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Department Chair
Associate Professor
Department of Fashion Design + Merchandising
Deidra Arrington is the Chair of the Department of Fashion Design+Merchandising. She is a seasoned fashion professional with 20 years of experience as an apparel, accessories, and beauty buyer and divisional merchandise manager. She possesses extensive knowledge of retailing, the buying process, and the fashion industry. As faculty, Arrington has contributed to the enhancement of the student experience through the development of the Summer Luxury Program, as YMA/FSF coordinator and mentor, NRF coordinator, and by serving as interim assistant chair of the department. Her areas of research include fashion economics, the luxury market, historical fashion influencers, and fashion show production and its impact on worldwide economies. Additionally, she has contributed to several textbooks and articles and has work published in multiple books and journals. Arrington earned her MBA from VCU, and her Bachelor’s of Science degree in business administration from Jacksonville State University.