By CatholicVote | Created at 2024-12-27 22:32:43 | Updated at 2024-12-29 16:52:18
1 day ago
CV NEWS FEED // John Paul the Great University (JPCatholic) in California has announced an expansion of its Bachelor of Fine Arts program to include a fashion design emphasis, set to launch in fall 2025.
In conjunction with this new focus, the university will also offer a minor in costume design, with courses already available for interested students.
JPCatholic is a private Catholic university in Southern California named after St. John Paul II, who had a deep appreciation for the performing arts. The university, which was founded in 2003 and has about 300 students, offers degrees in creative arts and business innovation.
The fashion design emphasis will focus on both fashion analysis and practical design skills, according to JPCatholic. Students will engage in coursework covering digital design, fabric selection, sewing techniques, fashion drawing, color theory, and production processes. The curriculum is expected to evolve in response to trends in the fashion industry and technological advancements.
Chief Academic Officer Joe Connolly highlighted the university’s commitment to the creative arts and noted the collaborative environment that supports students.
“Our campus culture allows fashion design students the freedom to experiment and nurture their creativity,” he said. “Our vibrant theater culture and our commercially distributed feature films will provide a very natural and collaborative environment for costume designers in particular to implement their craft.”
Professor Elena Chirkova will lead the new program. With more than 25 years of experience in the fashion and modeling industries, she brings a background that includes work with European designers and experience as a professional model.
Chirkova’s creations have also appeared in the popular show “Dancing with the Stars.”
“Fashion and costume design are such beautiful crafts; they serve as a unique expression of the human person, and play an important part in telling a cohesive story,” Chirkova said. “The environment here is prime for the addition of these programs, and I cannot wait to help JPCatholic students grow as designers and build a successful career.”
The new emphasis aims to prepare students for various careers in the fashion industry, including digital design, product development, retail management, merchandising, personal styling, and costume design for film and theater.
