BA/BS in Apparel and Textiles

The fashion design program combines fine arts and design training with technical instruction in materials, cloth testing, and sewing methods. Coursework also addresses aesthetics, history, culture, and marketing, alongside ideation and fashion illustration. Students also study how cultural context shapes design decisions. Students develop portfolios and learn professional practices for the fashion industry while exploring how clothing shapes contemporary society. Studios, sewing labs, and a textile performance testing lab give students room to explore materials and forms. Graduates may work as fashion, apparel, accessory, costume, or textile designers, and some move into styling or personal shopping. Detroit's manufacturing history and design companies provide a practical setting for those careers. Graduates leave with a portfolio of design work and an understanding of professional practice.