CWU students pursue success in apparel, textiles and merchandising

ELLENSBURG - Each year, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) hosts the Apparel, Textiles and Design Juried Showcase to recognize excellence in the field through a double-blind, peer-reviewed competition.

The Central Washington University Apparel, Textiles and Merchandising (ATM) program typically submits a few entries. But, this year, program coordinator Andrea Eklund submitted five designs—and all of them were accepted.

“It just shows the kind of exceptional work we have been doing, and how well our students express their inspiration,” Eklund said of the June 22-26 showcase in Baltimore. “We work a lot with students and try to guide them through all the questions that need answering for a design to come to fruition. That, and the level of freedom we give them to choose their own direction, I think is the main reason why we’ve historically done quite well at this competition.”

CWU’s ATM program prides itself on a hands-on approach in teaching students to design and produce novel clothing that explores their unique style, while, at the same time, helping them project messages the world needs to hear. That industry-specific training allows aspiring fashion designers to compete at the national level, as they did during last month's AAFCS Juried Showcase.

“They really have creative freedom,” Eklund said. “Some plan it out way ahead of time, others are sparked in the moment by something they see. Activism is part of that, and we have a lot of students who work with themes like sustainability and awareness in their designs.”

ATM graduate Erika Ramirez uses her designs to express her Muckleshoot heritage and bring awareness to the ongoing violence suffered by indigenous people everywhere. One of her pieces was among those accepted into the Showcase.

“Ribbon skirts are very traditional to my people, so I wanted to incorporate those as much as possible in my designs,” said Ramirez, a 2022 alumna. “Over time, the collection became about bringing awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women, which is an epidemic that affects all Native American populations. It’s giving a voice to people who don’t have one, and showing my community that anything they set their minds to is achievable. Central has always been super supportive of that.”

Ramirez chose to attend CWU because of the kind of student participation on display in the Showcase, as well as the annual Student Fashion Show, which was held this year on June 3.

“When I toured CWU, I loved the whole campus, and then my advisor pointed out a display case full of student-made clothes in the SURC,” she said. “Right then and there, I decided that I was going to Central, and I was going to study ATM.”

Ramirez added that her favorite thing about the program is that it prepares students for a career in the industry.

“I had a class that walked me through setting up a website, maintaining a portfolio, and really bringing my vision to life for others to see,” she said.

Eklund knows from her own career experience that the world of fashion is incredibly complex, and she has seen how central it is to the human experience due to its universal nature and emphasis on variety. She believes events like the Student Fashion Show and the AAFCS Juried Showcase go a long way toward preparing the industry leaders of the future.

“Every single human on earth uses clothing to express themselves every single day,” Eklund said. “Understanding the psychology and methodology behind the way we dress helps our students better understand different markets, as well as how best to represent themselves through what they wear.”