March 17, 2025
Contact: Sara Diedrich, diedrichs@missouri.edu
Photo by Sophia Scheller
A visit to Champion’s facilities near Kansas City last fall sparked the creativity of three University of Missouri seniors, inspiring them to design the winning collection for the Heritage Vault Collection competition — a collaboration between Mizzou’s Department of Textile and Apparel Management (TAM) and apparel company Champion.
A piece from the winning collection will debut at The Mizzou Store this spring, with the rest of the 13-piece collection set for release this fall.
“Getting to go on-site to Champion really put everything into perspective for us,” said Emma Volk, a member of the winning team. “It allowed us to see what we could do in terms of screen-printing or embroidery, which helped us stay within the guidelines for our project. It’s easy to think big but then seeing the facility and what they’re actually capable of doing helped reel us in and set a realistic standard that we could meet with this project.”
For the third consecutive year, students in the TAM 3480 Technical Design class have partnered with Champion to create a retro-inspired Mizzou apparel line — but this year marked the first time students had the unique opportunity to tour the renowned brand’s facilities.
“It was a great opportunity for our students to see firsthand what goes on at the facility and to ask questions,” Assistant Professor Kerri McBee-Black said. “It was an invaluable experience.”
Classwork, collaboration and confidence
McBee-Black’s class of 17 students was tasked with creating a Mizzou-themed collection that aligns with the simple aesthetic of Champion’s Triumph line. Working in teams of two or three — though a few tackled the project solo — students conducted in-depth research on Champion’s customer base and emerging fashion trends to pinpoint style elements that would complement the Triumph line and resonate with customers. Throughout the process, they continuously refined their designs, incorporating feedback and critiques from Champion collaborators to ensure a market-ready collection.
Sabra Brockhouse, a member of the winning team, said the industry experience with Champion has given her valuable real-world insights and deepened her understanding of what she learned in the classroom.
“I think this experience has set us up for success,” she said. “We have experience in the industry now. It has shaped what I expect my future and career will look like.”
For winning team member Chloe Horstman, the experience bolstered her confidence and confirmed her ability to act on feedback and execute a project.
“I feel that this project has given me a strong foundation in hard skills, but the most valuable takeaway was learning how to receive and respond to feedback effectively,” she said. “Being able to ask follow-up questions and challenge ideas are skills that will benefit everyone in this class as we enter the industry. This was a good opportunity to train us up on those skills.”
Winners of the Heritage Vault Collection competition, from left, Chloe Horstman, Sabra Brockhouse and Emma Volk. This was the third year that Mizzou’s Department of Textile and Apparel Management collaborated with Champion to design a Mizzou-inspired collection.
Prepared to win
Each of the winning students agreed that Mizzou prepared them well to meet the challenges of the project and succeed.
“Doing this project assured me that the things that I am creating do contribute to a greater scale of things and there is the potential for me to succeed in the industry,” Volk said. “This project taught me that you’re going to make mistakes, but if you keep going, you can succeed in the end.”
And they’re all looking forward to seeing their designs being worn on campus, in the stands and on the street.
“It’ll be so gratifying,” Horstman said. “I’m really excited about updating my mom’s old Mizzou sweatshirt and getting her a new one.”
