Constance Atton | Lariat Photographer
By Elly Spencer
Reporter
Baylor’s apparel design and merchandising students will soon have the chance to bring their designs to life with the latest software in visual fashion design.
Fashion-design majors entering the spring semester of their senior year work with fabric design and bring their imagination and creativity to the forefront using the new Optitex 3D software.
Students put their designs on a 3D avatar, displaying what the clothes will look like on the body. Students can choose the height, weight, skin color and even the hair color of the avatar wearing their designs.
The software holds many benefits and advantages for Baylor fashion students, one being it allows students to have faster, more efficient work.
“For the design students, their first sample will be of better quality, because they’ll be able to see mistakes on the avatar,” said Jaynie Fader, apparel design and merchandising senior lecturer. “Merchandising majors will also find the software extremely helpful because of the marketing aspect.”
Academy Sports and Outdoors donated the funds for the software this summer, after specifically choosing Baylor to receive the store’s assistance.
Academy released its plans to assist Baylor fashion in the spring.
“They chose Baylor and came to us,” Fader said. “They really like our undergrads, and many are employees or interns.”
The Optitex 3D software is not the first technological advance Baylor fashion has held over other universities. Baylor is already one of the only universities to have a fabric printer, various Adobe products, Gerber WebPDM, which is an online product data management software, and many storyboard and catalog pages.
“With having a top-notch technology aspect to our programs, Baylor is ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest technology and procedures that companies have,” said Dallas senior Kendal Carse, fashion student ambassador.
Fashionista.com rated Baylor in the top 20 fashion departments in the nation in 2011, while Fashionschools.org rated Baylor 35th of 75 apparel and merchandising programs within the nation.
Fader said she believes the fashion department’s technology lab is what has landed Baylor in the prestigious university ranking it holds.
“I’ve been here for nine years, and our technology is the reason for our top listings,” Fader said. “Usually we’re one of the only schools within the Midwest to be listed.”
The fashion department’s lab and climbing ranks have led many students within the department to come on board for the program.
Stony Point, N.Y., senior Madison Zucker said she was one of those students.
“Learning about these rankings is actually what led me to look at Baylor in the first place,” Zucker said.
Students have recognized the technology lab the Baylor fashion department possesses, and are thankful for the advantages it gives them, Carse said.
“Because of its lab, Baylor has built a reputation among companies that seek after and hire Baylor graduates,” Carse said.
