The Costume Society of America’s (CSA) annual symposium, “Innovation: The Art, Craft, History, Technology and Diaspora of Dress,” explored the intersection of the history of fashion with the new developments that technology has made in recent years. The symposium, co-sponsored by LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts (CFA) and the Department of Theatre Arts took place from June 1- 4, 2025, in Los Angeles with some events occurring on Loyola Marymount University’s Westchester and Playa Vista campuses.
LMU External Relations and Theatre Arts hosted a fashion-side chat, “Threading Connections: Technology & Innovation Across Fashion Ecosystems,” moderated by Leon Wiebers, CSA president and professor of costume design and former chair of Theatre Arts, and featuring Kelsey Amara, instructional technologist for CFA. The chat also convened dynamic speakers from innovative companies such as Skechers, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Nike.
“The fashion-side chat brought together stakeholders from the museum, education, textile, fashion, and technology sectors to discuss important and shared issues facing the broad spectrum of the fashion community,” Wiebers said. “It welcomed international scholars and researchers to LMU for the first time to experience our amazing campus and advance the knowledge of the field.”
Together, the panel juggled questions surrounding what technology has done for fashion in the past and what it could do for fashion in the future, analyzing topics such as how digital innovation can help preserve, reinterpret, or even reanimate fashion history for modern audiences and what a truly connected fashion ecosystem looks like.
As technology continues to change how we think about many different sectors, from business to film to fashion, conversations like that of the fashion-side chat become increasingly important. With LMU being the space for these conversations, the university’s ideals of always learning and always growing are reinforced.
“Having these leaders in the same space to engage with the panelists was a first-time event for many of them and rather unique,” said Wiebers. “As moderator, I thought the networking opportunities, conversation, and presentation helped to raise awareness of work being done at LMU and our role as a leader in the region.”
“Bringing this conversation to LMU Playa Vista reflects our mission to connect education with industry in the heart of Silicon Beach,” said Jody Skenderian, LMU executive director for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives. “We’re committed to creating opportunities for LMU students, faculty, staff, and alumni to engage with industry, explore new ideas, and grow at the intersection of creativity, innovation, and impact.”
