Nicole Villarreal

Bio

Dr. Nicole Villarreal is a fashion & textile designer, costume historian, researcher, and educator. She has a Ph.D. in Textile Technology Management from Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University. Her research interest is the convergence of 3D technology and fashion & textile design (both old and new), which allows her to combine her passions for garment construction, costume history, and 3D technology.

Dr. Villarreal wrote her dissertation on the use of 3D apparel software simulation for digitizing historic costume. She received her M.Sc. from The University of Texas at Austin where she wrote her thesis on the construction and conservation of the ‘curtain dress’ from the film Gone With The Wind, and did research for the exhibition of The Making of “Gone With The Wind” at the Harry Ransom Center. She has presented at symposia of the Costume Society of America (CSA) and at national conferences of the International Textiles and Apparel Association (ITAA).

After lecturing at UT Austin and NC State University, she is currently an Assistant Professor in Apparel Design & Merchandising (Department of Applied Design) where she teaches studio courses in basic and intermediate apparel design, and lectures on twentieth and twenty first century fashion and popular culture.