The college’s Fashion Institute has finalized its relocation from Library Square to the northwest wing of South City campus, a move that has been planned since 2019. The institute now shares the same space used by peer departments within the School of Arts, Communication and Media (SACM).
As Mojdeh Sakaki, manager for the Fashion Institute, walked the crisp, newly painted halls of the remodeled wing housing the program, she couldn’t help but feel excited about its future.
“This was very generous to do,” Sakaki remarked, “and I am very privileged and excited that the leadership recognized the importance of our program.”
The lease on the 8,000-square-foot rental space at Library Square was close to expiring, Sakaki said, so the prospect of moving the Fashion Institute closer to other departments within the SACM was a natural next step.
While the Fashion Institute has collaborated with other departments for some time, Sakaki noted that their new location will ease the process.
“We’ve always collaborated, even though we were isolated,” she said. “But this creates more opportunity for collaboration among students, teachers and the rest of the School of Arts, Communication and Media.”
Barbara Jensen, a sewing instructor who has two degrees in textiles and apparel design, expressed enthusiasm about the new location and the benefits that come with it, such as the display cases that stretch down the wing’s hall, which will soon be filled with students’ work.
“Just moving in the summer, we’ve had to do a little bit of rearranging and tweaking, but it’s been great,” Jensen said. “We have been very methodical in our thinking of each classroom and how the best workspace would be so our students can flourish and be successful.”
One feature that members of the Fashion Institute are looking forward to at South City campus is SLCC’s nighttime escort, a service in which campus police walk students to their transportation.
“The security services were very kind,” Sakaki said. “They have given me [a lot of] information that I will distribute to everyone, starting in the fall semester.”
Looking ahead, Sakaki wants to find new ways to expand the program—once they’ve settled in.
“I will be working with the marketing department in a new manner,” she said. “Because we’re not that ‘Fashion Institute moving from Library Square to South City’ anymore, this is a new beginning for the Fashion Institute to create more opportunities for our students.”
The Fashion Institute is planning an open house to introduce the community to its new location, but as of right now, Sakaki said an official date has yet to be determined.
