About Apparel Design and Product Development
The Apparel Design and Product Development concentration at UW prepares students to bring innovative fashion concepts to life. From drawing the initial idea in a notebook to producing the finished product, the University of Wyoming will help you refine your creativity and build your technical expertise. Through hands-on learning, you will gain experience in garment construction, patternmaking, textiles and digital design technologies while developing an understanding of the full product lifecycle. This concentration is within our B.S. in Design, Merchandising and Textilies. You must be pursing that degree to declare this concentration.
If you're interested in apparel design, but don't want to make it your primary degree, check out our apparel design minor!
As an apparel design and product development student, you'll be able to utilize state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to transform your ideas into reality. You'll have access to the following spaces and tools:
- Apparel technology lab with a 3D body scanner
- Digital textile printer
- Bernina sewing machines and sergers
- Industrial embroidery and sewing machines
- Computer lab featuring Adobe Creative Cloud
- Apparel design and pattern-making software
- Textile lab with a variety of textile testing equipment
What can you do with an apparel design and Product Development Degree?
An Apparel Design and Product Development degree prepares you for careers in the fashion and apparel industry by combining creative design, product development, merchandising, sourcing and production skills. Graduates work in areas such as apparel design, product development, technical design, retail, manufacturing and brand management, helping bring clothing and fashion products from concept to consumer.
- Apparel Designer
- Costume Designer
- Production Coordinator
- Sourcing Specialist
- Patternmaker
- Textile Designer
- Fit Specialist
- Quality Assurance Specialist
- Merchandise Planner
- Retail Manager
Here is just a small sampling of where our alumni have gone for internships and jobs:
- The North Face
- The Buckle, Inc.
- Quiksilver/Roxy
- alice + olivia
- Veronica De Piante
- Ulla Johnson
- AREA
- Madewell
- Carpet One
- American Outdoor Products
- SIMS Snowboards
Apparel design and product development is the process of creating clothing from initial concept to finished product, combining creative design with technical execution and industry knowledge. It involves developing original ideas, picking fabrics and designing garments, then transforming those ideas into wearable pieces through patternmaking, prototyping, fit testing and production planning. This field of study also considers sourcing, manufacturing, cost, quality and market trends, ensuring that apparel is not only visually appealing but functional, practical and ready for consumers.
In addition to the apparel design and product development concentration, the B.S. in Design, Merchandising and Textiles also has concentrations in interior design and merchandising.
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.