{"id":25389,"date":"2022-03-01T11:41:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T16:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=25389"},"modified":"2022-03-01T11:41:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T16:41:00","slug":"in-depth-knit-education-prepares-students-for-apparel-home-goods-industries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2022\/03\/in-depth-knit-education-prepares-students-for-apparel-home-goods-industries\/","title":{"rendered":"In-Depth Knit Education Prepares Students for Apparel, Home Goods Industries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Sarah Stone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do a pair of socks, a lampshade, a sweater and an athleisure set have in common? They\u2019re all products made by textile design<\/a> students for their Knit Level 2 course (FTD 476). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each fall, senior textile design students take FTD 476 as a final preparation in knitwear before participating in their capstone Senior Emerging Designer Showcase<\/a>. For their final project, students research, design and develop an apparel or home product using any knit technique and structure they choose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"fabric<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Associate Professor Lisa Chapman<\/a>, who teaches the course, says this required research is what sets the college\u2019s textile design degree apart as an industrial design program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThrough FTD 476, students are learning how to understand the niche market. Whether they choose a home or apparel category, they have to complete a fairly in-depth analysis of that market,\u201d Chapman says. \u201cThat means understanding the price points, the types of fibers and yarns that are most appropriate, and the retail outlet for their product. Who would buy this product and why? They learn to keep that voice of the consumer front and center.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as important to applied design is manufacturability. In this course, Chapman says students have to learn to adapt if their initial design idea wouldn\u2019t be feasible to produce to scale using available technology and materials. In order to do that, they have to have a deep understanding of the material and how different fibers or yarn properties could impact their intended end product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents work a lot with simulation and computer-aided design tools to let them assess the knit along the way,\u201d Chapman explains. \u201cSo they’re looking at actual needle action, and they\u2019re understanding, for example, \u2018If I did one design versus another, would I save time on the knitting machine and would it be more efficient to knit?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"sample<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The open-ended, critique-heavy nature of the course\u2019s final project is specifically geared towards preparing textile design seniors for the Emerging Designer Showcase. In this capstone program, designers spend six credit hours developing their own cohesive, showroom-ready collection of textile products. Students were required to create a number of samples for each potential design. Chapman says familiarizing them with this process will help these students succeed at creating more innovative products for their showcase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese students will leave the Wilson College of Textiles with probably the most in-depth knit design education available in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about a few of the senior\u2019s final projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brianne Haas \u2013 Women\u2019s Apparel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"closeup<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brianne Haas designed a knit matching athleisure set targeted towards women in the older Gen Z or younger Millennial generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLICK IMAGE TO EXPAND<\/h6>\n\n\n\n