Collaborative Fashion Production: A Process of Co-Creation

This research examined the process of co-creation through the interplay of students as learners, producers, editors, and consumers. Sophomore and Junior-level Fashion Merchandising students with little previous design experience explored the product development process from concept to merchandise for sale. Ten women's garments were created and shown to 130 freshmen who had completed an introductory fashion industry course. Data were collected addressing student perceptions of fashionability and marketability of the ten garments based on a number of concepts covered in the introductory course. Results were analyzed in relation to price/quality dimensions, purchase intentions, shopping behavior, and fashion leadership/innovation. Findings revealed that both courses met their learning objectives. In the fashion show and presentation, Collaborative Fashion Production students demonstrated understanding of the apparel production processes from initial idea to finished product, producing merchandise suitable for the School's Lab Store. In Fashion Fundamentals, student feedback on the merchandise showed an ability to analyze the business of fashion: how it is conceived, marketed, and sold. This process benefitted a wide range of students who connected class concepts with real-world applications.

Catherine Amoroso Leslie, PhD; Kim Hahn, PhD; Trista Grieder, M.A.; Oxana Dallas, B. S.
The Fashion School, Kent State University, Ohio, USA