University of Rhode Island

  College of Human Science and Services

Focus: The seminar is an advanced class designed to bring together subject matter from the entire TMD curriculum.   The course will examine the influence of art and science on  fashionable textile and apparel products.  Invited speakers will address the art of styling clothing for R&B and Hip Hop musicians, creating and manufacturing   luxury handbags, the science of economics in the luxury jewelry market, and textile fiber and weave/knit development. Student presenters will research specific subjects not covered by the invited speakers, thereby increasing our  knowledge.

Textiles used for interior design and apparel such as clothing, shoes, and handbags are identified as "fashionable" products.  A fashionable product is one  which is desired and used for a period of time by a large group of people and then discarded and replaced by different and newer  fashionable products.   Fashionable apparel and textiles are unique  compared to other manufactured products  (cars, for example), because they are influenced by contemporary art forms like popular music, as well as major visual art movements (Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Abstract Expressionism, etc.).  Rendering apparel design or creating textile print and weave designs requires competency in artistic methods.  Science is found at the design level with the use of innovative artistic methods like computer  assisted design.  Fashionable products also incorporate scientific innovations like computer  aided manufacturing  techniques and the development of high-performance synthetic fibers for textiles.

Scientific innovations in fashionable products directly influence the bottom line by reducing  lead times and improving end-use performance.  Consumers are increasingly sophisticated in their understanding of art, and apparel and interior design, through wide-spread media exposure on television, the internet, and magazines.  Understanding the artistic and scientific influences on fashion is imperative to remaining financially viable, communicating  intelligently in the industry, creating appropriate design, and predicting the future of fashion in this increasingly competitive market.

Registration:
·         Section 01 - 1 cr. - students attend guest lectures and student presentations; write a 1-page summary.
·         Section 02 - 2 cr. - students perform all requirements for 1 cr. plus research a specific topic which they present in both oral and written form
·         TMD 402 may be repeated once with a different topic.

Pre-requisites: A basic understanding of the textile and apparel industry is necessary to comprehend the topics addressed by the speakers.  Completion of TMD 103, 222 and 232 is helpful.  Two-credit registrants should be juniors who have completed 12 credits of TMD classes including TMD 103, 222, 224, and 232.  See instructor if you are unsure of your status or ability to complete the requirements for two credits.  

Course requirements: Students registered for 1 credit must attend all class sessions and write summaries of each presentation to be handed in at the beginning of the following class period.  Summaries can be e-mailed to me no later than  4 p.m. on the date of the following class period. No late summaries will be accepted.  The goal of assigning weekly summaries is to develop and improve your writing skills.  My graduate assistant, Kathleen Navarro, is available to work with you to improve your writing skills on Thursday mornings from 9-11am (e-mail knavarro@mail.uri.edu for appt.).
Students registered for 2 credits must complete the requirements for 1 credit registrants, a web site location project, and an in-depth research report.  The guidelines for the 2-credit assignments will be distributed and discussed on Jan. 26.

Web page: A web page is being built for the course to which all students have the opportunity to contribute.  Each week a student-prepared summary will be selected for addition to the web page.  Two-credit registrants will identify web sites relevant to this course which can be linked to our page.  Two-credit registrants will submit abbreviated versions of the market research reports for addition to the web page.  The web site can be accessed at the TMD Department homepage <http://www.uri.edu/hss/tmd/tmd402k/home.htm> All students are expected to visit the web site periodically.

Attendance: Attendance is mandatory (see course requirements above) and contributes significantly to your grade.  On the first day of class, a seating chart will be made.  Be sure you remember your assigned seat as attendance is taken using the seating chart.  Attendance means arriving by 4 p.m. and staying until the program is over.  Late arrivals and early departures will be noted and attendance records modified accordingly.  Guest speakers contribute valuable time and effort to make their presentations, and as guests they should be treated with respect.  It is rude to come in late and to walk out on invited speakers while they are talking.  This includes leaving temporarily to use the restroom or to get a drink of water.

Grading: One-credit registrants will be graded on (a) the summaries, and (b) attendance.  Summaries will be graded S, S+, and S-.  A full semester of S graded summaries with no absences will earn an A grade for the course.  The course grade will drop with increasing numbers of S- grades.  Grades of S+ will counteract S- grades.  (i.e. an S- and an S+ are the same as two S's).  The grade for the summaries depends on full attendance at guest speakers and student presentations.  The grade will be reduced by absences.  Only one excused absence is allowed (i.e., medical excuse or job interview, but NOT going to  Florida ).  Each unexcused absence will reduce the grade by two steps as follows:

Two-credit registrants will be graded as follows:
                50% attendance and summaries
                10% identification of relevant web sites for hyperlinks
                15% presentation of project
                25% paper for written paper
                For bona fide illness (written medical excuse), see instructors.

INCOMPLETES GIVEN FOR MEDICAL REASONS ONLY.

Return to TMD402k course description