A club that once sponsored a few speakers and events has stepped back into the dressing room and emerged as a club designed to help students interested in the fashion industry.

Nicolle Stumpf, president of Moda, says the club changed its name from TC Club to Moda because the fashion industry involves more than just textiles and clothing. Moda currently has members who wish to pursue careers not just in textiles and clothing, but all aspects of the fashion industry, says Stumpf, senior in apparel merchandising, design, and production.

“We wanted to make it appeal to everyone interested in the industry,” Stumpf says.

Moda translates to “fashion” in Italian, but Stumpf says it’s also an acronym for Marketing, Organizing, Designing and Analyzing.

The club needed a new image because in the past they never really accomplished anything, Stumpf says.

“I felt a need to change something about the club,” she says. “I wanted younger members to have opportunities to see the different aspects of the industry.”

Moda’s faculty adviser, Chris Wise, says in the past, the TC Club sponsored very few speakers and experienced a low membership number.

Wise, academic adviser in textiles and clothing, says making students aware of all the possibilities is the main objective of Moda.

“We want every student to understand all the opportunities available in the industry,” she says.

Stumpf says other colleges and departments have career services that help with career enhancement and placement, but the Family and Consumer Sciences college has a hard time showing what is really available.

“We noticed that there was a demand for a club that introduces career opportunities within the fashion industry,” she says.

Wise says the lack of career guidance is mostly due to the fact that the College of Family and Consumer Sciences had to eliminate its career services because of recent budget cuts.

“Career enhancement is now done on [an] advisee-adviser level,” Wise says. “Moda is now another opportunity to learn more about careers in the fashion industry.”

Stumpf says the new image of the club has made a definite increase in membership. There are currently 40 members involved. Moda is open to students in any major who have an interest in the fashion industry.

At meetings, Moda sponsors speakers who are usually recent graduates and currently working in the fashion industry, as well as journalism and marketing professionals.

Speakers share career opportunities available and the professional skills needed in the fashion industry, and Stumpf says she hopes the club grows from there.

“I hope to get Moda members involved in the activities the club sponsors,” Stumpf says. “I want them to gain skills they can actually apply in their careers.”

Wise says the speakers are the type of speakers they wouldn’t hear in regular textiles and clothing classes.

“Moda is now designed to give members exposure to professionals who have the same or similar degrees,” Wise says.