A new fashion lab, located in room 2790 of the Doudna Fine Arts Center, offers a place for students to design, sew and create products.

The lab houses dress forms, ironing boards, mannequins and16 sewing machines.

Besides being a workspace, the fashion lab also functions as a classroom where students can actively work on their assignments while being taught.

Maggie McPherson, a sophomore fashion merchandising and design major, said she loves the lab.

“I like that it’s hands-on and you can do everything by yourself,” she said. “You don’t have to sit in a lecture, (the professor) gives you your instructions and you can do it at your own pace.”

The lab is also open outside of class allowing students to work on various projects or sew at their leisure.

Over the summer, the fashion merchandising and design department moved from Klehm Hall to Doudna and became a part of the art department.

Katherine Shaw, associate professor of fashion merchandising and design, said she was very excited about the move.

“Having the fashion lab in Doudna, which is such a creative space, has already been more energizing and a great, fresh start for our program,” Shaw said.

Along with the physical move across campus, the entire fashion merchandising and design curriculum has been restructured and a minor created this fall semester.

Deborah Reifsteck, instructor and academic advisor of fashion merchandising and design, explained that the program is a combination of two previous majors—merchandising and apparel and textile design.

Merging the two majors better prepares students for careers requiring both design and business knowledge, Reifsteck said.

“The way that the retail industry is changing is something we are tackling in our program. We want to train students to be ready for it as they go into the professional world,” Reifsteck said.

Shaw and Reifsteck said students with no sewing experience are welcome to join their program.

“Some people have never touched a sewing machine before and some have been sewing since they were eight years old,” Shaw said. “So we start at a level where we assume everyone in class knows nothing.”

In addition to being very inclusive, Jennings Barnfield, a junior career and technical education major, said that the students who take the classes are very “supportive of each other’s skills and willing to help each other out.”

He said he would compare his classmates to a family where everyone wants to see each other succeed.

“If you have no experience like me, it’s going to feel like a lot of work; but, you learn so much and it’s really rewarding to see the end product,” Barnfield said.

He said he encourages students to give fashion merchandising and design classes a chance.

Besides being a creative space where students learn, design and construct clothing, the fashion lab will also become a place community members can use.

Shaw said that once a month, the public will be invited to use the facility alongside students. At these events, people can pursue their own projects, socialize with fellow designers or learn a new skill.

To spread the word about this new creative resource on campus, the Fashion Merchandising and Design faculty will hold an open house from 2-4 p.m. on Monday, Oct.15.

Shaw said interested students and community members are welcome to visit the fashion lab to observe real students working on current projects, explore the facility, ask questions and get information about the fashion merchandising and design program.

Faith Morris can be reached at 581-2812 or at fdmorris@eiu.edu.