About FSAD

The Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD) provides an opportunity to study and research fibers, fabrics, apparel, and the apparel industry from design, management, historical, and scientific perspectives. The department has twelve faculty in addition to other academic and nonacademic support staff who serve approximately 130 undergraduate and 20 graduate students.

The department has a broad outreach effort that includes programs related to the apparel industry, personal pesticide protection, textile programs for youth, and water quality. These outreach efforts take the research knowledge of the department and extend it into the broader community. A significant part of the FSAD outreach effort makes use of the Cornell Cooperative Extension network and partners with a variety of state and non-profit organizations throughout New York State and in New York City.

The department has an outstanding Costume Collection with 8,000 items that is used primarily for teaching and research. The collection includes apparel and accessories dating from the eighteenth century to the present. We also host a very fine ethnographic collection of textiles and complete costumes and a small collection of European and American textiles.