Bill and Leigh Goodwyn, alumni of the School of Media and Journalism at UNC, donated $1 million to the school for the Workroom: FashionMash project.
“We had been thinking about a gift to the University for some time and we just really wanted to get our head around doing something new and different for the University and we also wanted to do something that we felt like would have a passion appeal for me,” Leigh Goodwyn said.
The Workroom: FashionMash program is led by Dana McMahan, a professor and director of the journalism school’s Workroom initiative. The initiative brings global brands like American Eagle Outfitters and Burt’s Bees into the classroom so students can gain hands-on experience.
“Workroom is an actual workspace. We have an office downtown that we can prototype and build everything from experiential marketing ideas to product design ideas and we do it in conjunction with a client for the duration of the class,” McMahan said.
“It gives a chance for students to go through the prototyping process and the thought process behind what it takes to bring all of these types of things to life.”
John Sweeney, head of the advertising specialization at the School of Media and Journalism, said this program adds a fashion orientation that the school didn’t have before.
“(This donation) means one of our most outstanding faculty members now has the support she needs to really pursue a very career-oriented and provocative area of interest for her and the students,” Sweeney said. “(Students can gain) a lot more experience with sophisticated design in the fashion industry and a sense of the fashion industry that they didn’t have before.”
The Goodwyns said they are hoping this program will provide more opportunities for students who are interested in fashion.
