Gabrielle Hatcher, set to graduate in May 2020, is well-armored for a successful career in the fashion industry with a major in Fashion Design and a minor in Fashion Merchandising.
Since she first took a sewing class in the third grade, Gabrielle Hatcher has been fascinated with fashion. Now a senior Fashion Design student at Stevenson, Gabrielle said, “I wasn’t always 100 percent sure that I wanted to attend college for fashion, but I don’t think I could have chosen a better major.”
During the spring semester of 2019, Gabrielle studied abroad at the Lorenzo de ‘Medici Institute in Florence, Italy. For almost four months, she took classes in Textiles, Anthropology of Fashion: Beyond the Catwalk, Introduction to the Fashion Industry, History of Costume, and Philosophy while living in one of the world’s major fashion capitals.
“Being able to learn concepts in class and then go see (in person) the types of garments, techniques, or elements of history that we were discussing was amazing and such a hands-on educational experience.”
While there, Gabrielle also traveled extensively within Europe, filling her free time with excursions to Milan, Pisa, the Amalfi Coast, Paris, Rome, Venice, the Tuscan Hills, and Austria. “I felt like I was living in a movie the entire time I was there.”
For Gabrielle, the exceptional experiences didn’t cease upon returning home. The following summer, she interned at Under Armour headquarters in the Technical Design Department. Working on the Women’s Training team as part of their Summer Rookie League program, her department focused on communicating with creative designers, sourcing groups, overseas factories, and others to bring designs to life.
“It was extremely valuable for me to see how such a large brand operates and is able to create and put out product to their consumer. The internship program aims to expose you to multiple sides of the business, help you network, build relationships with other interns, help you learn as much as possible within your department, and have fun.”
The approachability of Stevenson’s small school setting and the fashion program itself drew Gabrielle to SU. “Some fashion programs at different schools are extremely competitive, but in the program at Stevenson we all want to mutually see each other succeed.”
At the culmination of her experiences, Gabrielle finds it most fulfilling to see the garments and looks that she has put so much time, effort, and thought into come to life and be on display. In her case, she was even able to showcase her work in multiple shows. In Stevenson’s Spring 2018 Student Fashion Show, Gabrielle took home an award for Best Garment Construction for her tailored suit.
