A faculty member’s clever idea and skillful knowledge of technology in the apparel, merchandising and design program may help raise funds for The Fashion Show 2015. 

Christina Denekas, lecturer of apparel, events and hospitality management, has a group of students each semester who work with her to design scarves, which they print and sell to the ISU bookstore. The funds then come back to the group’s Digital Apparel Textile Studio to offset costs of the student’s printed fabric, purchased ink and other supplies. 

Denekas studied digital textile printing for her M.S. at Iowa State prior to working in the apparel industry. 

“When I came back, the printer had little use for student education,” Denekas said. “As a business owner, I started modeling it after my own business by putting prices to fabric, setting up an ordering printed fabric system, documents on how to prep files and eventually teach a new course focused on the printer and designing garments.”

Denekas said the course has been very popular among students and the scarves are a great way for students to design something and see it in a store for sale. 

“Thus, seeing the entire process from design concept to shelf,” Denekas said. 

Denekas’ new idea is to laser cut scarves, sell them to the Fashion Show, hoping the Fashion Show would sell them to raise funds for themselves.

The first round, Denekas laser cut the words “The Fashion Show” into scarves and posted them on social media. So far, they have been popular on Twitter, getting attention from some. 

Denekas hopes to talk with The Fashion Show, but there is no word on whether the show will accept the designs and sell them just yet.