Fashion Students Create Second Acts

ALUMNI NEWS

in ‘Look Again’ product development class.

facturers, says Elise Thayer, M.B.A., program director for the College’s fashion design program.

garments. With the world being as it is now, the question is, how do we recycle and renew pieces to take them beyond the initial shelf life.” The Look Again project was Students are partnering with local conpart of a sustainability class signment shop The Key to re-create garoriginally taught at the College ments that would overwise end up in the from 2004 to 2007 by alumna landfill. In the fall, they studied product and former adjunct professor development principles and conducted Photo: Alix Pfisterer Laura Pirkl ’94. Now a freelance designer and design direc tor of JES Apparel in DeWitt, New York, Pirkl has 28 years research on styles, silhouettes, target markets, trend and color forecasting, and customer demographics. This semester they are using their knowledge to design Laura Pirkl ’94 and Instructor Elise Thayer of experience in the fashion and market fashions for The Key. industry, including 13 as design director for American Fashion Network. Having a sustainability focus in their

It’s no surprise that students in She served as a consultant for this year’s portfolios is an advantage for program Cazenovia’s fashion design and fash- Product Development class. graduates because companies are keen ion merchandising classes are learn- to hire people with those skills now, ing about one of the fashion industry’s While that first sustainability course was according to Thayer. “What is important newest trends. What is a bit unusual is a bit ahead of the curve, growing social in this project is that they are learning that, rather than creating new clothing, concerns about climate, the economy how fashion can play out in the circular they are restyling existing garments to be and consumerism have changed how economy. The Look Again project will useful and trendy again while upholding many people view the manufacturing connect students to the global concept fashion sustainability standards. and purchase of clothing now, Thayer of sustainability and, in turn, help them says. “Today, this is even more relevant in their future fashion careers.” That is a component increasingly on the with people at home due to COVID, minds of both consumers and manu- co-crafting, and reworking their own