Design student, Carol Shu, shows there is much more to creating a collection than just making clothes. During her first year of the Master’s of Fine Arts program, she conducted research for her collection, part of the time in India.

Shu audited a class in the Community and Regional Development Program, which helped her prepare for India. She also did research in microfinance and alternative business structures like cooperatives. “Design is inherently interdisciplinary,” she said.

While abroad, Shu interned for ten weeks with two non-governmental organizations. A Graduate Student Association Travel Award helped Shu make her way across the world. She also received the UC Davis Humanities Research Award and the Consortium for Women and Research Award, which was used to hire Indian artisans to embroider her garments.

Once she arrived back in the states, Shu began designing her collection. She works with two textiles artisans back in India for her block printed and traditional Indian tie-dyed fabrics.

As a 2007 UC Davis underclass graduate, Shu returned to the campus after taking a couple years to work in the sustainable fashion industry. As an undergraduate, she started off studying psychology but decided to go into design after taking a class in the department. “I just loved it,” Shu said. She knew she wanted to do more research for designing clothing sustainably and ethically and felt UC Davis was the best choice to make this happen. It was the only program she applied to because most art schools do not have an emphasis on research. Adding to her decision, the UC Davis Design Department is very interested and supportive of efforts to be sustainable.

Another way in which Shu has expressed her love for all things sustainable is by starting the Aggie Re-Store, located in the Memorial Union. With the help of another graduate student and Faculty Advisor Ann Savegeau, who Shu says is amazing, she opened the store to re-sell gently used items that have been donated.

See Soulcraft Clothing: Linking Indian Handcrafts with Sustainable Design, her final work of her Master’s career, at the Design MFA Graduation Exhibit between May 21 and June 8, 2012 in the Design Museum in Cruess Hall.