A new fashion and design class will be added at the high school with likely more to follow as the district explores the potential of adding a fashion pathway in the coming years.
The program has been talked about for years and, with the help of Twill Trade owner Elizabeth Knispel, it’s coming to fruition.
Knispel leads Catwalk Classroom – a fashion club at the middle school – which opened her eyes to some of the student interest in Eudora. She’s had students come into her store wanting to help and learn about the business, which further inspired her to reach out to district officials with the idea for a high school class.
She’s been focusing on exposing the younger students to the possibility of this kind of pathway with career talks, retail demonstration and the formation of her club. Knispel is also part of an advisory board of industry professionals to create a blueprint for what students could learn about business, garment construction, sustainability and more.
“I’m very, very passionate about this. I think it’s our job to basically unlock the doors of opportunity for kids and expose them to as many things and opportunities as possible,” she said.
The pathway, formally called the Fashion, Apparel, Interior Design Pathway, is an option offered through the state. Teachers are able to base their own curriculum off the state’s goals for each course.
The intro level received enough enrollment interest from students that it will move forward with being offered next fall, Principal Justin Bogart said. The class, which will be taught by FACS teacher Renee Mueting, will give an overview of both fashion and interior design. It will focus on basics of color and design, and how fashion trends are determined.
Then, the pathway will go more into fashion and apparel with apparel production 1 and 2, then a studio/internship-style class after those two are completed. If classes are well enrolled, one will take place each coming semester, with the intro class coming in the fall.
The three upper-level courses will be hands-on. The first apparel class will teach students how to use a pattern, use the machines and learn new stitches. Apparel production 2 will be more student-driven, allowing students to design patterns and independently work on projects.
The studio class will help students learn in a real working environment in a fashion job, but plans are not complete since it won’t be for several semesters.
More than anything, Mueting wants her class to be a confidence builder for students.
“I’m truly just teaching the confidence that you could repair this, you could sew on a button, you can be kind of in charge of your own maintenance on your clothing,” Mueting said.
It’s important for students to learn about the culture around clothing in society, she said.
“Kids don’t realize that we’re in what they call a fast fashion, a throwaway society, where you wear one thing, you throw it away, instead of teaching them how to repair/create something new, so that’s kind of been my focus,” Mueting said.
Knispel has been passionate about adding the program for a while and thinks it gives students an opportunity to learn about something many wouldn’t otherwise know, or until at least college. She wishes she had the same options when she was a high schooler.
“By introducing it to them early, they can kind of navigate their own future a little bit better than I was able to,” Knispel said.
Knispel’s fashion club helped the district gauge student interest and has been a success, Superintendent Stu Moeckel said.
Freshman Allison Regalado said the new classes present the opportunity for students to repair their own clothes. The potential for a new pathway is especially exciting to her because usually pants are too long on her, and this will give her the independence to fix them herself.
“Not only would it be beneficial to me, I think it’d be fun to learn and it’s a great way to show how kids are creative,” she said.
Freshman Elizabeth Wynn is also interested in taking the class. Wynn has some experience sewing and crocheting with her mom, and thinks the courses will offer more chances for students to learn new skills they probably otherwise wouldn’t.
“Like just being able to fix your own clothes and fix your own things, instead of having to go to a tailor or somebody that does it,” she said.
Mueting hopes they can keep class fees down to allow students of all socioeconomic backgrounds to participate. To help keep costs down, Mueting is asking for any fabric donations, wallpaper samples, interior design fabrics, etc. For more information, email Mueting at [email protected].
“I hope it just builds on their confidence always, and because no matter if they go into this career field or not, and what you learned in school, it’s amazing what you pull out of it,” Mueting said.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].
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