General Information:

Goals:
The Fashion Library supports the Fashion School curriculum which prepares students for a B.A. or B.S. degree in either fashion design or merchandising for positions in the ready-to-wear apparel industry or entry level positions including executive training programs in management, and buying; fashion forecasting and promotion; fashion and visual merchandising and display.  The Fashion School also offers a Master in Fashion Industry Studies preparing students for the  "highly interdisciplinary character of fashion and propose an innovative and pragmatic research-based solution for the fashion industry."

Areas of School's Curricular Concentration:
Areas of concentration includes: fashion theory; apparel construction; pattern-making; fashion illustration; fashion forecasting; portfolio-creation; development and marketing of apparel; merchandising for apparel manufacturing; retail operations; management; promotion and visual merchandising and display.

Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)                                                                                                                                                                                                     Master of Fashion Industry Studies (M.F.I.S.)

Special Programs:
The Fashion School offers study tour programs throughout the United States and abroad and also facilitates professional internships with leading design firms and retail businesses.

Scope of Coverage:

The following subject areas are collected at the research level:
International contemporary designers; developments in haute couture; history of fashion theory and twentieth century design; history of accessories; forecasting; fashion photography and display; fashion illustration; history of style; professional careers in fashion design and merchandising; history of fabric design; current trends in merchandising; marketing apparel; study of target groups and consumer behavior; and issues in manufacturing.

The following subject areas are collected at the advanced instructional level:
Gender and fashion; ethnographic fashion; pattern-making; technology and production in contemporary apparel; biographies of fashion designers and histories of major design firms; textiles and fabrics related to apparel; graphic design related to labels and displays; fashion layout for media; fashion design and technology; women's, men's, and children's historic costumes; fashion fetishes; fashion, sexuality and gender; history of various types of fashion apparel (intimate, bridal, beachwear, sportswear, formal, etc.); size merchandising and manufacturing (plus, junior, etc.); labor movements and apparel manufacturing; museum exhibitions and collections related to fashion and costume; sewing as a craft, tailoring and draping.

The following subject areas are collected at the initial study level:
Popular commentary and criticism about fashion; chemistry of textiles and history of textile industries (e.g., cotton, wool, etc.); decorative arts; color coordination; retail marketing; jewelry design; hair, cosmetics and fragrances; portfolio and resume preparations; knitting, embroidery and lace making; costume creation for performances (film, stage, opera, dance); grooming and etiquette; social and cultural history; accessories (millinery, handbags, shoes, etc.).

Apply the Following Parameters to the Above Scope of Coverage Areas:

Language:
Primary emphasis on English language materials or those titles in English combined with other languages.

Date of Publication:
Emphasis on current scholarship.

Geographical Guidelines:
International Developments in Fashion Design and Merchandising.

Society or Publisher Emphasis:
Emphasis on titles published by major university presses, scholarly societies and professional organizations such as the Costume Society of America This is a link to another web site.

Multiple Copies:
Under special circumstances only.

Material Types:
Journals, Encyclopedias, Handbooks, Glossaries, Monographs in Series, and Folios of Drawings

Books:
Research Level Collection of scholarly works in defined subject areas.

Audio Visual Materials:
Selectively acquired on request.

Theses and Dissertations:
Selective acquisition of dissertations and theses at they relate to the curricula of studies and graduate and faculty research needs.

Microform Reproductions:
Selectively acquired as they relate to the research level.

Online Services and Electronic Resources:
CD ROMs and online products are collected as they relate to research needs.
Access through online OhioLink includes approximately 100 research databases, many relevant to fashion and merchandising studies. Online full text journals are available through KentLink and OhioLink at eJournals and JSTOR (full text retrospective journals).

Interdisciplinary Relations:
Library materials related to the study of Fashion Design and Merchandising are located in the Main Library and include Fine Arts, Theater, Retail Business, Advertising, Journalism, Photography, Merchandising, Statistics, History of Technology, History of Art and Design, Gender Studies, Feminist Studies, Anthropology, Applied Crafts.