Armed with a little inspiration from instructors in the fashion and textile technology (FTT) program, students in several FTT courses have been busy designing fabrics and T-shirt graphics around the theme “Buffalo loves cotton.”

In fall 2010, two classes—Adobe Print Design for Industry and Adobe Fashion CAD—worked on fabric and garment designs inspired by images depicting the story of the City of Buffalo (including the bison, the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, the waterfront, and local architecture). The resulting concepts include the Cotton Parkway collection, Nautical Cotton, and Organic Optimism.

The entire project, Buffalo State Loves Cotton, received a $25,630 grant from Cotton Incorporated, an organization that helps companies manufacture, market, and sell cotton products more efficiently. The project director is Lynn Boorady, associate professor of fashion and textile technology.

“Our students have developed T-shirt graphics, fabric print designs, and clothing designs,” said Boorady. The best will be included in Runway 4.0, a fashion event to be held in April 2011, and in a virtual fashion show on Second Life.

Of course, T-shirts alone do not a fashion statement make. A group of classes will also contribute to finished garments. And, of course, all fabrics and fashions will be made of cotton!