Designing a wardrobe inspired by a woman who was once wealthy but became poor was one of the apparel design assignments this semester.

"The idea was to produce a themed piece for a girl that had all of the advantages in life, but then lost them. But she hung onto some of the treasures she had collected over the years," said associate professor Van Dyk Lewis.

Students from apparel design classes strutted their end-of-semester projects Dec. 8 in a fashion show sponsored by the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design.

The show comprised projects from seven courses, including three taught by Lewis.

"The show is important because as designers, the students' challenges are always based on the needs of society," he said. "It's very important that their products are consumed by the public immediately, and that they get criticism and feedback."

He added: "This is by far the strongest year we've had," he said. "It shows how students are able to employ design thinking across a range of challenges, and the way they're able to work in teams to pursue a single vision."