The N.C. State College of Textiles held its fifth annual Research Open House Tuesday for students and industry representatives interested in learning more about the current research in the field.

The free event was held on Centennial Campus at the College of Textiles from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Events throughout the day showcased student designs and presented new research and information from the field.

The open house included talks from various professors and industry professionals, information and demonstrations on current research, a graduate student poster session, tours of the college, a reception where seniors’ designs were displayed and a fashion show.

According to Cindy Istook, professor of fashion design and product development, the event attracted two different audiences.

There was less involvement from students in apparel-related fields in the research portion of the day, she said.

“People from many different fields, including chemical and medical professionals, attended the research portion of the show, while many students in the textiles department primarily took part in the senior showcase and fashion show,” Istook said. “Still, the fashion show may have boosted student attendance in the first half of the day’s events.”

Istook said the college invited individuals within the industry to the event to show them that the University has a good base of textile students whom they should consider for careers after graduation.

The professors and industry professionals spoke on a variety of topics, including medical textiles, fashion design, supply chain, nonwovens, biotextiles, homeland security and marketing, she said.

Rebecca Klossner, a graduate student in fiber and polymer science, organized the graduate student poster session. According to Klossner, the poster session had a higher rate of participation than in previous years.

“Many of the posters were done for graduate student research,” she said. “A record number of people registered this year.”

According to Klossner, a few students who graduated with an undergraduate degree from the College of Textiles and went on to become graduate students in the program took part in the poster session.

Industry professionals judged participants in the poster session in four different categories, she said.

“The event, when coupled with the apparel design aspect of the day, was very successful,” Klossmer said.

Istook estimated that approximately 150 people attended the research portion of the day.

Naimah Jabali-Nash, a senior in textile and apparel management, was one of the seniors who took part in the Senior Showcase Fashion Show and helped to organize the reception where student designs were displayed.

According to Jabali-Nash, this event was a good opportunity because it was done for the students.

“Displaying our designs is a requirement for seniors,” she said. “This is a fashion show for the students, by the students.”

The event was part of industry day, and the students set up displays for people in the industry to view prior to the fashion show, Jabali-Nash said.

According to Jabali-Nash, the seniors were involved in all aspects of the show.

“Everyone helped,” she said. “I am displaying some of my designs but also helping in getting the models together, and I helped set up the runway.”

Jabali-Hash said this was the first annual senior showcase, and this was a good opportunity for senior students to display their models.

Many students displayed their older designs in the reception portion of the event, but they also had the option of displaying their newest designs, she said.

Combining the research portion of the day with the Senior Showcase Fashion Show led to a successful event, according to Klossner.

“When combined, these two portions showed the design aspect of the College of Textiles,” Klossner said.