J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship@Cornell
Professor of Department of Textiles and Apparel
College of Human Ecology
326 MVR
Department of Textiles and Apparel
College of Human Ecology
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
P: (607)255-6204
F: (607)255-1093
sl135@cornell.edu

Introduction

Studying the apparel industry -- its fashion, production, and distribution -- over her entire career, Suzanne Loker's current focus is innovation through technology and management strategies. She is interested in the entrepreneurial applications used by businesses to mass customize apparel, that is, involve the consumer or retailer customer of an apparel purchase in the design or choice of fabric, style, or size. Since her arrival at Cornell in 1998, Professor Loker has worked closely with the New York and U.S. apparel industry, discussing current needs, new directions, and educational/industry initiatives. These contacts provide case studies for classroom study, real-life problems for course projects, and research venues for graduate students.

Teaching

Professor Loker teaches TXA 331, Apparel Production and Management, and is developing a one-credit course as part of her J. Thomas Clark Professorship, Entrepreneurship for Designers. It will be taught in Fall 2001. Entrepreneurship for Designers will use the case study method to analyze issues special to designers who are entrepreneurs, such as intellectual property laws, sourcing materials and production, fashion cycles and sustained product development, and e-commerce. Both courses use multimedia tools to illustrate the changing context of the apparel industry and its entrepreneurial opportunities, whether as a design freelancer, a designer for a start-up firm, or as a design intrapreneur in a corporation.

Research

Mass customization requires innovative management strategies as well as technology to become a reality. These are the focus of Professor Loker's current research on apparel and sewn products producers. She hopes to develop a model that apparel and sewn products businesses can use to evaluate their potential in mass customization. Other research projects focus on the application of work skill standards to curricula for employee training in the apparel industry. Professor Loker has published a number of articles in professional journals and co-edited two books on apparel-related home-based work and the transition from state-owned apparel manufacturing in the Czech Republic after 1989. She serves as the Associate Editor for International, Business, and Industry Research for the Clothing and Textiles Journal, one of the main professional journals in her field.

Service

Professor Loker directs Cornell Cooperative Extension's Apparel Industry Outreach program. Its mission is to advance the competitiveness of the NYS apparel and sewn products industry through education and research. Through the biannual newsletter, Topstitch, the program web site, and educational materials and programming, Loker addresses the needs of small and medium sized firms in the state industry that employs over 86,000 people in manufacturing jobs alone.