FASHION TECHNOLOGY
CENTER
The FTC labs are leveraging advanced fashion technology to better prepare our students for the
fashion industry’s fast-paced, ever-changing, technology-driven future. The labs support students and faculty in the design, experimentation and innovation of textile and apparel products by providing training, access, and experience using advanced, industry-standard and state of the art tools.
Contact Us
Stephanie Wood
Senior Lab Associate for Fashion
Head of the Natalie Altieri Apparel Production Lab
Adjunct Instructor of Fashion Design
Office Location: Aronoff 6401A
Email: wood2s8@ucmail.uc.edu
Stephanie Wood is a Senior Lab Associate for Fashion and Adjunct Instructor in the Fashion Design program at DAAP/University of Cincinnati. Her professional background includes over 9 years of educational instruction and industry work in costume, bridal, and technical design. Her areas of focus include patternmaking, tailoring, fashion and costume history and construction, and surface embroidery.
Dr. Myoung Ok Kim
Head of the Wearable Futures Laboratory
Assistant Professor of Fashion Design
Office Phone: 513-556-5101
Email: kim2mo@ucmail.uc.edu
Myoung Ok Kim is an assistant professor in the Fashion Design Program at the University of Cincinnati, USA. She has over 20 years of the fashion industry and educational experience. She investigates and enhances human experiences through exploratory design methodologies. Her research values wearable technology including 2D & 3D digital clothing construction/fit and smart garments/devices. She has collaborated on many interdisciplinary research/projects to create wearable garments/devices with design, engineering, and medical researchers.
Ashley Kubley
Head of The Evelyn Burgoyne Textile Innovation Lab
Assistant Professor of Fashion Design
Office Phone: (513) 556-4362
Office Location: Aronoff Room 6459
Email: ashley.kubley@uc.edu
Ashley Newsome Kubley has over 15 years of education and professional experience in the fashion design, apparel production and textiles industries. She is passionate about the advancement of maker culture as well as the implementation socially + environmentally sustainable practices in the apparel industry. Her research focuses on bridging the gap between historical techniques and contemporary technologies, pursuing projects at the intersection of history and new technological innovations specific to textiles. She also uses her textile and apparel technology background to explore the potential for smart textile structures, new material composites and fabrications, and wearable technology applications that fuse nature and tech together. Working on interdisciplinary teams with engineers, medicine, and business where collaboration is the key to innovation. Her body of work on these emergent topics continues to grow as the push for sustainable, tech enabled futures become critical.
Zachary Hoh
Head of the Knitwear Technology Lab
Assistant Professor of Fashion Design
Office Phone:
Office Location: Aronoff 6415B
Email: hohzd@ucmail.uc.edu
Shima Daiani
Textile Innovation Laboratory Manager
Masters of Design (MDES 2024)
Email: daianisa@mail.uc.edu
Fashion Technology Center Mission
Students utilizing the FTC labs expand their breadth of knowledge, and engage in truly innovative and fashion-forward design using digital methods, tech-enabled equipment, and emergent approaches for apparel and textile design technology practice, research and advanced prototyping.
Faculty utilization of the labs for research has expanded to include interdisciplinary, funded projects that have received international acclaim.
Our Key Initiatives include:
A commitment to our students and their preparation for work in the fashion industry, with a particular focus on training on industry-standard design technology.
An interdisciplinary approach to design, allowing for the intersection of fields, and the emergence of new breakthroughs in fashion technology. We encourage an environment of collaboration where technology bridges disciplines, and blazes trails for new ways of working.
The application of specialized fashion design methods to drive innovation in fashion technology, and the advancement of apparel design field.
The conservation of craftsmanship, with a focus on the integrity of design through making. We believe in advanced design with quality, informed by traditional tools, technology and craft methods.
More ethical practices for the fashion industry. We focus on utilizing fashion technology to reduce negative impact of designed and manufactured fashion products.
Rules + Policies
To adhere to Covid19 protocols, you should sanitize your workstation and the equipment that you were in contact with after every use in preparation for the next lab user.
Students are allowed to work in the labs ONLY during open hours. Students will be asked to pack up at 4 pm to allow for cleaning by 4:30 closing time.
No food, drink or pets in the labs.
BE CAREFUL and pay attention! Follow ALL safety protocols for each machine that you use. Please adhere to the University lab health and safety guidelines and use policies.
Some equipment is dangerous, expensive and/or fragile, therefore it is important for you to be familiar with each piece of it before you use it.
Limit is 2 hours per machine. Utilize machinery efficiently, arrive prepared with your work ready.
Be respectful of others, the equipment and facilities.
Clean up after yourself.
Return machines to their baseline settings before you leave, including stock colors and/or settings if you’ve changed them.
Report broken machinery to the Lab technician.
Please be respectful of others, the Lab and our shared facilities. Any misuse and/or damage of Lab equipment/ facilities, including failure to clean up after yourself, will result in Lab closure for all.
You must use proper safety equipment and PPE when working with any potentially hazardous materials.
The equipment and space in this lab is first come first serve.
Return supplies and tools to their storage place after use.
Do not remove any machines, equipment or tools from the lab spaces.
No wet media (inks, dyes or paints) allowed.
More information on detailed FTC lab policies can be viewed here:
Thank You to Our Supporters
Since 2018, the fashion design facilities have been transformed thanks to generous funding from the Evelyn G. Burgoyne Family Foundation, the Altieri Family Foundation and The University of Cincinnati Office of Research, along with many donations from philanthropic alumni + community members, as well as the dedication of our fashion faculty, students and staff who have worked diligently to acquire equipment, develop programs and renew the facilities.