Not many colleges offer a major in Fashion and Textile Technology. SUNY Buffalo State is fortunate enough to be one of the few schools to not only offer such a program, but to offer one that is unique and of high quality.

The department has some notable upcoming events and news, including the launch of an official Buffalo State tartan, an annual community outreach event, and of course, the preparation for the beloved Spring Fashion Show.

You may recall receiving an email last spring from the fashion department asking students to vote for their favorite tartan pattern. The winner would become the official Buffalo State Tartan. The one-of-a-kind pattern was designed by Buffalo State graduate Kaitlyn Emminger.

T-shirts with the tartan in the lettering are available in the book store. Merchandise such as ties, coasters, lanyards and scarves that feature the winning tartan will be available at a later date. For every tartan purchase made, a percentage goes toward student scholarships.

During the fall semester, KeunYoung Oh and her students in Introduction to Fashion Merchandising organize a community outreach event aimed toward helping local refugees. Clothing is collected all semester; the students categorize, separate and fold the clothing and display it in a store like setting for the refugees to “shop” for needed clothing.

Anyone is welcome to donate. The event takes place the week before finals at a local community center, and also on the first floor of the Technology Building.

The annual Buffalo State Fashion Show is an event that is awaited and adored by many. It is the most popular event for the fashion department and is one of the many events that makes Buffalo State so unique. The 2016 theme, “Eco-Lution,” is described by the Buffalo State Runway website as a combination of ecology and evolution, a theme that is very fitting for our current time.

Students don’t have to be in the department to submit a design for the fashion show. The designs go before a jury made up of local and international industry professionals.

“We want our students to have real world feedback, that’s what the jury offers, different angles.” Lynn Boorady, chair of the fashion and textile technology program, said.

The winning designer gets a professional photo shoot and is featured in the advertisement for the fashion show the following year. News and information about the fashion show is available at their website, runway.buffalostate.edu.

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