The challenges of universal design, inclusive design, and the support of sustainability are important factors in both apparel design and fashion retailing programs.
Basic principles and elements of design, including color theory, are introduced, reviewed, and applied throughout the apparel design program. Two- and three-dimensional work, as well as color principles and their application, are studied and used in freshman studio projects. By the completion of the sophomore year, students possess the creative and technical skill sets to execute an original collection of garments for our annual sustainability fashion show and participate in our annual sophomore portfolio review. Students refine and individualize their abilities for visual organization, color utilization, sketching/drawing, and design process in the upper-level design studio courses. Progressing from the modification of commercial patterns to development of unique patterns through the flat pattern and draping methods, students take projects from original concepts to finished products.
The fashion retailing program is designed to prepare students for a variety of fashion-related careers such as merchandising, marketing, buying, product development, retail management, or e-retailing. The curriculum focuses on critical thinking, technical competency, communication effectiveness, and creativity/innovation. Through coursework, internships, and study abroad experiences, students develop skills in product development, market analysis, fashion forecasting, retail and merchandising analytics, and visual merchandising. Students gain valuable work experience working full-time internships during their senior year with major clothing and accessory labels such as Donna Karen, Eileen Fisher, and Coach in cities ranging from New York to Dallas and Atlanta.
The Apparel and Textiles (AT) major offers two concentrations: Apparel Design and Fashion Retailing.
Students in both AT concentrations must take:
- 18 hours of common courses
- 48 hours of coursework for apparel design or 56 hours of coursework for fashion retailing
Apparel and Textiles provides career preparation for students interested in merchandising, management, design and production careers in retailing and/or the textile and apparel industry. Apparel and Textiles is also appropriate for students who are interested in pursuing a wide variety of entrepreneurial opportunities in fashion retailing, textiles and/or apparel.
Required Courses for all AT Majors
Apparel Design Concentration for AT Majors
The concentration in apparel design is planned for students interested in preparing for design, production and management careers in the textile and apparel industry. Students may enhance their career preparation by choosing coursework from such areas as art, business and communication, and by completing an internship in textile/apparel production or design. Accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design was awarded in 2018.
All students interested in transferring into the apparel design concentration at The University of Alabama should contact the Department of Clothing, Textiles, and Interior Design one year prior to enrollment, if possible, to verify transfer credits and plan for a required portfolio review.
Transcripts, student work, project assignments and course syllabi are required at the time of the portfolio review. CTD 241 Apparel Construction is a prerequisite for CTD 245 Apparel Production, which is offered spring semester only. CTD 245 Apparel Production, CTD 349 Compt-Aid Apparel Design, CTD 350 Flat Pattern Design, CTD 351 Apparel Des Thru Drpng and CTD 450 Advanced Apparel Design are not offered in summer school and must be completed in that sequence. Each student will be assigned an academic advisor who will help develop the plan of study.
Fashion Retailing Concentration for AT Majors
The fashion retailing internship is an approved work experience completed during the entire fall semester of the student’s senior year. The internship must be a full-time experience, with the student working an average of 40 hours per week. Students will not be required to come to campus that semester.
| Code and Title | Hours |
| CTD 231 | Sewn Products Analysis | 3 |
| CTD 292 | Analysis & Fashion Forecastin | 3 |
| CTD 320 | Visual Merchandising | 3 |
| CTD 361 | Fashion Merchandising I | 3 |
| CTD 374 | Digital Commerce | 3 |
| CTD 381 | Fashion Retailing Seminar | 1 |
| CTD 387 | Fashion Marketing | 3 |
| CTD 446 | Cult Dynam Apparel Text | 3 |
| CTD 461 | Quality Control for Textiles | 3 |
| CTD 481 | Fashion Merchandising II | 3 |
| CTD 485 | Intern Fashion Retailing | 9 |
| AC 210 | Intro To Accounting | 4 |
| CS 285 | Spreadsheet Applications | 3 |
| MGT 300 or | Org Theory & Behavior | 3 |
| CSM 461 | Manag in High Perf Org |
| 6 |
| Retail Management | |
| Consumer Behavior | |
| Personal Selling | |
| Services Marketing | |
| Promotional Management | |
| Managing Innovation | |
| 3 |
| Consumer Communications | |
| Applied Digital Tools | |
| Advanced Digital Tools | |
| Spreadsheets in Fin. Decisions | |
| Statistical Data Analysis | |
| Total Hours | 56 |
Apparel design graduates possess the skill to both manually and digitally create an original line for a specific target market, articulate the design philosophy underlying the line, execute the pattern work, and prepare the technical flats and specification package for the line items. They are prepared, as a result, to meet the demands of an entry-level position as an assistant designer, assistant technical designer or positions in fashion publishing and apparel manufacturing. One of the strengths of the apparel design program cited by the recent NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art & Design) accreditation report was that students in the program are encouraged to find their own creative voice and point of view as a designer, allowing them to have a better sense of what they value in design.
Diverse career opportunities exist for fashion retailing graduates. Some pursue traditional careers in corporate buying and sales, merchandise management, human resource management, store management, product development and wholesale management. Other graduates pursue non-traditional career opportunities in public relations, entrepreneurial enterprises, and as sales representatives outside the apparel industry.
Opportunity for Positions
Graduates of the Apparel Design program find positions in every sector of the fashion industry. Many develop clothing lines and pursue businesses of their own, while others find positions assisting established designers, and working in the corporate end of fashion.
Recent graduates in the Fashion Retailing program have accepted positions with wholesale apparel companies, buying offices, fashion magazines, and retail stores.
Graduate Success
Graduates of the apparel design program and the fashion retail program are well represented in the most successful fashion houses and companies in the fashion industry. Experienced alumni from our program include the founder of Gurwitch Products, which manufactures Laura Mercier cosmetics; the president of Karen Kane; the president of Sigrid Olsen; and the assistant manager of the Manhattan Coach flagship store in New York. Proenza Schouler, Brandon Maxwell, Jason Wu, Lafayette 148, Oscar de la Renta, Anna Sui, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Macy's, Dillards, Talbots, J. Crew, Kate Spade, Abercrombie & Fitch, Spanx, Billy Reid, Alabama Chanin, Belk, Dick's Sporting Goods, The Masters, Kimora Lee Simmons, Carter's/OshKosh B'gosh, and Walt Disney World are some of the industry businesses that employ our alumni. Some of our students move to New York after graduation, but many find opportunities scattered across the country. The fashion industry is rapidly changing and the apparel design and fashion retail majors at UA also offer the option of entrepreneurship classes to help students create their own brands and pursue their own business ventures.
.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center
