Mode expands its annual parade for seniors | Division and Alumni News

April 24, 2024 – DENTON – This year, the Texas Woman’s University Division of Fashion Design and Merchandising’s annual senior fashion show celebrates more than just its senior designers.

In addition to students creating new garments in the Design and Collection Development course, this year's show draws on its courses in event planning, production techniques and retail product management. detail.

“We have generally only shown fashion designer clothes and the work that fashion design students produce for their final training,” said Remy Odukomaiya, MFA and lecturer. “This year we are including merchandising. All the senior fashion design and merchandising students will be showing their work. It's good for the department because it shows a more complete view of what we do, that we don't just make clothing, we are also in the fashion sector. This is the particularity of this year's parade.

“It’s about blending design and merchandising, working together as will happen in industry,” said Anna Magie, PhD, assistant professor and division head. “The designers and merchandisers are all interconnected. That's one of the great things about TWU that other universities don't do. A lot of other schools just design in one program, merchandise in another, maybe -be even fashion marketing in another But we're all of that is intertwined here, so I think it helps the students when they graduate.

The 2024 show, Auras unearthedwill take place on Friday, May 3 on the first floor of Blagg-Huey Library and will feature pop-up shops with window displays and interiors curated, designed and stocked by TWU fashion students.

“They have digitally designed stores with a storefront and an interior, so they are even adopting interior design elements,” Magie said. “They're looking for a target market. Depending on the type of store, they have to figure out how many units of tops, how many bottoms, how many accessories go in that store, so there's space planning. They do planograms (display plans to maximize sales) and design a store logo.

“It’s a full-fledged production,” Odukomaiya said. “It gives design students an idea of ​​what it's like to work in fashion, even though they're only a small part of the industry. And merchandising students understand the full amount of work that goes into produce the clothes they sell.”

“It’s a challenge, but it’s amazing,” Magie said. “It's a very good interaction. I think this year there is also a really special group of students. They get along well. They manage their products, their tasks.”

The pop-up shops will open at 5 p.m., followed by the parade at 6:30 p.m.

The runway portion of the evening is expected to feature 40 outfits.

“Some design students wear street clothes,” Odukomaiya said. “We have a few that do weddings, and one that does menswear. But it's quite a mix, day to night.”

There's another new addition to this year's Senior Fashion Show: industry professionals. Representatives of fashion companies will be present at the show to evaluate the students' work and possibly recruit future employees. In the past, these assessments took place in the Fashion Division's offices and classrooms.

“We have a wide range of industry professionals who come and look at what the students are doing,” Odukomaiya said. “There's been a great relationship between our department and these companies. We've actually had students secure internships and long-term jobs.”

In fact, the combination of design and marketing at the senior fashion show demonstrates the skills the industry needs.

“They look for creativity and marketability in their creations,” Odukomaiya said. “It's a business, and everything you produce has to be marketable. You have to be able to sell it. They're looking for the student's ability to process information. Do you know who your target market is? What is your budget range in terms of of your price points for these items? How do you brand it? Is it attractive to your target market? each business, they might be looked at for something different, depending on the nature of their target market.”

“And on top of all that, once they learn all the techniques, we also try to emphasize skills like project management, critical thinking, problem solving,” Magie said . “There are definitely a lot of issues that arise. Leadership and how they interact with each other. Because think about the workplace. Many students may graduate with the skills to know how to make a garment, but all can't interact well. So, that's our other piece that we're working on very diligently and preparing them for.

Among the students contributing to this year's senior fashion show is Ninna Zarate, a dual major who will earn degrees in fashion merchandising and fashion design.

Senior fashion show: Auras unearthed

Friday May 3, 2024
Blagg-Huey Library, first floor
Retail market: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Fashion show: 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Tickets:
$7 standing
$12 seated
$50 VIP Package

Car park:
Look for ParkMobile signs at visitor parking spaces ($1.50 per hour)

For more information, contact Anna Magie, PhD, at [email protected].