At the University of Rhode Island, studying abroad offers once-in-a-lifetime language studies, internship experience, and cultural immersion for fashion students.
Every year the Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design Department (TMD) at the University of Rhode Island (URI) sends 9 to 12 percent of its majors abroad through the Office of International Education. This past Spring semester students headed to Florence, Milan, London, and Australia’s Gold Coast to spend a semester abroad. TMD has one of the highest rates of students participating in study abroad programs at URI.
Why? Because faculty are avid travelers themselves, and some of them hail from foreign countries including England, Iceland, Korea, and India. TMD faculty have a long tradition of encouraging students to experience other cultures through short-term, semester-long, or full-year programs. A decade ago, an initiative to “double major in a fashion language,” specifically French or Italian, reinforced the importance of studying abroad for fashion majors. URI has strong programs in modern languages, and many students have accepted the challenge of majoring or minoring in a foreign language in addition to studying fashion. A few have even tackled Chinese.
URI offers two fashion programs leading to Bachelor of Science degrees: one is Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design (TMD), and the other is Textile Marketing (TM). With careful planning, students majoring in TMD are able to complete a second degree within four years. Double majors spend a semester or year abroad, living and learning in the country where the language they are studying is spoken. While it is more challenging for TM majors to incorporate language study into their tight curriculum, many spend a semester abroad and take introductory language classes while there.
A student does not have to study a language to study abroad. Many students spend a semester or summer in Florence, Paris, or London. One of these is the winter fashion study tour of London and Paris. Every January, a group of students spends five days in each city on a faculty-lead tour, with visits to designers, museums, upscale stores, and boutiques. The most popular programs are Mod’Spé in Paris, Accademia Italiana in Florence, Richmond University in Florence and London, and London College of Fashion.
The TMD Department also offers its own short-term programs during the January term and during summer session. This summer, for the first time, TMD is partnering with the Université de la Mode in Lyon, France, where students will experience French culture while studying fashion.
How do study abroad experiences impact our graduates? Christine Gayant (Class of ’08), who studied at the University of Orléans, has used her French at Christian Louboutin as she rose to her current position as senior director of Wholesale & Concession Development in the Americas. Joe Rotondo (Class of ’16), founder and lead designer of Rocky Clark Clothing, a sustainable streetwear company based in New York City, considers his semester abroad to have been a “life-changing experience.” One of his favorite memories is when he walked the runway at Accademia Italiana’s Fashion Show when he studied in Florence in 2015. Joe thinks study abroad should be required for all fashion students.
For more information, visit www.uri.edu/tmd.
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