Class of 2024: Whitney Jackim finds community and inspiration through fashion
Name: Whitney Jackim
Major: Fashion merchandising design with a minor in consumer studies
Hometown: Melbourne, Florida
Plans after graduation: She will continue working with the Oris Glisson Historic Costume and Textile Collection and collecting lab hours for apparel assembly.
Favorite Hokie memory: During an evening football game, jumping to “Enter Sandman.” “The atmosphere was electrifying with the fireworks, and I just remember being mind-blown,” she said.
The inspiration
At the age of 7, Jackim was introduced to fashion design by hand sewing a small stuffed bear under the guidance of her grandmother. Sewing with the plastic needle and thick thread ignited her passion for the craft. Eventually, her grandmother taught her how to use a sewing machine.
“Following in my grandma’s footsteps makes me feel more connected to her, and without her, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” Jackim said.
As Jackim designs clothing for various fashion shows throughout her studies, including Hokie Designers, and Vetement de Rue, she still shares all her projects with her grandma.
“We talk textiles all the time, and I send her pictures to get her feedback,” Jackim said. “Being able to share my passion with my grandma means the world to me, and I couldn’t imagine her not being a part of it.”
Finding community
When Jackim transferred to Virginia Tech in 2022, she was drawn by the Hokie community’s kind and positive atmosphere. Also, the university had the fashion design program for which she had been searching.
Her second fashion show, Vetement de Rue, helped solidify her decision to become a Hokie by connecting her with people who welcomed her and shared her values. The theme for the show was “bloom,” so Jackim pieced together a butterfly dress, which remains her favorite design.
She initially drew inspiration from her childhood spent chasing butterflies around the garden, but soon discovered it held a deeper meaning for her.
“The butterfly design was transformative for me because being a new student is always challenging, and I think of how resilient a butterfly is,” Jackim said. “The caterpillar goes into a chrysalis, and from those cells it rebuilds itself into something new and beautiful.”
Jackim said the community she found through fashion helped her to build herself, as a butterfly does.
“That fashion show was so impactful to me because it allowed me to make my first friends while developing my skills,” Jackim said.
Research
Jackim is expanding her Virginia Tech experience by participating in undergraduate research led by Jessie Chen-Yu, professor of fashion merchandising and design.
She is studying naturally colored cottons and researching whether the material is suitable for children’s sleepwear by looking at tests, such dimensional stability, air permeability, and flammability.
Jackim said she can apply what she is learning throughout her career because it will give her a better understanding of clothing regulations and standards.
“Being able to do something hands on helps solidify the information, and I get to have fun while doing it,” Jackim said.
A rewarding passion
To Jackim, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) means finding ways to give back through her work.
She helps set up exhibitions and preserve the garments at the Oris Glisson Historic Costume and Textile Collection, located in Wallace Hall.
Jackim realized the collection’s impact when she was setting up a World War II exhibition, where she displayed a wedding dress from December 1949. While walking through the collection, one of Jackim’s professors, Irene Leech, thought the wedding dress looked familiar. After checking the catalogue card, they discovered that it was the same dress Leech’s cousin wore for her wedding in Blacksburg in 1949.
“What separates our collection from others is the rich Blacksburg history, and being able to work in the collection and continue to bring that history forward is really unique,” Jackim said. “I try to give back to the community because they have helped me so much.”
Written by Brooke Van Beuren, communications intern with the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
