Bridging the Gap: USU and SLCC Create Path for Fashion Students into Outdoor Industry

Brenna Utley grew up making clothes for herself. “My dad taught me how to sew when I was little. I remember I wanted to make a pair of pants, so he helped me figure it out. Then I just kept going creating my own way of making clothes, until school taught me the right way.”

Brenna will be one of the first students to take advantage of a new pathway program from the Fashion Institute at Salt Lake Community College to the Outdoor Product Design and Development (OPDD) at Utah State University (USU).

Recently USU and SLCC have joined together in providing this new opportunity for fashion students wanting to explore careers in the growing outdoor product design industry. This collaboration introduces an articulation transfer agreement designed to seamlessly transfer SLCC Technical Apparel fashion and design graduates into USU's OPDD program.

“I always wanted to do more outdoorsy types of design, and I think this [USU] degree will give me an edge connecting with industry that has an outdoor focus,” says Brenna, who hopes to one day to work for an outdoor clothing company, working on pattern drafting and tech packs—which is essentially clothing blueprints. 

Both SLCC's Fashion Institute and USU's OPDD programs offer hands-on training, practical skills, and industry experience. This past summer, the Fashion Institute moved from its former location at Library Square to join the School of Arts, Communication and Media (SACM) at South City Campus with a newly renovated facility equipped with cutting-edge resources. SLCC offers affordable tuition, as well as online classes and flexible scheduling. 

Faculty members have worked in the apparel industry, offering students first-hand knowledge. Mojdeh Sakaki, program manager of SLCC Fashion Institute, says the institute's commitment is to personalize instruction and student success. “Our class sizes are small, and attention to their future success is our main goal.”

USU's program incorporates disciplines such as industrial design, engineering, sustainability, and business. Amber Williams, professional practice assistant professor for USU's OPDD program, emphasized the need of collaboration between institutions. “When you start looking at the fashion and design industry, there are so many connections and overlaps,” says Amber. “We should absolutely be working together. It just makes sense.” 

Under this partnership, graduates of SLCC's Fashion Institute with a technical apparel degree can apply to USU's OPDD program, provided they submit a portfolio and are accepted. Similarly, students enrolled at USU must fulfill the portfolio submission requirement for formal admission. Successful candidates from SLCC can then pursue a bachelor's degree in OPDD at USU.

The goal of this articulation agreement was to create a smooth transition for students, with no gaps in learning. Before SLCC Fashion Institute students often had to look outside the state to continue their education. They would also lose out on any course work they already put into their degrees, as many fashion schools won’t accept credits earned at other institutions.

“We're providing opportunities for students who, at the beginning of their academic career, might not have thought that a four-year degree was possible,” Amber said. “And now we have a pathway that makes that possible for them.” 

Brenna will graduate from SLCC this spring with an applied associate’s degree in Technical Apparel Design and move on to USU this fall. “I do feel like I learned so much—it’s insane to look back and see how much I’ve learned from [SLCC Fashion Institute].”

For further information on SLCC Fashion Institute, visit their website here, and to explore USU's OPDD program, visit here.