Established by our founder, Sarah Worthington Peter, in 1848 as Moore College’s first major, Textile Design supports the development of individual potential with an understanding of the historic traditions of textiles and contemporary trends.

Whether in fashion, home furnishings or fine art, Moore graduates are making their mark in every aspect of the field.

With a dual focus on fine arts and professional design, the Textile Design Department prepares students through the mastery of woven, print and surface design. The program supports both traditional hand processes and the use of technology. The faculty of established textile designers and professional artists emphasizes both development of aesthetic and conceptual concerns, as well as a high proficiency in design industry techniques.

Students pursue extensive research and investigation in areas such as fibers, three-dimensional fibers, paper-making, woven fabric structures, color dyeing, hand painting on fabric and fibers, screen printing, resist techniques, flat pattern design on paper, machine knit design, and computer-aided textile design.

Strong technical skills are emphasized in all courses throughout the sophomore, junior and senior years. Between junior and senior year, the students gain valuable experience in the field through a variety of internship possibilities.

Seniors choose to specialize in print, woven, knit, or surface design. Concentrating in one of the areas, seniors produce either a fine arts body of work or a professional portfolio for industry.