Pirate Profile: Delaney Arthur | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's note: The author of this post, Grady Dillon, is a contributor to ECU News Services.

    East Carolina student Delaney Arthur has a passion for drawing and designing clothes. Now, she hopes to one day start her own design company.

    Arthur, a junior from Lynchburg, Virginia, is majoring in fashion merchandising and consumer studies. She said she has loved designing clothes ever since she was a child.

    "I feel that my love for it partially comes from me having to move so much when I was growing up and most of the time, I didn't even stay at one school for very long," Arthur said. "Drawing was kind of always that one constant."

    Arthur said she had to move a lot growing up because her stepfather was in the Air Force.

    "I went to 14 different schools growing up," Arthur said.

    Arthur began college at George Mason University as a communication major but quickly realized that wasn't what she wanted to do.

    "I noticed I wasn't happy with it at all because it wasn't something that I was truly passionate about," Arthur said. "I decided it was time for a change and that I needed to try my hand at fashion to see if I could become a designer."

    After leaving George Mason, Arthur spent two years at Cape Fear Community College, where she earned her Associate of Arts degree before coming to ECU.

    Arthur said that she chose to major in fashion merchandising and consumer studies over design because she wanted to learn more about the business and consumer side of the industry first and didn't want someone else to have a hand in her creative process.

    Arthur also has an admiration for understanding different cultures and other societies, not only for fashion but also in archaeology.

    "One of the things that instilled that drive was when my grandmother took me to an archeological dig in Poplar Forest, Virginia. I got to see Thomas Jefferson's house, all the hidden passageways and some of the remnants of fine china/porcelain dinnerware," Arthur said. "One of the main things I want to do in fashion and design is showcase different societies and beliefs in an ethical way."

    Arthur is applying to do field work in archaeology this summer and could be the first fashion merchandising student to earn a certificate in archaeology at ECU. She also received the Thomas W. Rivers Foreign Exchange Scholarship and is planning to study abroad in South Korea this fall.

    Arthur said she loves the opportunities ECU offers to study abroad and how beautiful the campus is.

    In her free time, Arthur enjoys learning calligraphy and working on clothes.

    "I have a sewing and embroidery machine so I can design and work on clothes freely as well as refurbish clothes that I've stopped wearing," Arthur said.

    After she graduates, Arthur plans to apply to different design fields for fashion at various companies and to pursue a master's in design so that she can build her own company as a designer.

    What advice do you have for other students?: Go with your gut, but also take opportunities that may make you anxious. Some of the best growth and knowledge come from experiences that seem scary.

    What is something cool about ECU that you wish you knew during your first year?: I recently found out about the 3D print services.