Apparel Design Students\u27 Use of Textiles and Clothing Museums as Sources of Inspiration

A mixed-methods study explored apparel design students\u27 use of textiles and clothing museums as sources of inspiration for their design work. Using an online survey, the participants reported the frequency in which they visited textiles and clothing museums and museums with textiles and clothing exhibitions, as well as the museums\u27 online collections and exhibitions. Students also listed aspects of the museums\u27 exhibited artifacts that influenced their design work and reasons for their lack of attendance at these types of museums. Additionally, the participants noted the frequency in which they used fashion blogs and websites for design inspiration and shared their views on the credibility of such resources for historical reference inspirations. The results of this study provide evidence that textiles and clothing museums are valuable venues for sources of inspiration for apparel design students