Fashion Immersion Day gives prospective students an inside look at Lipscomb Fashion

Participants will experience hands-on learning, career preparation and the community behind Lipscomb’s fashion program.

Robin Ghosh | 09/11/2026

High school students interested in exploring fashion as a potential career are invited to experience life as a Lipscomb fashion student during Fashion Immersion Day on Monday, Oct. 12.

Through hands-on workshops, classroom experiences and conversations with faculty and students, participants will explore the creative and professional sides of fashion while getting an inside look at the community behind Lipscomb’s program.

“We try to give them a little taste of everything in the program,” said Maria Simmons, assistant professor of fashion and design and main organizer of the event.
Participants will experience fashion illustration and flat pattern design, learn how students build their professional portfolios and hear firsthand perspectives during a panel with current fashion students. The event also showcases opportunities available through the program, including internships, industry connections and domestic and international travel.

“Fashion Immersion Day gives prospective students an authentic look at what it feels like to be part of Lipscomb Fashion,” said Charlotte Poling, chair of the Department of Fashion, Art and Design. “They will spend time in our studios, meet faculty and current students, explore the creative and business sides of the industry, and experience the kind of hands-on learning that defines our program.”

For Simmons, the experience gives prospective students an opportunity to connect with faculty who are passionate about helping them maximize their potential. “I hope our prospective students take away how much we enjoy what we do, being here and the time we get to spend with our students,” Simmons said. “It’s something that I really love the most about this job – watching students develop and progress year after year.”

That personal investment is coupled with an emphasis on career preparation. Lipscomb students learn the creative and technical foundations of fashion while also developing the versatility needed to navigate a constantly evolving industry.

"It is my goal to make my students prepared for the real world,” Simmons said. “I want my students to be able to go out and get jobs.”

Simmons encourages students to become multifaceted professionals who can pursue their own creative passions while building sustainable careers. That means understanding the technology, production processes and behind-the-scenes work that bring fashion to the marketplace.

Fashion Immersion Day reflects that approach by introducing participants to several stages of the creative process. A portfolio development session will demonstrate how students present their work and creative identities professionally. Participants will also step into a flat pattern design class and explore Browzwear, an industry-standard 3D fashion design platform that allows designers to visualize and develop garments digitally.

A student panel will offer firsthand insights into classes, projects, internships, study abroad and daily life in the program, with opportunities for prospective students and families to ask questions.

“Lipscomb Fashion is distinctive because of its close mentorship, industry connections and strong sense of community,” Poling said. “Fashion Immersion Day allows prospective students to experience firsthand how we prepare students not simply to study fashion, but to build meaningful careers within it.”
At the end of the day, Poling hopes students leave encouraged about the possibilities ahead of them.

“I hope they leave feeling inspired, encouraged and able to picture themselves here, developing their talents and discovering where they might fit within the fashion industry,” she said.

Fashion Immersion Day begins with an optional campus tour at 9 a.m., followed by welcome and registration at 10:15 a.m. in the McFarland Science Center. The event is open to high school students and their families.