Historical Overview of the Mount Mary Fashion Program
Mount Mary Fashion Department classroom
In the fall of 1965 Mount Mary College began offering a major in fashion design with a minor in clothing and textiles. Sister Aloyse Hessburg was appointed as the first program coordinator. The fashion major was developed in response to the apparel industry’s need for professionally trained graduates in a course of study that combined a foundation in the liberal arts with a strong art and design background and good technical skills in clothing construction and pattern-making. The four-year Bachelor of Arts degree, which drew substance from an interdisciplinary combination of art, clothing, and textile courses, was the first of its kind in the nation.
Initial coursework plans for the fashion design course, with two semesters of coursework listed for 1965
The initial plans for coursework in the fashion design program (see memo to the right) included Writing for the Newspapers, Figure Drawing, and Advanced Drawing with a Fashion Photography focus. Several individuals from the Milwaukee Journal, Aileen Ryan among them, were scheduled to teach courses, and the program continued to receive support from the newspaper throughout the years. The memo also discussed the possibility of adding guest lectures from "designers, textile people..., beauty products manufacturers..., etc." and mentioned perhaps planning visits to Heritage-Milwaukee Manufacturers' plants. From the very beginning, Mount Mary's program intended to be deeply embedded in the local community, and over the years it has drawn great strength from those connections.
Sister Aloyse Hessburg holding the dress (Object ID #1967.01) she made for Mrs. Frances Howard Robb in 1967
Source: The Milwaukee Journal
Unique in its marriage of creativity, technical standards, and market acumen, the Mount Mary fashion department quickly developed a national reputation for excellence. This was exemplified in the praise Sister Aloyse received in 1967 when she designed, made, and fitted the mother-of-the-groom dress worn by Mrs. Frances Howard Robb at the White House wedding of her son Charles Robb to Lynda Bird Johnson.
The new program grew slowly but steadily. The first graduating class in 1969 had four students; by 1973 the outgoing class had grown to nineteen, with incoming freshmen increasingly drawn to Mount Mary’s fashion program. By 1975 there were 81 students enrolled in the program, with about 65 graduates since 1969.
Fashion Archive garments being exhibited
Sister Aloyse, who also taught various fashion courses, began collecting garments and accessories because she believed that students could enhance their design and technical abilities with hands-on experience. What began as a small “closet collection” eventually evolved into the Fashion Archive, which now contains more than 10,000 pieces, many of which have been digitized for this Digital Fashion Archive.
Since 1968 the fashion department has put on an annual fashion show featuring student designers. Each year fashion design and merchandise management majors collaborate to plan, produce and manage a professional-caliber fashion show featuring the work of Mount Mary students. The fashion show is part of a larger celebration of the School of Arts and Design which showcases work of all the school departments with an exhibit of art and design student achievement. Now branded as CREO, this annual tradition offers many learning opportunities and draws over 1000 guests.
