The mention of textiles can evoke different feelings and images depending on the audience. A fabric can hide inner beauty when created by an artisan or can be considered functional as in basic apparel or industrial use. Here at LIM College unfortunately at times the mention of textiles can evoke fear! I say that with a bit of humor because LIM College “where business meets fashion” requires all of the fashion merchandising students (70% of our 1500 students) to take a class in textiles and I consider it one of the more demanding classes offered in the Fashion merchandising core program. This class can be very challenging as it requires students to think critically about the textile industry and to learn (memorize) new and exciting information. For the student textiles is the foundation of the apparel and accessories fashion business and without a proper grounding in the discipline you cannot (I believe) have a successful career in the industry. The class is taught in a traditional semester and uses a text book, swatch kit (put together by the students), lectures, videos and guest speakers to deliver the information in a fun and exciting way. Our goal is to infuse information about the textile industry from fiber to finished fabric in a way that will connect with the student and provide the proper foundation to succeed. Alas while writing this blog and through my short lived association with the TSA I see an opportunity to go beyond teaching textiles as a practical science and to hopefully develop a new course that will appreciate “textiles” for their sheer beauty.
Cheers,
Michael P. Londrigan
Interim Dean for Academic Affairs
LIM College
