The College of Textiles will have its first Fashion Week April 11-13 to showcase design leadership and creativity.
Fashion Week will consist of different events where students, faculty and the general public will have the chance to experience informative and entertaining forums, fashion shows and much more.
“College of Textiles Fashion Week will bring attention and global awareness to the college, and display what Textiles’ different curriculums have to offer,” Nancy Webster, practicum professor for College of Textiles’ department of apparel, technology and management, said.
Webster said Fashion Week was designed to bring the industry and the University community together; it will create networking opportunities and leadership challenges for students and faculty, while allowing corporations to utilize creative resources the NCSU’s College of Textiles has to offer.
“This Fashion Week will elevate and show innovation as well as creativity, showing people what the College of Textiles has to offer academically, creatively, and professionally,” Nancy Cassill , professor and department head of textile and apparel, technology and management, said.
NCSU’s College of Textiles is the largest of its kind, producing more than half of the textile graduates in the United States each year. An estimated 20 percent of the graduates serve as corporate managers, and half of those are board chairpersons or presidents of their own companies. The college is different from other textile programs because of all the unique educational experience available to students.
“Fashion Week is a chance for everyone to experience the design aspect of the textiles program, expanding the focus from the mostly sience based curriculums of NCSU . The College of Textiles is great because art, science and management coexist in the college, adding a competitive advantage,” Cassill said.
Fashion Week will begin with an opening press conference April 11, followed by an opening ceremony. The opening ceremony will celebrate global relations with guests from Hong Kong Poly-tech, Donghua , Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and London College of Fashion. The show will also feature 12 designs from each of the four global institutes represented, along with N.C . State.
“Along with the new FTD program offered by College of Textiles, Hong Kong and many other universities served as inspiration for this Fashion Week,” Webster said.
Fashion Week will have opportunities for students to showcase their designs during the Creativity/Innovation Exhibits, Designer Marketplace, and at the closing ceremony.
“Friday night of Fashion Week will be the ‘Best of NCSU’ during the closing ceremony. Students selected through an application and juried process will have the opportunity to present their designs during the Color Fusion-themed show,” Cassill said.
During the closing ceremony fashion show, students will show their designs based on the Color Fusion theme. The show will be held Friday, April 13, 2012 in a tent at BTEC on Centennial Campus at 7:30 p.m. All student designers are encouraged to submit their fashion designs for jury into the show.
The Closing Ceremony fashion show will also be a judged event, having judges from the fashion industry. Awards will be given to first place ($750), second place ($500), third place ($350), and audience choice ($200). Deadlines for designer interest applications are due Feb. 24 by 5:00 p.m.
Other events of the Fashion Week include two forums where influential leaders in design and textiles will speak. Speakers include Tim Williams from London College of Fashion, Belk representative Katrina Streiner and many more. The themes of the forums will be “A Focus Upon Innovation,” and “A Focus Upon Creativity.”
“The forums will be great networking opportunities where people will have the chance to meet industry leaders. Lunch will also be included during both forums,” Webster said.
College of Textiles will launch the Fashion Week’s website next week where more information can be found about the week-long event as well as where tickets can be purchased for events.
“The website will go live next week, and it will have all the information to register for all the different events. The website is www.ncstatefashionweek.com,” Emily Parker, director of college relations at the College of Textiles, said.