While the dedication and love for fashion drove her career as a successful Lead Technical Designer, Christie Cheung ’24 still sought out new inspiration for her craft.
“I have a passion for art. Fashion is a more practical way to express art. It’s not like painting or sculpture, but it’s closer to it than people realize. As I started thinking more about it, I realized there’s a link between the past and current fashion. This got me thinking: How can I step outside of the fashion world and get inspiration from other fields,” Cheung said.
With the desire to look into new fields of study, Cheung stumbled upon SUNY Brockport’s Liberal Studies (MA). The program is flexible and 100 percent online. It also allows students to select their own courses and create a custom Plan of Study. The flexibility of the program not only allowed her to diversify her education, but it also allowed her to continue working while earning her degree.
“I discovered their liberal arts program, where I could take online classes and choose classes that interested me, like environmental studies and art criticism. I could study things that relate to fashion in a broader sense, and it helped me view fashion from a different perspective. The best part is that I picked the classes I wanted and worked with an advisor to choose what would help me most. This flexibility allowed me to complete 30 credits for the degree program at my own pace,” Cheung said.
Through her studies in the Liberal Studies program, Christie began to see her career in a new light. The diverse subjects she studied gave her an enriched context for what the fashion industry looks like from a different perspective.
“After reading materials and attending classes, I realized that fashion is more than just about the clothes. It’s about understanding history, climate, and environmental factors. This has changed how I approach my work in fashion. Now, when I think about fashion, I don’t just focus on what’s trending. I also consider history, culture, and how everything relates,” she said.
Building on this new understanding of fashion, Cheung believes that her degree will also be useful for the future of fashion. It will help her to contribute more ethical standards in the industry.
“My degree will give me the tools to engage with these changes in a deeper way. Understanding history, culture, and the environment is key to making sustainable choices in fashion. I want to be part of the movement that helps make the industry more responsible,” she said.
Cheung’s time as a graduate student in the liberal studies program has not only contributed to her career but also encouraged her to become a part of a more sustainable fashion movement and teach these principles to a new generation of designers.