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At the apparel design and merchandising program’s “Showcase 2018,” models walk the runway wearing apparel designed by Appalachian students and faculty. Photo by Marie Freeman

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Carly Witt, a senior apparel design and merchandising major, opens the apparel design and merchandising program’s “Showcase 2018” with a musical performance. Witt also performed during an intermission later in the show. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model walks the runway in apparel designed by Hannah Eckersley, a junior industrial design major from Raleigh. Eckersley received the Sustainability in Apparel Design award for her work. Photo by Marie Freeman

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Striking a pose at the apparel design and merchandising program’s “Showcase 2018,” this model wears apparel designed by Katie Sheets, a sophomore apparel design and merchandising major. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model at “Showcase 2018” poses wearing apparel designed by Rachel Stevens, a junior apparel design and merchandising major. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model poses wearing apparel designed by Michele Blackwelder, a sophomore apparel design and merchandising major. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model makes her way down the “Showcase 2018” runway wearing apparel designed by Michele Blackwelder. Blackwelder is a sophomore at Appalachian majoring in apparel design and merchandising. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model wearing apparel designed by Sarah Bischoff, a senior apparel design and merchandising major from Cary, pauses on the runway at “Showcase 2018.” Bischoff placed third in the main show awards and won the award for independent student design. Bischoff said her design was inspired by the impact melanoma — a type of skin cancer — has had on her family over the past year and a desire to spread awareness. She said she wanted to express her personal experiences in a beautiful yet educational way. Photo by Marie Freeman

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At “Showcase 2018,” a model wears apparel designed by Mary Ray, an instructor in Appalachian’s apparel design and merchandising program. Ray teaches Design Studio I and II, along with Sustainability in Apparel — a class she developed in 2016. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model poses on the runway at “Showcase 2018” wearing apparel designed by Matt Moosa, a senior apparel design and merchandising major. Moosa, from Charlotte, was awarded second place in the main show. He said he wanted to create a clothing line that resonated with his liking of the clean and precise look of military apparel, but with a causal feel. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model walks the runway at the apparel design and merchandising program’s “Showcase 2018” wearing apparel designed by Kat Sizemore, a senior apparel design and merchandising major from Mocksville. Sizemore said she derived her inspiration from the sexual revolution during the 1970s, with the goal of embodying powerful femininity in each piece of her collection. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A “Showcase 2018” model poses wearing a piece from Kat Sizemore’s collection. Sizemore dedicated her collection to her grandmother, Wanda Brown, who she said first introduced her to sewing at a young age. Photo by Marie Freeman

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“Showcase 2018” attendees look on as a model walks the runway wearing apparel designed by Meghan Pfohler, a senior apparel design and merchandising major. Pfohler, who is from Statesville, said she was inspired by the eccentric and funky trends worn during the 1970s. Her apparel line is inspired by daywear from that decade. Photo by Marie Freeman

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A model poses before walking the runway wearing apparel designed by Katelyn Shumate, who was awarded first place in the main show. Shumate, from Statesville, said she was inspired by the Elizabethan period of 1558-1603, a time when women were considered property and Elizabeth I declared herself king of England. She said she focused on texture, details and serpents — a then-controversial image that Elizabeth I adopted as her own symbol of wisdom — to bring a modern design to her historic-inspired collection. Photo submitted

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Rachel Marquis, a senior apparel design and merchandising major from Charlotte, waves to the crowd as she poses beside models wearing her apparel designs. Marquis said the inspiration behind her collection is the street style seen in Paris. She will be attending graduate school in Paris and said she wanted to blend her past, present and future into her collection. Photo submitted

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Appalachian’s apparel design and merchandising program presents ‘Showcase 2018’

Apparel Design and Merchandising (BS)
Apparel Design and Merchandising (BS)

The Apparel Design and Merchandising (BS) program encompasses the design, merchandising and marketing of apparel and textile products and provides a comprehensive understanding of the global textile complex.

Learn more
By Meghan McCandless and Alex Jansen
Posted May 21, 2018 at 1:13 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — The apparel design and merchandising program of Appalachian State University’s Department of Applied Design presented “Showcase 2018” at the Holmes Convocation Center Saturday, April 28. The annual runway-style fashion show featured apparel collections designed by Appalachian students and faculty.

Awards, including course-specific awards for Apparel Design Studio II and Sustainability in Apparel Design, were presented at the end of the evening for the main show. An award for best independent student design was also conferred.

Winners for the main show — consisting of all senior apparel design and merchandising majors — included Katelyn Shumate, from Statesville, who received first place; Matt Moosa, from Charlotte, who came in second; and Sarah Bischoff, of Cary, who was awarded third place.

The award for Apparel Design Studio II went to Thomas Norwood, a junior apparel design and merchandising major from East Bend. Hannah Eckersley, a junior industrial design major from Raleigh, received the award for Sustainability in Apparel Design. Third-place main show winner Sarah Bischoff also won the award for independent student design.

The main show of the annual showcase featured the 27 seniors in the apparel design and merchandising program. Students in the program designed apparel collections for the main show in Apparel Design Studio IV, a course taught by Dr. Anthony Wilson, assistant professor in Appalachian’s Department of Applied Design.

Additional work featured in the pre-show included individual student designs created in the Apparel Design Studio II and Sustainability in the Apparel Industry courses, as well as independent student designs created outside of classes. The showcase also featured a brief exhibition of apparel designs by the program’s faculty members.

Showcase judges included apparel design and merchandising graduates Brandon Aldridge ’01 and Kristopher Robin Stevens ’11, as well as Maggie Hendrix Foster, who works for Gap Inc. Aldridge currently works for Sail to Sable and Sea NY, and Stevens works for Stitch Texas.

Apparel Design and Merchandising (BS)
Apparel Design and Merchandising (BS)

The Apparel Design and Merchandising (BS) program encompasses the design, merchandising and marketing of apparel and textile products and provides a comprehensive understanding of the global textile complex.

Learn more

About the Department of Applied Design

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department Applied Design at Appalachian State University fosters excellence in design education, design research and professional placement. The department balances theoretical and pragmatic approaches while exploring an awareness of impact through design decisions on the global community. Faculty focus on a holistic approach to creative problem-solving by integrating sustainability and ethical responsibility in teaching and practice. The department offers bachelor’s degrees in apparel design and merchandising, industrial design and interior design. Learn more at https://design.appstate.edu.

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts

Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
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Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
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