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Fashion DesignOffice: Sharp building, 10th floor A strong fine arts background is an essential asset in fashion design. Students are encouraged to explore as many of the fine arts and design areas as possible. Knowledge of painting, architecture, fiber, and sculpture is often reflected in the work of students. The department houses a Fashion Resource Center containing a library of fashion and history of costume books; foreign and domestic publications; videotapes of American, European, and Japanese collections; and a growing collection of international designer garments and accessories. Facilities include excellent industrial grade equipment and access to all shops and studios at the School. The museum has excellent resources, including the Department of Textiles and major exhibitions that have an important influence on fashion. The Chicago Historical Society, which has one of the finest collections of historical costume in the United States, is also an important resource. Designers with international reputations such as Karl Lagerfeld, Ungaro, Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Zandra Rhodes, Isaac Mizrahi, and Issey Miyake lecture to students. Visiting designers and craftsmen conduct special workshops and seminars, and students participate in national and local design competitions. Each year, the senior class travels to New York to meet with fashion and accessory designers, designer alumni/ae, and other professionals in the fashion field. Seniors also may qualify for internships as a part of the senior design program in New York, Paris, Milan, or London. In recent years, students have interned with Moschino, Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Vivenne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Gemma Kahng, Donna Karan, Geoffrey Beene, Anna Sui, Betsy Johnson, Nicole Miller, and Cynthia Rowley. The annual fashion performance provides a major focus of activity. Students create and construct the garments, select accessories, and do the fittings on professional models. This show attracts the attention of the fashion community, the press, and the public, who recognize outstanding student work. Graduates in fashion have had success as designers in Chicago, New York, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Milan, and Paris, as well as in related fields
such as costume design, fashion illustration, photo styling, fashion
display, and costume and textile restoration. The department's main
objective is to prepare students for new developments in the field of
fashion. |
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A designer must be aware of the important aesthetic, social, and technical
forces of our time. Fashion students are exposed to influences and issues
that must be understood in order to achieve an informed, imaginative,
and professional approach to the creation of fashion. Students are given
a foundation in drawing, draping, pattern making, construction, fabric
selection, and the refinement and presentation of design ideas. Other
sources of information and inspiration that influence the development
of fashion are investigated. 