I was so excited to read World of Fashion in the spring issue and to realize how far the fashion design program has come since I was a student in the mid '60s. The costume design program (as it was called then) was very small and had only one dedicated fashion design professor. But even with such a small department, a number of graduates went on to successful careers in the fashion industry. I can only imagine what great heights some would have reached with the opportunities afforded fashion design majors today.
One special experience I remember was traveling to Dallas on a field trip to see the collection of historic clothing that was then housed at the Dallas Apparel Mart. Just to be able to see in person some of the haute couture designs we had, up to that point, only seen in pictures was truly inspiring.
When I learned a few years later that UNT had acquired that collection that has become known as the Texas Fashion Collection, and that students would be able to study the work of top designers, I felt then that the fashion design program was well on its way to moving into a class by itself.
It is no wonder that aspiring fashion designers seek out the program at UNT, and it certainly is not surprising that so many have made a name for themselves in the fashion world.
Marsha Slaughter
Barrett ('67)
Longview