What is fashion?
Fashion is the vehicle people use to express who they are and who
they would like to be. Today, the ever-changing world of fashion
is one of the greatest economic forces in the world and the fashion
industry provides careers for millions of individuals in design,
manufacturing, retailing, marketing, advertising, publishing and
many auxiliary services. It is both creative and scientific, with
careers at every point in between.
What kind of education do I need?
Currently, the Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising has over
300 students enrolled in two educational tracks: Fashion Design (Bachelor
of Fine Arts), Fashion Merchandising (Bachelor of Arts). The educational
philosophy of the Department of Fashion is to provide students with
the practical application of both knowledge and skills emphasizing
analytic abilities, creative problem solving, and a global perspective.
Where can I pursue my passion?
Each Spring VCU Fashion students create and produce our annual juried
fashion show. Through the hard work of our students and faculty,
approximately 120 of the very best student-produced garments appear
on the runway. This showcase of student work is but one of many
examples of the quality of the education the students receive and
the commitment of the faculty to the success of our students. It
is a partnership of support, mutual respect and a commitment to excellence.
How can I receive a world-class education?
The Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising also enjoys numerous
field trips organized by the faculty on the behalf of the students
and with the student's limited funds in mind. Domestic trips to New
York City and to the MAGIC (Men's Apparel Guild in California) trade
show in Las Vegas are offered annually. International field trips
are planned for both Spring break and during the summer to such cities
as Paris, London, Florence, Rome, Hong Kong, and Australia. These
field trips are open to students, family, alumni and individuals
from the community at large.
What kinds of careers are available?
The Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising is extremely proud
of the accomplishments of their alumni and the successful careers
that our graduates enjoy. Our fashion design alumni work for such
companies as Armani Exchange, Polo Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, and
Nautica to name just a few. Our fashion merchandisers work in many
different careers holding jobs as fashion editors and market editors
for major fashion publications such as Harpers Bazaar and Lucky,
retail buyers and product developers for the Gap, Banana Republic,
Macy's, Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel and William Sonoma, trend forecasters
for Cotton Incorporated, and as national sales representatives for
Perry Ellis and Creative Enterprises.
Please visit our entire website
to find out more about our faculty, the curriculum, student work,
and departmental events.
We encourage you to visit our campus and I would be glad to meet with
you personally to answer any of your questions with regard to your
educational and career endeavors.
Karen Videtic | Chairperson
kmvidetic@vcu.edu | 804.828.1699
Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising
