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Industry Flocks to Fashion Week

In a quiet corner of library on the fourth floor of the College of Textiles, students are hard at work in a burst of colorful intensity, putting the finishing touches on dozens of multicolored silk belts. The belts are an essential – and striking – accessory to the stylish black tunics students will don next week when they welcome some of the top names in the fashion industry to campus.

This is the countdown to NC State Fashion Week 2012, an ambitious event April 11-13 that the college has been planning for more than a year. If you’re wondering which companies took a chance on sponsoring the first-time event, you can’t miss them. Their logos are printed on a green silk ribbon that runs down the back of the students’ black tunics.

Best of the Best

It’s an impressive list. There’s Ralph Lauren, the signature sponsor; VF Corporation, the largest apparel company in the world with more than two dozen major brands; fabric manufacturer Glen Raven, technology leader Lectra and the trade group Cotton Incorporated, among others.

Dr. Lisa Chapman adjusts the bow on a student's tunic as the College of Textiles counts down to Fashion Week 2012.

“This is a great opportunity for our students to learn from industry, and for industry to see the talented students we have here at NC State,” says Practicum Professor Nancy Webster.

A number of students have been selected to show off their creative and technical skills at two fashion shows. The first, on opening night, will showcase avant-garde works by students from NC State, Donghua University in Shanghai, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Ravensbourne in London.  The second, on closing night, features NC State works with the theme, “Color Fusion.”

“This is the best of the best,” says Webster. “For the students who participate, it’s all about drama and catching people by surprise.”

Focus on Innovation

In between the shows, visitors to Fashion Week can participate in forums on innovation, creativity and design trends featuring experts from academia and industry. And they can browse exhibits presenting some of NC State’s top textile and design innovations. An area has also been set aside for students, artisans and craftsmen to sell their artwork, photography, ceramics, jewelry and textiles.

To register to attend NC State Fashion Week 2012, visit the website.