Hi, I'm Emma Grace Stafford ~
I am a recent graduate of Indiana University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design and a minor in Ethics!
I realized that I wanted to work in fashion at the end of teenagedom - I was working at a Plato's Closet when I had dropped out of community college, and subsequently took on more hours and responsibilities at my job. With every day that passed I adored fashion more, and was infatuated with the store's philosophy of sustainability and affordable fashion. I worked my way up to the position of Creative Director - leading the store's online presence and in-store visual merchandising. After some research, it became clear to me that the path I was destined to lead meant going back to college. I resigned from Plato's and acquired a job closer to Ivy Tech at another Winmark store: Style Encore. I was able to take on less responsibilities there, allowing me to shift my focus towards returning to school while still working with what I loved! I completed a program at Ivy Tech designed to help individuals transfer from community college to 4-year universities, then excitedly enrolled in the school I'd never imagined I would go to: IU.
My time at IU was nothing short of amazing - in addition to core classes like history, foreign language, literature, etc. I studied the process of fashion design: from ideation to construction to presentation. I worked on projects observing peoples' relationships with fashion, compassionate marketing, technique experimentation, and more. In addition to this, I studied ethical philosophy for my minor. In my eyes, the fashion industry is in great need of new ethical decision-makers and I intend to be one of them. Now, with my fancy diploma, I am ready to take on the fashion world!
I am a recent graduate of Indiana University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design and a minor in Ethics!
I realized that I wanted to work in fashion at the end of teenagedom - I was working at a Plato's Closet when I had dropped out of community college, and subsequently took on more hours and responsibilities at my job. With every day that passed I adored fashion more, and was infatuated with the store's philosophy of sustainability and affordable fashion. I worked my way up to the position of Creative Director - leading the store's online presence and in-store visual merchandising. After some research, it became clear to me that the path I was destined to lead meant going back to college. I resigned from Plato's and acquired a job closer to Ivy Tech at another Winmark store: Style Encore. I was able to take on less responsibilities there, allowing me to shift my focus towards returning to school while still working with what I loved! I completed a program at Ivy Tech designed to help individuals transfer from community college to 4-year universities, then excitedly enrolled in the school I'd never imagined I would go to: IU.
My time at IU was nothing short of amazing - in addition to core classes like history, foreign language, literature, etc. I studied the process of fashion design: from ideation to construction to presentation. I worked on projects observing peoples' relationships with fashion, compassionate marketing, technique experimentation, and more. In addition to this, I studied ethical philosophy for my minor. In my eyes, the fashion industry is in great need of new ethical decision-makers and I intend to be one of them. Now, with my fancy diploma, I am ready to take on the fashion world!
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I have always been fascinated by the way individuals express their identities with the art they put on their bodies. Through cosmetology school, I learned the significance of hair and makeup in conveying the self. Through my jobs working with secondhand clothing, I came to understand how valuable it is for people to have access to clothing they feel truly themselves in. Through my time (thus far) at Indiana University, I have learned to draft and construct clothing that speaks to me as a designer and communicates the wearer's values.
Looking back on my own life with my current knowledge, I have a greater comprehension of what messages I once conveyed, convey now, and will convey - through the hairstyles, makeup, body modifications, and clothing that I wear. |