Why Kent State fashion design and merchandising programs are in vogue
When someone thinks of going into the fashion industry, the first areas to come to mind typically would be New York, Los Angeles or Paris.
Those in Northeast Ohio, however, have a highly ranked fashion school right in their backyard.
Kent State University’s School of Fashion recently was ranked No. 3 in the nation by Vogue. This is the latest ranking for the school, which includes being rated No. 1 for both fashion design school and fashion merchandising in the Midwest by fashion-schools.org.
So why is Kent State’s fashion school such a big deal?
“This is not just an academic institution, it’s a think tank of research, development and innovation,” said Hillary M. Stone, professor, industry liaison and internship director. “It’s about community and collaboration.”
The first of three phases of renovations to Rockwell Hall, the home to both the fashion school and Kent’s fashion museum, was recently completed, Stone said. The improvements have included more collaborative areas for students and rooms with technology for designing and creating.
“We are the only school in the country that uses STOLL knitting machines,” Stone said. “We are training our studnts to do programming, not just knitting.”
According to STOLL, the company produces flat-knitting machine technology based in Germany.
Technology in general has revolutionized fashion and how students learn and work in the field, said Mourad Krifa, the Margaret Clark Morgan director of the school.
“There are many areas of impact technology has had and is having on the industry,” Krifa said. “One of the most important and fascinating is the idea of knowing what the consumer knows, based on the data consumers leave. They leave information on websites, reviews, comments on social media and company websites. We can use that data and get a better sense of what the customer wants, and what a company is providing and selling.”
This, in turn, leads to less mass production and smaller inventories, and has the potential for creating less waste, Krifa said.
“We can better meet the needs of the consumer,” Krifa said. “Right now, there is a strong focus on 3D and virtual design. You can come up with design of the garment virtually, without fabric, until you get to final steps. There are many, many positive impacts that technology is having on our industry right now.”
A broad range of careers for Kent State’s fashion school graduates
Today’s fashion and merchandising students need a broad range of skills because there is a range of available careers, Stone said.
“Our students need interchangeable skills,” she said. “We are beyond just fashion. We can do automotive design, sports equipment such as sneakers and sports care.”
Currently, the fashion school has about 1,400 students, with about half focusing on fashion design and the other half concentrating on fashion merchandising, Krifa said. He added that 90% of students graduate with a job in the industry within a year.
The fashion design students often aim to work with a fashion company or do their own collection or become entrepreneurs. Many fashion design students, Krifa said, take an entrepreneurship minor.
Fashion merchandising focuses on the business side of the industry, Krifa said.
“They take the idea and creation of the designer and turn it into a product that can be marketed,” he said. “There are many areas of interest and activities that can be done in preproduction and marketing, postproduction and retail. This is an area that is gaining in novelty and innovation, especially with technology and AI.”
However, the school recently launched a third option: fashion and the law, Krifa said.
“This is a new initiative we started this past year,” Krifa said. “… It’s a field that has a lot of impact on fashion and the fashion industry.”
The fashion school has partnered with law schools at the University of Akron, Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University, Krifa said.
This pathway will allow students to understand international and national trade elements, intellectual property rules and copyright laws.
Other highlights in the fashion school include its Study Away program, which requires students to study in New York or somewhere abroad for a semester or for part of the summer, Krifa said.
“We have the only program that requires every student to have the experience of studying abroad,” he said.
Students can choose to go to several places, including Paris, Florence, London, South Korea and Hong Kong, Krifa said. Students typically go on their Study Away trip in their junior year.
Fashion school offers students college campus experience
The School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, Krifa said, is the only fashion school that is part of a public university.
Several students agreed that a big draw is being able to experience campus life.
“I can participate in other university activities,” said sophomore Leah Thompkins of Michigan.
Thompkins said another attraction was the number of minors and fields available, such as accessories and theater costuming.
“When I first came here, I thought I knew what I was going to do,” she said. “But now I want to go into adaptive clothing for those with disabilities.”
Emerson Fry of Gahanna said Kent State’s fashion museum is a great resource for students. Fry is going into historical costuming and has often used the museum’s library.
Molly Swiskek of Alabama said Kent State has a welcoming campus.
“Everyone on campus wants to see students succeed,” Swisek said. “It’s a very uplifting experience.”
Jaerrion Winfrey of Chicago, a junior fashion design student, said he enjoys his classes and especially likes the Design Innovation Hub at 400 Janik Drive on the campus. He likened it to a makerspace.
“It has applications to a lot of different projects,” said Winfrey, who is working on his junior project. “Not too many students know about it. I think more students would use it if they knew about it.”
Winfrey added, however, that he would like to see more help from the school for struggling students.
“A lot of people drop out because it’s tough,” he said. “I would also like to see more diversity. They need to go out to more diverse neighborhoods.”
Gavin Jennings, a junior at the school who lives in the Cleveland area, said he had known since high school that he wanted to go into fashion design.
“It interested me that different brands people wear can influence other people on what they wear,” Jennings said. “Why does one person like Nike and one like Reebok?” Jennings added that he dreams of moving to a larger city like Los Angeles or Miami and eventually opening his own business.
Jennings said one aspect of the college he liked was how much he is able to learn.
Stone said a strong point of Kent State’s fashion school is that students don’t need to come in with a portfolio to enroll. They will be taught the skills they need and more, from the ground up.
“I came into the college not knowing how to sew,” Jennings said. “I’ve learned how many ways you can make clothes. There’s a whole world of garment creation.”
For details, visit kent.edu/fashion, call 330-672-3010 or email [email protected].
Reporter April Helms can be reached at [email protected]
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