Anna Mathsen of Eden Prairie, a senior in professional and technical communication at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, has created a digital fashion portfolio of apparel collections in advance of the university’s May 3 WEAR Fashion Show.
Mathsen created the portfolio, her digital humanities capstone project, via a photo shoot in a specialized university lab.
The lab has 120 cameras mounted on a frame to capture photos of an object or person simultaneously. The images, taken within milliseconds, are imported into software that stitches the images together into a detailed 3D model in a process called photogrammetry. The work is done in what is known as the PARSEC Lab, which stands for Photogrammetry and Reflectivity for STEM Research and Education in the Chippewa Valley.
The technology can be used to create elements of video games, as well as architectural models, interactive digital artifacts for museums and more.
Mathsen had done a manual photogrammetry project in a previous digital humanities class, where she took dozens of photos asynchronously by hand and edited them herself to create a high-resolution scan.
The lab, she said, makes the work much more efficient. “I was excited to use the equipment here. I hope more students use this space for their projects,” she said.
For her portfolio, Mathsen wanted to use what she’d learned and cater to her friends’ interests.
Evan Tomczyk, Mathsen’s boyfriend, and roommate Lucas Moreno-Martinez III are two of the students whose fashion design works will be featured in the WEAR Fashion Show.
“I admire fashion, and Evan and Lucas have a passion for design. I wanted to spotlight their work, their design process and completed looks,” Mathsen said.
Computer science professor Seth Berrier built the software and complex camera system Mathsen is using and manages the lab. “We’ve had four student projects in the … lab since it opened. Anna’s is the first communications/fashion design collaboration we’ve had,” he said.
Professional communications professor Mitch Ogden is Mathsen’s mentor and said, “Anna’s photogrammetry project is an inspiring example of Stout’s polytechnic model and is a convergence of degree disciplines. Where else do you get to see fashion and apparel design, computer science and technical communication come together? This is the cross-disciplinary magic of the digital humanities.
“Our program is pushing the envelope for what we think of as ‘content’ and how we imagine putting that content into the world. Photogrammetry is a powerful approach. Already, clothing retailers are exploring moves towards 3D modeling of clothes,” Ogden added. “As technologies evolve and our consumer habits with them, there will be continued innovation in this field. Anna’s project prepares her to be ready for those opportunities.”
The WEAR Fashion Show will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 3, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie. Tickets are available online.
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