BS in Fashion Design
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Student Work
Thomas Jefferson Fashion Design students design for the future of fashion. With renewed focus on social impact and the fashion industry’s historically negative impact on the environment, students explore new ways to make fashion more sustainable and inclusive. In addition to establishing more environmental and ethical practices within manufacturing and production, technological advancements in the industry allow designers to work through design decision-making in real time without producing any physical waste.
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In the Thomas Jefferson University Fashion Design Program, CLO 3D software introduces students to the concept of 3D virtual design as part of the curriculum for upper-level students. Using this software, students design silhouettes in a virtual space on a variety of realistic avatar bodies. Students can input body measurements to create custom avatars with a customer’s exact body measurements, expanding opportunities for greater inclusivity. By adding fabric, print, color, and other garment properties, students can create a 3D model of their designs to see how the garment would look and behave on the body before creating a physical sample for production. This practice allows students to problem-solve and experiment in real-time without the need to create physical garment samples for each iteration. Designing in this way saves time, money, and resources.
Thomas Jefferson University Fashion Designers are the future of fashion. Thomas Jefferson University’s 2023 Jefferson Fashion Design Film celebrates the hard work of our graduating senior students in Fashion Design! This milestone marks a four-year journey of persistence, courage, strength, and professional and personal growth for this class. Explore the inspirations, missions, and narratives behind senior collections created by the Class of 2023.
In your second year you will have an opportunity to participate in the New York Immersion program, where you will be completely absorbed in fashion experiences that occur in New York City through weekly visits to NYC fashion companies and organizations. This exciting program allows students to gain industry insight, while building a network of connections through meetings with professionals in the field. Participating students will also experience New York’s Fashion Week, gaining “behind the scenes” access to fashion shows, and visiting museum exhibitions, art galleries, boutiques in SOHO and the sophisticated stores of Madison Avenue. The semester-long program finishes with a group project, where students produce a concept to present to a major designer.
For the past 18+ years, the Jefferson Fashion Design Department has partnered with the American Heart Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania to raise awareness for the “Go Red for Women” campaign. Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of women, and the red dress has become a symbol of efforts to raise awareness of heart health. Juniors in the Studio IV class design dresses in shades of red or red prints in support of this mission.
Each year, Jefferson Fashion Design students compete in the annual Fashion Scholarship Fund competition, awarded by the Council of Fashion Designers in American (CFDA). The Fashion Scholarship Fund is a national non-profit association dedicated to supporting students pursuing careers in the fashion industry. Each year, FSF awards over $1.2 million to help students succeed in all areas of the fashion industry. Each year since 2017, multiple Jefferson Fashion Design students have received scholarships from this fund.
The UnderFashion Club is a non-profit organization focused on providing education and experience for students looking to enter the fashion industry. Each year, the UnderFashion Club offers an exclusive scholarship to Fashion Design students at its partner schools, of which Thomas Jefferson University is included. This scholarship is specifically geared towards students interested in sleep and intimate apparel product categories, and offers both financial scholarship and mentorship opportunities to the winners. Each year, multiple Thomas Jefferson University Fashion Design students have received opportunities through this scholarship.