UC Fashion Faculty and Alums Contribute to Consumer Fashion Guide

Faculty and alums of the University of Cincinnati’s

nationally ranked

fashion program, part of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), have contributed to a new book, “Collective Fashion Wisdom: 90 Questions, 450 Answers, 5 Points of View,” designed to help consumers dress with elegance, style and grace.

The book was authored by Nancy Brinker, assistant director and adjunct instructor in UC’s School of Design, who has previously filled roles as Fashion and Special Events Director for Saks Fifth Avenue, Cincinnati, and as corporate buyer and wardrobe consultant; and Joyce Elkus, former model, designer buyer and director of the executive shopping service for Saks Fifth Avenue, Cincinnati.

Contributors include UC fashion alum

Jay Ott

, a New York designer of luxury men’s and women’s apparel; UC fashion alum Liz Ricketts, designer and stylist, and Craig Signer, designer and textile specialist whose design studio overlooks both Miami Beach and downtown Miami, Fla.

Providing illustrations for “Collective Fashion Wisdom” was Margaret Voelker-Ferrier, UC professor of fashion design and a one-time fashion illustrator and designer in Paris. Providing graphic design for the book was UC design alum Jesse Reed. The book’s introduction was written by Aaron Betsky, director of the Cincinnati Art Museum.

The book provides the authors’ and contributors’ briefly encapsulated advice that includes (and many other topics as well):

• Essential accessories
• Essential basics for any wardrobe
• How to soften a basic black ensemble
• How to wear scarves
• Packing for travel
• Questions to ask yourself before building a wardrobe
• Reselling unwanted clothing items
• Selecting colors that are right for an individual
• What does an organized closet look like
• What to wear to a wedding or a job interviews
  

According to Brinker, the best part of working on the project was the multigenerational and multifaceted viewpoints it provides: “As we posed common consumer questions for the contributors to answer, I was intrigued by the multiple viewpoints of the replies. Throughout the book, each contributor has a distinctive voice that offers the reader a balance of opinion.”

“And,” she added, “For me, personally, it was great to be part of a project where I got to work as a colleague with UC fashion and design alumni who are outstanding professionals.”

For Voelker-Ferrier, the project represented “doing what I love: illustration. It was a project of love for me, working with a great group with varying experiences to draw upon. Not to mention that it shows the best qualities of our graduates, resulting in a quality final product.”

• See the national rankings earned by UC’s fashion design program.
• Apply to UC’s fashion design program.