The goal of the BFA in Fashion Design is to give the student the professional skills to take a fashion design idea from sketch to finished garment. Skills taught in the program include flat patternmaking, draping, fashion sketching, industrial sewing and computer aided design. Design development is taught through an emphasis on art research, fashion history and trend analysis.
An MFA in Fashion Design enables the individual to pursue a career in teaching at the university level. The structure of the program is one of independent study, with the student working individually with various School of Visual Arts (SOVA) faculty members. A problem in lieu of thesis and the resultant. The MFA degree program culminates in a gallery exhibition of the student’s work as a problem in lieu of thesis.
The School of Visual Arts is home to the Texas Fashion Collection a museum quality collection of over 15,000 articles of historic clothing and accessories. It is an invaluable resource for the students and faculty of the Fashion Design Program.
Recent BFA graduates in Fashion Design at UNT have landed prestigious design positions for companies such as Dillards, Liz Claiborne , Fossil, Sag Harbor, Talbots, Tandy Brands, Panhandle Slim, Dickies, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Calvin Klein.
MFA graduates typically progress into teaching at the college level. Two of our recent graduates are currently in tenure-track positions in the Fashion Design department at Kent State University.
The Fashion Design BFA program required curriculum includes Intro to Fashion Design an overview of the industry and the career paths within. There are Six Fashion Design core classes which teach Design, Patternmaking, flat and draped methods, and Fitting. There are courses in Industrial Sewing, Fashion Drawing, Fashion History to 1865 and 20th Century Fashion, as well as Computers in Fashion with the Gerber system for design and patternmaking. Professional Practices taken the last semester prepares the student for the job market, with portfolio preparation, job search and interview techniques. Electives in the area include Accessories, Fashion Studio, Fashion in New York, and Internship.
The BFA in fashion design prepares the student for a career as a fashion designer, illustrator, or many production positions in the fashion industry. The program educates students to create designs that are both innovative and current, while being marketable and suitable for manufacture. Students will learn how to develop designs for target markets, while studying construction, patternmaking, draping, tailoring, illustration, computerized patternmaking and fashion history. When students complete their degree they will have all the skills and tools necessary to make their fashion vision a reality.
The Fashion Design MFA program curriculum is based on independent study. The student is required to have a concentrated area of study, focusing on a specific topic in fashion design and its related fields. The minor field of study must be chosen within the School of Visual Arts. Students, who apply for admission, must have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or its equivalent in fashion design, and must have worked in the fashion design industry for at least two years.
The MFA Graduates will be able to effectively teach Fashion Design and its technical skills at the university level; have expertise in patternmaking, construction, fitting, design and draping skills; a well defined philosophy of design; and a strong base of understanding of historic costume. Graduates will be proficient in research methodologies, trend study and predictions as well as presentation techniques.
Li-Fen Anny Chang | Assistant Professor | 940-369-7239 | chang@unt.edu
Marian O'Rourke-Kaplan | Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs | 940-565-4396 | orourke@unt.edu
Janie Stidham, Ph.D. | Associate Professor and Program Coordinator | 940-369-7240 | stidham@unt.edu
Myra Walker | Professor and Texas Fashion Collection Director | 940-565-2732 | walker@unt.edu
Department of Design Administrative Assistant | Betty Burch | 940-565-3621 | design@unt.edu