The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree in Fashion Design offered by Cazenovia College prepares students to work in the fashion industry by developing the technical, creative, and knowledge-based skills they need to cultivate design ideas, create garments, and present their own fashion lines.
 

Fashion Merchandising Specialization

The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) Degree specialization in Fashion Merchandising emphasizes the business functions of the promotion and sale of fashions in the retail sector, and coordination of the design, production and retail functions in the manufacturing sector of the fashion industry.

For more information on the Fashion Merchandising BPS Degree in Management

Curriculum/Courses Offered

The curriculum for both degrees includes all-college general education courses and fine arts courses to provide students with the basis for a liberal arts education and career studies courses in art, fashion and business. The courses, along with internships and trips to the garment district in New York City, prepare students for entry-level jobs in the fashion industry in design and in merchandising.

In addition to the classes listed above, Fashion Design career courses include: Clothing Construction, Fashion Drawing, Fashion Illustration, Apparel Draping, Flat Pattern Drafting I & II, Product Development, Fashion Portfolio.

In addition to business courses, Fashion Merchandising career studies courses include: CAD for Fashion, Fashion Business, Fashion Promotion, Basic Textiles, Fashion Merchandising.

At Cazenovia College students in the Fashion Studies Program enjoy the advantages of small-town life and unique opportunities offered by the Fashion Studies Department to explore the many facets of the fashion industry in New York City.

Fashion Tour Class

The week-long Fashion Tour in New York City is offered each January to provide students with an overview of the fashion industry and to prepare them for internships. Students attend seminars with management personnel at a variety of fashion businesses including showrooms, design rooms, retailers, industry associations and museums. In addition, students tour the famous garment district for fabric and trim sourcing.


Internships

Students are required to complete a six-credit internship in a fashion design or fashion merchandising placement. With the assistance of members of the Fashion Studies faculty, the Cazenovia College Career Services and Internship Programs Office, and alumni of the Fashion Studies Program, interns are placed locally, in New York City and beyond. Past interns have worked with the following companies:

"My internship at Flax/Solitare Showroom in New York City gave me invaluable industry experience."  Crystal Lewis, Fashion Merchandising Major, '06

Donna Harvey Studio
J.C. Penney
Dreissig Athletic/DA Spot
The Limited
Hartstrings
Tommy Hilfiger, T.H.E. Outlet, Inc
Shirl-Lynn’s Dance Studio
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Seventeen Magazine
Ananda Designs
New York City Ballet
Ryan Boyd Salon
Flax Showroom




Semester in New York

Qualified students have the option to spend a semester in New York City where they complete 12 credit-hours while immersing themselves in the Fashion Industry. Courses include a six-credit internship, three-credit Senior Project/Collection class and a three-credit open elective course.
Faculty will be based in Cazenovia with an industry contact serving as an instructor/facilitator to advise students throughout the semester. Class meeting places may include museums, public libraries, and other facilities, in order to expose students to fashion-related and broader cultural venues available in New York City.


Fashion Show

Each April the Fashion Studies Department sponsors a professional caliber juried fashion show that captures the energy and excitement of the fashion industry. The show gives students an opportunity to display their designs to an audience of friends, family, faculty and industry professionals. Students may participate in the planning, promotion and production of the show through the Fashion Promotion class. The show, which also features an illustration display and Senior Collections, is the culmination of an entire year of illustrating, draping, patternmaking, construction of garments, and show planning by all fashion students.





Senior Project

Each design and merchandising major completes a senior project in which they research a fashion industry topic and complete an analytical paper. Design students create an original fashion collection and present it at the annual fashion show. Merchandising majors present their papers in a public forum. These highly creative projects are the culmination of four years of education in the Fashion Studies Department.









Program Director:

Associate Professor KAREN STEEN, is director of the Fashion Studies Program and teaches a Freshman Seminar class, CAD for Fashion, Senior Collection, and Textiles. She is also the key academic advisor for fashion students and leads student trips to New York City and various other sites in New York State. She received a bachelor of science degree in retail management and clothing design/textiles at Cornell University, and a master of science degree in vocational education at the State University of New York at Oswego.

Phone: 315-655-7101
E-mail: ksteen@cazenovia.edu