Fashion Organization Records, 1978-2012

The Oregon State University Fashion Organization (OSUFO) was established in May 1983 as the Fashion and Design Students club (FADS). The mandate of the group at its founding was to “promote fashion merchandizing and apparel design as a program and major; meet and interact with other interested students; promote a professional attitude among the members; and make members aware of current trends and practices in the profession.” Membership was open to “any student interested in the Fashion and Merchandising and Apparel Design programs offered through the Department of Clothing Textiles and Related Arts in the School of Home Economics.” The only requirement of voting members was that they be full time students. Governing officers – President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Field Trip Coordinator – were elected in Spring for a term of one year; other officers – the Publicity Chairperson and Exectutive Officer-at-large – served for a single academic term. Later, additional Committee Chairs were added, including a Recruitment/Membership Chair, Chair of Promotion, Chair of Fund-raising, and Fashion Show Chair.

In the early 1990s, the group became a recognized student chapter of Fashion Group International – a global, non-profit, professional organization for members of the fashion industry – through sponsorship by the affiliate group in Portland. The group subsequently updated their constitution to represent this new affiliation and, with it, a new name: Fashion Group – Student Chapter (alternately, Fashion Group International – Student Chapter). The group’s purpose – to increase members’ awareness of career opportunities, sense of affiliation to the program, exposure to community educational resources, and opportunities for networking with established professionals and peers – was similar to their original mission. To be considered an “active member” of the group under the new constitution, however, one had to be an OSU student enrolled in a fashion-related program, have attended one meeting, and have paid the required dues ($25 per year). In 2006, however, Fashion Group International (FGI) – due to the disbanding of its FGI Portland affiliate, and the national organization’s refusal to recognize individual student chapters – ended its sponsorship of OSU’s chapter. The group subsequently changed its name again, this time to the Oregon State University Fashion Organization.

Major events put on by the group, and documented in this collection, include the annual Repeat Performance and Recycled Fashion show, the spring “Runway” show, and the Red Dress Fashion Show. Community service events in which the group participated included assisting OSU’s Career Services Wardrobe Services in gathering professional clothing to provide to students interviewing or entering the work force; OSUFO members also donated their time to assist students in styling their new wardrobes. They also partnered with other campus student groups to provide garments and models for their own fashion shows (e.g. Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority’s “Think Pink, Go Green” fashion show), and organized the Red Dress Fashion show to raise awareness and money for HIV-AIDS. Their signature event every year, however, was the Recycled Fashion Show, where students created designs from recycled or non-traditional commercial materials such as plastic bags, CDs, and soda can rings, or “upcycled” existing garments by integrating pieces of other garments or recycled materials. The Recycled Fashion Show was open to all OSU students, not just OSUFO members. The Repeat Performance show appears to have been a spin-off of the Recycled Fashion show, showcasing student-made recycled fashions, with the addition of vintage fashions from private collections.

OSUFO also offered its student members opportunities “to build professional networks with peers and industry guests.” The group made regular field trips to Portland Fashion Week and, prior to its dissolution, had planned future field trips to Nike, Adidas, Columbia Sportwear, and the Pendleton Woolen Mills to “experience firsthand how these companies operate on all levels of production, merchandising and retailing.” Past special guest speakers included Erik Anderson, Apparel Manager for the OSU Beaver Store, and several local artists and artisans.

The OSU Fashion Organization disbanded sometime between 2012 and 2015.