Two Events Focus on Fashion
Next week two groups of Pierpont Community & Technical College students will present
fashion-themed events based on popular TV shows.
The Visual Merchandising Class taught by Angie Retton will offer an "Extreme Spring
Makeover" event at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, in the Turley Center Ballroom on the
Fairmont State main campus. As a class assignment, the students were tasked with creating
the event. Nine participants have agreed to have a "makeover." Several local businesses
will provide hair styling, manicures and clothing for the event. Refreshments will
be provided. Admission for students is $3, general admission is $5. Proceeds will
benefit the Cooper Joseph Towns Nursing Scholarship. For more information, call Angie
Retton at (304) 367-0468.
The Apparel Design class taught by Michelle Walker is having a "Project Runway"-type
event featuring a "Once Upon a Time" theme from 5:15-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17,
in the Turley Center Ballroom. Students have been challenged to create an original
fashion design inspired by their favorite childhood book and will compete for the
top designer award. The event will be a fashion show with judges to review the fashions
and select the winning design. Admission is free with the donation of a children's
book. Book donations will go to the children's room at the Union Mission in Fairmont.
The event is sponsored by the Fashion Design Club. For more information, call Michelle
Walker at (304) 657-7572 or e-mail her at mwalker2@fairmontstate.edu.
Fashion Design and Merchandising is an option in the Associate Degree in Applied
Design program offered by Pierpont Community & Technical College. The program includes
the study of apparel design, historical costume as design inspiration, the business
of fashion retailing, visual merchandising and computer design for manufactured apparel.
Classroom and studio work are combined with an on-the job work experience in area
businesses. The learning experience goes beyond the classroom to include fashion show
production and field trips.
At the associate degree level, the Fashion program prepares students to pursue careers
in the fashion design business, apparel buying at the retail and wholesale level,
as fashion department managers in department stores, fashion boutiques or retail firms,
window display merchandizing and independent apparel shop ownership. New graduates
with an associate degree can earn a starting salary of $20,000 to $30,000 annually.
For more information on the associate degree program, contact Dr. Beth Newcome, Dean
of the Pierpont C&TC School of Human Services, at (304) 367-4919 or bnewcome@fairmontstate.edu.
