merchandising major have the opportunity to enrol in the combined degree program with the Master of Business Administration degree, which allows high-achievers early admission into graduate school.
Students enrolled in the combined degree program complete a maximum of nine credit hours of graduate-level coursework for the M.B.A. degree during their senior year. This allows a student to accelerate their completion of the M.B.A degree after being awarded their undergraduate degree. To be eligible for the combined degree program, students must complete 90 credit hours in Fashion Merchandising with a 3.300 grade point average. Upon achieving these requirements, students can submit an admissions application to the M.B.A. program by the set deadline.
Fashion Media, Minor
The Fashion Media minor is for students studying either fashion merchandising or a major in the school of media and journalism. For fashion merchandising students, the minor better prepares them to understand their industry from the media perspective. For media and journalism, the minor exposes them to the fashion publishing industry to better prepare them for work in this business.
Kent State University School of Fashion
Fashion Design, BFA
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design integrates conceptual, technical and production design knowledge and skills, leading to a synthesis of the design process from concept to production. These processes include color, design and trend research; technical sketching and rendered illustration; pattern-making and garment construction; appropriate fit and fabric selection; sustainable methods and the ability to communicate specifications for production using industry standards appropriate to specific markets.
The degree program prepares students for professional careers by developing technical competency, independent problem solving and conceptual understanding necessary for the challenges of a career in the creative industries. Students develop portfolios for presentation at industry interviews and are prepared to be strongly competitive for any entry-level design position in the industry.
The B.F.A. degree in Fashion Design engages students in a focused-study thesis project (collection development) as a capstone experience that results in submitting their collection for formal review by faculty and industry designer-critics, followed by public presentation in a fashion venue and completion of a thesis “magazine” (print collateral).
Master of Fashion Industry Studies – M.F.I.S
Leading the way to create a more sustainable global fashion industry, the Master of Fashion Industry Studies is designed to help students work on projects with local, regional, national and global fashion companies to gain real world industry experience. The following courses are required as part of the degree — Research Methods in the Fashion Industry where students learn techniques to research into pragmatic solutions for industry challenges and Fashion Systems Thinking and Global Consumers in the Fashion Industry which teaches students how to navigate the fashion industry with a sustainable perspective and global mindset.
The Master of Fashion Industry Studies addresses the interdisciplinary character of practice within the fashion industry. The major leads to an initial master’s degree for the academic advancement of students to engage in learning and experiences applicable to the fashion industry. The curriculum prepares students with critical and analytical skills to address industry challenges, integrating historical and theoretical knowledge while emphasizing effective communication, environmental responsibility and a global perspective.
Kent State University’s Master of Fashion Industry Studies is ranked among the top Universities in the US. As part of the degree program, students complete a fashion industry practicum during the first summer, which counts as a 3-credit course. This hands-on experience with local and regional companies prepares them for a career in fashion. Students can refer to this work-based experience on their résumé, while companies benefit from access to fresh talent when they need it.
“Two months after graduating, I was able to secure a position working full-time with an online-only men’s clothing brand – Bearbottom Clothing. My daily tasks include social media campaign coordination and planning in-person or content creator photoshoots. I’m primarily assisting the brand with the creation of marketing materials like emails and social media posts,” says graduate Siera Terry, M.F.I.S., ’20.
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
