Fashion Design Commons^™

Shadow Garments: Costume Creation For Integrating Alienated Parts Of The Self, Mega M. Galvin

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explores costume creation as a narrative-based intervention for integrating "shadow" parts, or aspects of the self that are repressed or alienated due to shame, trauma, or social pressure. Grounded in Jungian analytic psychology, narrative therapy, and expressive arts theory, the research addresses the limitations of traditional talk therapy in accessing somatic memory and proposes costume making as a pathway for externalization and re-authorship. Using a qualitative, participatory study inspired by Pat B. Allen’s Open Studio Process, four adult participants engaged in a three-session workshop to design, construct, and wear costumes representing their identified shadow aspects. Data was collected …

Vestirse Con Un Cuadro”: El Mantón De Manila En La Encrucijada Entre Tradición Y Modernidad En Fortunata Y Jacinta De Benito Pérez Galdós, Ines Corujo Martin

Publications and Research

Este artículo analiza la relevancia sociocultural que adquirió el mantón de Manila en la España de finales del siglo XIX, tomandocomo punto de partida las diversas representaciones de esta prenda en la novela Fortunata y Jacinta(1887) de Benito Pérez Galdós. Como se propone, el mantón, prenda de origen asiático cuyo surgimiento está ligado a la ruta comercial colonial de los Galeones de Manila, constituye en el texto galdosiano un objeto clave para explorar algunos de los debates centrales del imaginario cultural finisecular en torno a la identidad nacional, forjada entre el tradicionalismo y la modernidad. El llamativo accesorio, ligado a …

The Effectiveness Of Workplace Experience Learning In Hnd Fashion Design (Tvet) Programmes: Insights From Host Organizations In Ghana, Phyllis Mensah, Harry Barton Essel, Benjamine Tawiah, Akosua Tachie-Menson, Abena Okyerewa Siaw

Journal of Art, Design and Music

Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) has emerged as a vital component of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Ghana, particularly within programmes such as the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Fashion Design. This study examines the effectiveness of WEL from the perspective of host organizations, recognizing their pivotal role in shaping student outcomes. Anchored in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, the research employed a mixed-method approach, gathering both quantitative and qualitative data from 120 host organizations across the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Western Regions. Findings indicate that although most students demonstrate basic skills in garment design and construction, many struggle …

Independent Apparel Brand Launch Campaign Strategy, Nick S. Schottenfeld

Graphic Communication

Soleil Lune is an independent California apparel brand with an established visual identity, a growing social media following, and a live product collection but lacks a coordinated marketing system to connect those pieces into a unified launch. Without that structure, the brand’s Instagram, Shopify store, and print materials were operating independently, making it difficult to build consistent customer trust or drive sales. This project developed a full launch campaign producing a print and digital lookbook, 10 Instagram campaign assets, a printed poster, and a branded care insert card all designed to work together to tell the brand story, grow the …

Ile Idasile Aso: Creating Spaces That Promote The Creative Economy In Lagos., Ifeoluwa S. Gandonu

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Ilé Ìdásílẹ̀ Aṣọ directly translates to “House of Cloth Creation”. Yoruba fashion is more than attire; it is a cultural system that encodes identity, resilience, and social belonging through fabric. Every textile from the indigo-dyed adire of Osogbo to the ceremonial aso-oke woven in Abeokuta carries a story of community, heritage, and continuity. These materials serve not merely as garments but as living archives that express the Yoruba worldview through color, pattern, and form. Just as fashion weaves meaning into cloth, architecture can weave culture into space. Both disciplines involve composition, layering, and adaptation, reflecting how societies construct and express …

Augmented Reality In Fashion Retail: A Walmart Unlimited Study, Chloe A. Mcpherson

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

As technology continues to evolve, augmented reality (AR) has become increasingly common within the retail and fashion industries. This study explored Gen Z consumers’ perceptions of immersive AR shopping experiences through Walmart Unlimited, an interactive digital shopping platform. The purpose of this research was to better understand how younger consumers respond to AR-enhanced shopping environments and whether these technologies influence attitudes toward convenience, engagement, and sustainability in retail.

A quantitative research design was used for this study. Participants completed the Walmart Unlimited shopping experience and then responded to a Qualtrics survey measuring areas such as immersion, satisfaction, ease of use, …

The World Of Counterfeits: How Fake Sneakers And Clothing Affect The Fashion Industry, Jake R. Watkins

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Counterfeit sneakers and clothing continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, creating a global market valued between $400 and $800 billion and posing significant challenges for both consumers and fashion brands (Cardona, 2024). This study investigates the motivations behind counterfeit purchases, the economic and social factors that sustain counterfeit culture, and the effectiveness of current authentication resources. Using qualitative content analysis of discussions across 4 selected Reddit communities, the research identifies five dominant themes influencing counterfeit consumption: financial constraints, social display, authenticity and identity, ethical rationalization, and functional use. Findings reveal that consumers frequently turn to counterfeit goods due to …

Exploring The Significance Of Hyper-Feminine Fashion Within Gen Z, Riley D. Frymark

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the rise of hyper-feminine fashion within Gen Z and the role that social media plays in shaping trends. Through a social media content analysis, this study explores how hyper-feminine fashion and aesthetics gained popularity and how it is perceived by Gen Z women. The findings suggest that Gen Z associates hyper-feminine fashion with empowerment, agency, and a sense of nostalgia redefining and challenging traditional expectations of femininity. These findings informed a fashion design developed to reflect key themes and design elements identified in the content analysis such as a pink color palette, lace, bows, and ruffles. Overall, …

Anastasis: Slow Fashion, Barbara Bultman

Theses

This thesis explores how slow fashion principles contribute to the longevity and cultural significance of iconic garments. Using qualitative research methods, including historical analysis, literature review, and practice-based design research, this project analyzes and recreates six iconic garments: the little black dress, trench coat, wrap dress, shift dress, wide-leg trouser, and women’s suit. The research investigates couture-level construction techniques, sustainable materials, and timeless silhouettes, demonstrating how these strategies can extend garment lifespan and foster emotional attachment between consumers and clothing. Ultimately, the research concludes that slow fashion provides a practical framework for creating durable, meaningful garments that support both environmental …

A Comparative Analysis Of Jean Sizing And Fit Across Popular Denim Brands, Brooke R. Sterbens

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Denim jeans have been a staple in closets for many decades. In more recent times, human bodies have changed and have a larger variety in shapes than in the past. Brands are looking to create the perfect denim jean for their customer but lack putting in the time and research to make sure their measurement are accurately fitting. Variability in jean sizing among brands creates challenges for consumers to have a consistent fit among different styles and brands. This study aims to examine jean fit through different garment measurement sizing charts across multiple brands at different clothing stores. A quantitative …

Adaptive Leggings For Crohn’S/Colitis/Isbs Patients With A Colostomy Bag, Sarah E. Liebbe

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, continues to rise in the United States, an increasing number of individuals undergo colostomy or ileostomy procedures requiring the use of an ostomy bag (Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, 2023). While these medical devices are essential for maintaining health and quality of life, they often introduce challenges related to clothing, including discomfort, lack of support, limited concealment, and restricted self-expression (Hubbard et al., 2019). Despite growing attention to inclusive design within the fashion industry, adaptive apparel for ostomy patients remains limited in availability, style, and affordability, leaving …

Adaptability From Tv & Film Into Theatre | The Subversion Inspiration In Celia’S Identity Versatility Throughout William Shakespeare’S As You Like It, Emani White

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the inspiration of adaptability skills, pivoting from television and film into theatre, and the potential of unconventional pathways as a catalyst for reconciling anti-traditionalism within the mediums. It offers insight into the obstacles, segues, and adversities faced during the journey of a former athlete turned television and film actor, and into a theatre actor. It illuminates agency as a subversive identity (the disguise), the sacrifice of status, and the need for an emotional anchor of resilience—acknowledging the systemic transitional barriers in performance, career, and education. The paper also discusses the understandings gained from my journey as an …

City, Janina Butz

Theses and Dissertations

Janina Butz observes the improvised support structures holding New York City together at its edges. Looking at the found, cheap materials, spray painted, rusty, drilled, sawed, and haphazardly welded together on the sidewalk. The hard clashes of cheap material and expensive real estate lead Butz to draw a bigger picture of the fraud seams our society is tied together with.

Cannibalizing The American Dream: Memory, Materials, And Manifesting, Juan Hinojosa

Theses and Dissertations

Juan Hinojosa’s thesis explores collage and assemblage through discarded materials, pop culture, and personal history. He transforms found objects into layered works that reflect consumption, memory, and American identity. Moving between sculpture, painting, and installation, his practice examines excess, nostalgia, and the tension between what is consumed and what consumes him.

New Clubs: Taking Roots, Diorama, 1981

Documents

Article with photographs describing the 1981 introduction of four new campus organizations: Delta Sigma Theta, Ascending Voices, Fashion Forum, and the University of North Alabama Film Society. The article is derived from the Diorama, the student yearbook.

Designing Heritage Using Digital Fashion Tools, Nathan Chapman

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Sarah E. Andersen

This collection explores the strength of American women and the systems that attempt to define, contain, and judge them. Inspired by historical power dressing, feminist theory, and the fashion industry’s constructed ideals, the work confronts the Madonna–Whore complex and the policing of women’s bodies. Through American-grown cotton and heritage garment techniques, each look exposes tension between authority and vulnerability, modesty and desire. The final look contrasts the real woman with the dress form and exaggerated silhouette society demands, revealing the impossibility of meeting such standards. The collection reframes empowerment as visibility, resistance, and refusal.

Lily Brenner | …

Pop Art's Influences On 1960s Mod Fashion, Erin Bryan

Create@State

Abstract

I will be exploring how the pop art movement, in particular, influenced the fashion associated with the 1960s Mod style. This style was popular among young people in Britain, as the term “Mod” is short for “Modernist”, and featured bold colors, geometric motifs, sharp lines, as well as slim and simple silhouettes.  I will be creating my own 1960s mini dress, following a vintage pattern from that time, and using fabric that reflects the bright, geometric, and colorful characteristics of pop art, all while documenting my progress. Not only will I be capturing the visual similarities between this art …

Innovator - Spring 2026

Innovator

06 - Message From the President

08 - Time Machine

12 - News

22 - Gabrielle Kemberling ’12

28 - The Oughton Family

34 - Beyond the Seams

44 - Question & Innovate

46 - Ram Roundup

48 - Which Ram Was the GOAT?

52 - Class Notes

56 - In Memory

58 - Trivia

Innovator - Fall 2025

Innovator

06 - Message From the President

08 - Time Machine

10 - News

24 - Nureed Saeed ‘99

28 - Cell Mates

32 - Robert C. Sergott, MD

36 - Working Smarter

42 - Question & Innovate

44 - Alumni Impact

48 - Leeor Gal ‘19

50 - Class Notes

56 - In Memory

58 - Trivia

Innovator - Winter 2025

Innovator

06 - Message from the President

08 - Time Machine

10 - News

14 - New Leader for a New Century

18 - Fashion’s Fairy Godmother

22 - Diploma School of Nursing

26 - Question & Innovate

28 - Alumni Impact

30 - Ram Roundup

32 - From the Washington Ballet to Wimbledon

36 - Homecoming 2024 and Alumni Awards

42 - JCLS Alumni Day

44 - Class Notes

50 - Love Train

52 - In Memory

54 - Trivia