Donna W. Reamy
Chair
Associate Professor, B.S., M.S.
Fashion Merchandising
dwreamy@vcu.edu
Schools Attended: Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Master of Science degree Virginia Commonwealth University, Bachelor of Science degree
Fashion Philosophy: “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable”. Coco Chanel
Research Interest: My research interest includes economics of fashion including fashion weeks, fashion shows, fast fashion and the fashion media. I am also interested in body image as portrayed by the fashion industry.
Documented Research:
| 2012 | Fashionomics”, The Role of Fashion in the Global Economy (unpublished manuscript) to be published by Prentice Hall publishers, 2011. |
| 2010 | “The Catwalk: An Apparatus for the World Economy” September 2010: Oxford, United Kingdom |
| 2009 | “Economic Impact of the Catwalk” June 2009 Business History Conference, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy |
| 2008 | “Body Image, Culture and Economics”, Costume Society of America, Williamsburg, Virginia |
Kimberly Guthrie
Interim Assistant Chair
Assistant Professor, B.F.A., M.A.
Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising
kguthri1@vcu.edu
Schools Attended: Virginia Commonwealth University BFA Fashion Design, Virginia Commonwealth University MA Art Education
Philosophy: Fashion is an art and industry. Fashion is an avenue in which many aspects of life and culture can be investigated, celebrated, and represented.
Research Interest: My research interests include sustainable fashion and eco-fashion design education.
Documented Research:
2011 Fifth International Conference on Design Principles and Practices, Rome, Italy. Paper title: Preparing Emerging Designers for the Eco and Sustainable Fashion Market.
2010 15th International Conference. RDM Campus Rotterdam The Netherlands, Sustainable Innovation 2010, Paper title “Sustainable Fashion by Design”
2010 Dean’s Exploratory Research Grant; awarded $3000 to examine and determine how fashion programs need to address and analyze how the fashion industry’s reaction to becoming more sustainable will affect the content and instruction of what is taught to fashion students.
2007 International Symposium on the Arts in Society, New York UniversityPaper presentation: “Contemporary Collaboration in Art and Design”
2006 AUTEX 6th International Conference, College of Textiles, NC StatePaper presentation: “An Exploratory Approach to Film Laminates in Fashion Design”
Kristin Caskey
Interim Assistant Chair
Associate Professor, B.S.S., B.F.A., M.F.A.
Fashion Design
kacaskey@vcu.edu
Schools Attended:
Cranbrook Academy of Art, MFA
Parsons School of Design, BFA
Fashion Design Cornell College, BSS Liberal Arts
Philosophy: Professor Caskey is passionate about the interconnectedness of design and it’s ability to impact the daily lives of all people in a living community
Research Interest: My research interests include digital textile printing, textile print design, adaptive apparel design, and apparel based studio projects.
Documented research:
Designer, Rockin Baby LLC, Richmond VA
Consulting Designer, Heartfelt, LLC, NYC
| 2010 | First Place, Queen Sirikit Institute for Sericulture Competition “Cultural Traveller”, Bangkok, Thailand |
| 2010 | ATEX INC Award for Excellence in Marketable Textile Design, “A New Suit of Clothes” International Textile and Apparel Association, Montreal, Canada. |
Holly P. Alford
Assistant Professor, A.A.S., B.A., M.F.A.
Fashion Design
hpalford@vcu.edu
Schools Attended: University of Virginia (B.A.), Fashion Institute of Technology (A.A.S.) and Virginia Commonwealth University ( M.F.A.).
Philosophy: I believe learning should be fun but challenging, and that students learn more who are active participants. I believe my job is to facilitate knowledge in diverse and creative ways and that the goal is for my students to be able to apply and articulate that knowledge in the real world.
Research Interest: My research interest is in mid nineteenth and twentieth century fashion. Also, African American designers, styles, and the globalization of those styles.
Documented Research:
2012 "The Criminalization of the Saggy Pant"; to be published 2012 in book entitled Fashion and Crime
2011 "The Influence of African American Hip Hop in Japan; published in Fashion Theory Russia
2010 "Who's Who in Fashion" the fifth edition; published by Fairchild Books
2010 "The Zoot Suit: It's History and Influence";published in Fashion Theory and The Men's Fashion Reader
2005 "The Globalization of Hip Hop"---presented in Denmark and Australia
Deidra Arrington
Assistant Professor, MBA
Fashion Merchandising
dwarrington@vcu.edu
Schools Attended: Virginia Commonwealth University – MBA
Jacksonville State University – B.S.
Philosophy: Fashion is a business!
Research Interest: Economics, Luxury, Corporate Culture, Vendor/Retailer Relationships, Fashion Show Production
Documented Research:
| 2012 | Fashionomics, co-authored with Donna W. Reamy |
Contributor to Fashion Capital: Style Economies, Sites and Cultures, co-authored with Donna W. Reamy
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Linda T. Lee
Affiliate Professor, BFA
Fashion Design
Schools Attended: Pratt Institute
Fashion Philosophy: Buy local and think global!
Research Interest:
Eco-fashion in the US and contemporary China; fair trade and social responsibility; research focus on sustainable and indigenous textiles in Guatemala and Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on preservation of traditional weaving practices.
Documented Research:
| 2012 | Third Global Conference, Mansfield College, Oxford, UK Published E-book: Han-Centric Dress: Fashion Subculture or National Identity for China? |
| 2010 | Global Marketing Conference at Tokyo Korean Academy of Marketing Science, Ryutsu Keizai University, Tokyo, Japan Presentation – Wrapped in Fur: China’s Luxury Consumer Presentation – Future Fashion in China |
| 2009 | The Third International Conference on Design Principles and Practices Technical University Berlin, Germany Published paper (2010) – Teaching Eco-Fashion: Is Sustainable Fashion A New Paradigm? |
| 2008 | The Second International Conference on Design Principles and Practice University of Miami, FL Presented paper – Fair Trade Fashion in Rural Guatemala: Lessons from a Design Practitioner |
| 2007 | The Fifth Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities Marriott Hotel, Oahu, HI, Jan 12-15, Session Chair and presenter – Darla Luz: Fashioning the Spirit of the Maya |
| 2006 | Ixchel’s Thread: Maya Weaving from the Bowdler Collection; textile and fashion exhibition VCU Arts Anderson Gallery, Co-curator and co-editor of exhibition catalogue. |
| 2006 | Darla Luz: the Documentary; VCU-HDTV documentary on service learning and community development in Guatemala by fashion students, shown on PBS, September 15, 2006 Project director: Linda T. Lee; film by Nicholas Shapiro |
| 2005 | The Interdisciplinary Conference of Fashion and Dress Cultures, Dansmark Design Skoale and Danish Design Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark Presentation – From Geisha to Ganguro Girls: Body Image in Japan |
Rose Regni
Associate Professor, B.F.A., M.F.A.
Fashion Merchandising
rjregni@vcu.edu
Schools Attended: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University B.S. Clothing Textiles and Related Arts,
Industry Experience:
1970 – 1985: J. C. Penney Corporate Office in New York City. Last position: Buyer of Misses intimate apparel
1985 – 1987: Montgomery Ward Buying Office in New York City.
Last position: General Merchandise Manager, Intimate Apparel and Accessories
1987 – 2001: Various positions in intimate apparel wholesale. Last position:
Vice President Sales, Character Inc., New York City
Research Interest: Retail Entrepreneurship fashion forecasting, shopping habits of men
product Development, global sustainability.
Documented Research:
| 2009 | Publication of paper, co-authored with Linda Lee, Teaching Eco-Fashion: Is Sustainable Fashion a New Paradigm? |
| 2009 | Presented Paper, Entrepreneurship: methods of preparing students in a classroom environment through the use of simulation, the techniques of opening a small business, at the Common Ground Learning Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Paper was published in Design Principles and Practices, an international journal, volume 3. |
| 2008 | Presented paper, Fashion Forecasting Today: How the interest in global sustainability will impact the future of fashion and costume design, at the Many Layered Meanings of Costume Society conference in Williamsburg, Virginia |
Co- author of two textbooks for Fairchild Publications, New York City: Perry’s Department Store: a Product Development Simulation, co-authored with Karen Guthrie, 2006 and Entrepreneurship inAction: a Retail Store Simulation, co-authored with Jimmie G. Anderson, 2009
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Associate Professor, B.F.A., M.F.A.
Fashion Design
hcswartz@vcu.edu
Schools Attended: Pratt Institute, BFA
Virginia Commonwealth University, MFA
Philosophy: “You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” Old St. Pauls’s Church, Baltimore MD 1692
Research Interest: Creative design in women’s and menswear.
Documented Research: Custom work for private clients, women’s and menswear
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Karen (Guthrie) Videtic
Professor, B.S. , M.Ed.
Fashion Merchandising
kmvidetic@vcu.edu
Schools Attended: Virginia Commonwealth University, B.S. Marketing and Distributive Education Virginia Commonwealth University, M. ED. Adult Education, Human Resource Development Virginia Commonwealth University, PHD Candidate, Urban Services
Philosophy: I believe that people learn more through solving real problems in real time (Action Learning) and I try to create learning environments that capitalizes on the application of new knowledge and creative problem solving.
Research Interest: Action Learning and simulation experiences, buying behaviors, fashion as a mirror of the times, and cross cultural management.
Documented Research:
2010 “Adventures in Action Learning”, Chapter in Action Learning and Its Applications,Author: Lex Dilworth. Published McMillan, UK.
2009 16th Annual Conference on Learning, Barcelona, Spain. Service Learning: Opportunities for deep learning in fashion design and merchandising education. Paper published.
2009 Fairchild Books, Perry’s Department Store: A Retail Buying Simulation. 3rd Edition, Authors: Videtic, Karen M. and Steele, Cynthia W. (International)
2007 7th Annual Conference on Knowledge, Culture and Change in Organizations: Singapore,The Expatriation of Faculty versus the Expatriation of Management: A comparative analysis.
2006 Fairchild Books, Perry’s Department Store: A Product Development Simulation. Authors: Guthrie, Karen M. and Regni, Rose, J. (International).
Janus Watson, M.A.E, BFA
Affiliate Professor
Fashion Design
Schools Attended: Virginia Commonwealth University, M.A.E.
Moore College of Art and Design, B.F.A. in Fashion Design
Philosophy: My Fashion philosophy is to teach and train students to reach their “fullest potential” as a fashion designer as they embark on a career in the apparel industry. It is so rewarding when we see our students become so successful in the fashion industry and return to the Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising and share their experiences. They can reach their fullest potential if they strive for excellence in what they have been trained to do, and sharing their knowledge and skills to their clients/employers.
Research Interest: To continue to update training on Computerized Patternmaking CAD/CAM Soft wear Systems. After training on Gerber Garment Technology, my desire is continue to bring this knowledge to the Department and then to the students.
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Michael Etto
Administrative Office Specialist
meetto@vcu.edu
Michael Etto has been with the Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising since December 1998. Michael received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Crafts with a concentration in Metalsmithing. He runs a successful furniture and accessories studio, Mike Etto Studios, specializing in one of a kind furniture pieces, garden accessories and fine home accents. His work has been shown in galleries around the Richmond area and has been featured in several issues of “Richmond”, “Traditional Homes” and “Home & Design” magazines.
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