Apparel Merchandising Students Create Doll Clothing for Walmart Dolls

Photo by Lacey Howard

India Callahan, AMPD major and one of the designers poses with My Life As doll and design board used to develop doll outfits.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Students in the apparel merchandising and product development program of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas have designed a doll clothing line now being sold nationwide on My Life As dolls in Walmart.

Kathy Smith, clinical associate professor in the School of Human Environmental Sciences’ apparel program, was contacted by Walmart toy buyer Haley Kochen about getting students involved in the project. Kochen is a 2010 graduate of the Bumpers College’s apparel merchandising and product development program.

The clothes are featured on the My Life As doll, an 18-inch doll that wears various styles of active wear, and was created for young girls ages 8 to 12.

A total of 17 designs have been produced by Bumpers College students, five in 2013 and 12 more recently. Each outfit comes with a hangtag featuring the U of A logo and stating the outfit was “designed by an apparel student.” The newest outfits are a rose swimsuit, watermelon dress, gardener clothes, hi/lo tribal skirt, polka dot dress, pom-pom ruffle dress, aqua and pink hi/lo skirt, two surfer girl swimsuits, hip hop dancer ensemble, red polka dot swimsuit and pink wetsuit.  

“Projects such as the My Life As doll designs allow students to interact directly with professionals in the apparel industry,” said Smith. “Students can proudly build their resumes and portfolios with hands-on experiences which will set them apart from their peers as they begin their careers. This is key for the future of the program and for prospective students as they make choices for an academic program that best fits their needs in a professional environment. Walmart and the U of A have allowed our apparel students to showcase their work in a national retail arena.”

Industry-based software was used to navigate the apparel production process. Students were put into groups to research current clothing trends and develop strategies and unique designs for the dolls. Outfits were designed using computer aided design.

“This project utilized industry-specific software that is learned in the classroom and applied to a real problem of creating the design,” said Smith. “At the same time, students had to keep the guidelines for the company in mind and use the consumer as the ultimate guiding force in the product development and retail merchandising process.”

Each group presented designs to the retail executive team, which consisted of key suppliers for the product line. Designs were selected to be produced as part of the spring outfit assortment. The process typically takes 12 months.

“It is very seldom that you find this kind of opportunity, especially at a collegiate level, where you get the chance to work with the No. 1 retailer in the world,” said India Callahan, an apparel merchandising and product development major and one of the designers. “It builds skills on a corporate level and gives you first-hand experience of how it is to work on the product development side. I feel that you can’t get that kind of experience anywhere besides at the University of Arkansas.”

Kochen viewed the class project as an opportunity to give back to the program that launched her career.

“This is a great learning experience, understanding the cost implications of all of the design decisions that you make and designing a garment that would hit a certain cost threshold,” said Kochen, who has been with Walmart since 2010. “A lot of beautiful things I love can't be executed because of cost, but I'm learning that you can make beautiful designs that still fit within our ‘Every Day Low Price’ model. I'm excited to be able to give back to the program that has been so good to my career. I didn't envision doll clothing, but it's a really fun program to develop.” 

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.