COUGAR MARCH 2015 COUTURE APPAREL, MERCHANDISING, DESIGN AND TEXTILES NEWSLETTER The SPEEDO CHALLENGE NEW HOME, NEW FUTURE HELLO L.A. MEET THE NEW FACES OF AMDT
A Note from the CHAIR A YEAR OF CHANGE AT AMDT Welcome to the 2015 edition of Cougar Couture. As I sit back to reflect on the past months, two words keep popping into my head: expansion and progress. It has been an amazing year since we last touched base. Let me tell you all about it. The biggest news is our move. Last summer, AMDT moved to just-renovated spaces in the Johnson Hall Annex, Johnson Hall and Vogel Plant Biosciences, at the center of the WSU Pullman campus. It was a monumental adventure and, I believe, we grew closer as a team in the process. Please read Welcome Home to learn more about our new space. New faculty members will join us in our new space: Dr. Debbie Christel began in August as an assistant professor and has hit the ground running! Students love her, and her research is already catching the attention of the college and university. Dr. Hang Liu will transition to tenure-track assistant professor, starting August 2015. She has been an instructor for our textiles classes for two years and we are thrilled to have her take on a larger role in our department. Amy Hughes was hired in January to teach merchandising and manage our Mom s Weekend Fashion Show. Patrick Brown-Hayes is our new expert in photography and digital design tools. He fills a previous gap in our curriculum so our students and faculty can enhance their skills in industry-relevant technologies. A new assistant professor with expertise in retailing and social media will join us in August. Read more in New faces of AMDT. We are saying goodbye to an icon. Patti Fischer, who taught historic costume and apparel design, and was a part of AMDT for many years, will be retiring this spring. I will miss her sage advice and steady demeanor. Industry interactions have been strong this year, with on-campus visits from Eddie Bauer, Nordstrom, Nike, Speedo, Cotton Inc. and New Fashion Products. Industry-based case studies were sponsored by Speedo (see Diving into a real-world challenge ), Nike and Eddie Bauer. These experiences are so valuable to our students, as they get to apply skills learned in courses to solve realworld problems. This winter, I traveled to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to visit Brandix and Linea Aqua, two end-to-end product development companies. Dianne Jefferies, AMDT Advisory Board president and vice president of sourcing for Speedo USA, facilitated the trip, and what an experience it was! These companies are doing cutting-edge work with social and environmental sustainability, and I was encouraged by the possibilities. Sustainable fashion is possible I have seen it with my own eyes! Research collaborations, faculty visits and internships are in the works. We are a global industry, and opportunities to interact with global industry partners are critical to the development of our program and the success of our students. AMDT is growing and I welcome you to come along. Do not hesitate to give me call and stop by to witness it for yourself. As always, GO COUGS! Joan Ellis On the cover: Student designer Trevor Seliber and merchandizer Giuliana Plut won first place in the Speedo Design competition, held in the fall of 2014. They worked with a focus group to develop a better concept for plus-sized swimwear.
Diving into a real world challenge AMDT students listen, design for Speedo USA competition Students got a real-world education in the swimwear industry in the Speedo Design competition, held last fall. Merchandising and design majors worked together to design swimwear for plus-size women. They met with a focus group of women swimmers who wear sizes 16 to 24, talking about their suit experiences. After the first couple of questions, everybody starts opening up, said Giuliana Plut, a senior in merchandising. It was great to hear what they actually wanted out of a swimsuit. Students discovered that women swimmers want a good fit, better options and fair price. Those lessons went into the designs, which referenced waves, echoes and patriotic colors. Suits were fitted to live models. It s all about creating the best fit possible and keeping an eloquent, clean design, said student designer Kris Fenton. For the competition, teams gave live or recorded video presentations to Speedo executives. Of all the design entries, Plut and partner Trevor Seliber s swimsuit best fit the company s vision. Their suit had just the right amount of color, was inexpensive to make, and was marketable. The duo won a $1,000 scholarship. AMDT thanks Speedo USA for their role in helping make sure tomorrow s merchandisers and designers gain the latest industry-relevant skills. The more that AMDT partners with industry, the better prepared all students will be. Being able to converse with Speedo allowed me to see my place in the world of fashion, said Seliber. For him, dedication to research was crucial. Know your consumer and product inside and out and you will succeed. Kris Fenton and Kathryn Atkinson, senior AMDT design and merchandising students, were runnersup in the Speedo Design competition. Their suit design was inspired by the Olympic Games.
INSIDER S VIEW: AMDT students see every level on L.A. Study Tour Few undergrads get a chance to watch major fashion companies transform ideas into tomorrow s trends. So, it was the opportunity of a lifetime last summer, when 13 AMDT students experienced the apparel industry from the inside, in the department s study trip to Los Angeles. Over four days, they saw the rollout of Speedo s spring 2015 line, witnessed product development for Not Your Daughter s Jeans (NYDJ), and toured the global corporate headquarters of Blue River Denim, New Fashion Products, Nasty Gal and Guess. The annual study trip changes undergrads, says AMDT chair Joan Ellis. It gives students the opportunity to see the possibilities, get outside the classroom, meet people in industry. Their eyes just pop! They re living their dreams. During AMDT study tours, students talk to people at all levels of the apparel industry, from suppliers and market researchers, to designers, producers and distributors. At Speedo s Huntington Beach show, the group sat in on numerous sales meetings and listened as designers pitched to major vendors. It s the first time in the history of our department that we ve had access to this, Ellis said. The experience gives AMDT students a powerful edge in their own future interviews. Special thanks go to AMDT Advisory Board members Dianne Jefferies, vice president of sourcing and production at Speedo USA, and Theresa Mercado, vice president of global sourcing for Guess, Inc., for taking the LA study tour from idea to reality. Learning and traveling continue this spring, when AMDT students explore the U.S. fashion capital: New York City. They will visit places like Kenneth Cole, Cotton Incorporated s New York offices, Nordstrom s dotcom center, and much more. BREAKING THROUGH THE PACK Mock interviews give students a leg up in internship hunt In a job interview, you ve got one chance to make a good first impression. Students breaking into the textile and apparel industry need all the practice they can get for their key summer internships just before senior year. Mock interviews conducted every autumn in AMDT help get them to yes. Students sit down for in-person or streamed interviews with companies including Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer or Guess, for sessions that are half internship pitch and half instant feedback. While students enjoy the experience, they also learn the importance of taking interviewing seriously. They need to treat it like a homework assignment: research the company and understand the brands, says Shanna Pumphrey, AMDT internship coordinator. To ensure that practice makes perfect, she also holds one-on-one interviews with students, with a video camera rolling. Afterward, students watch themselves on the video, getting a sense of where they excel and what they need to work on. That way, they re more than ready when they hit the real interview hot seat. CREATING COMFORT Research seeks comfort fabric for weight-loss patients Two researchers in AMDT are using a Research Initiatives in Human Sciences grant from the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences to change apparel and people s lives. When most people think of design, they think of high-end fashion and couture, says assistant professor Debbie Christel. When I think of design, I think of functional products. She and Dr. Linda Bradley will explore use of moisture-wicking cotton fabric for use by patients recovering from weigt-loss surgery. After weight-loss surgery, patients may lose elasticity in their skin, which is prone to infection and other ailments. The cost of skin infections is a huge economic burden, Christel said. Why don t we use this material to design an underwear that can help prevent the infections? It s exciting, she added, to create a product for an underserved and often forgotten group of people.
WELCOME HOME TOUR THE NEW AND IMPROVED AMDT FACILITIES There s a new pride of place in the WSU Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles. In 2015, the department began its second semester in a new, remodeled home at Johnson Hall and Annex on the Pullman campus, with high-tech facilities at Vogel Plant Biosciences right next door. AMDT prepares students to succeed in a multibillion-dollar industry that people interact with every day. Now, the larger, modernized classrooms and labs welcome growing undergrad and graduate classes, nearly doubled faculty and visitors from industry. THE BIG MOVE AMDT outgrew its former space in Kruegel Hall. Temporarily moved to Kruegel 14 years ago, its previous home was best described as beautiful on the inside. The relocation to the center of the Pullman campus in the fall of 2014 was like a shot in the arm, energizing the department. In the last year, AMDT has nearly doubled in size, growing from five tenure-track faculty to eight, and adding three instructors. Bright, roomy learning spaces and modern equipment help faculty members inspire student success. The larger lecture hall is nearly double the size of the old room, while the new conference space allows industry VIPs to meet with students and faculty. The visual merchandising studio, Johnson 22, is the home for fashion, merchandising and promotion classes and the student club. Another AMDT first, the computer lab in Johnson 70, offers students a dedicated place to master key design and illustration software programs. For us to have an apparel and computer lab dedicated to our students is huge, said AMDT Chair Joan Ellis. It s new, bright and shiny. The students love it and feel very supported. For Ellis, the space is a recognition and validation of AMDT s mission. The new home is critical to the department s forward momentum and future success. RESEARCHING APPAREL IN 3-D You take pride in your art when you have a space that s new and fresh, said AMDT assistant professor Debbie Christel. In the new Functional Textile and Apparel Teaching and Research Laboratory in Vogel 20, Christel and professor Hang Liu work with $750,000 in advanced equipment. Here, Liu explores the cutting edge of fabrics, with machines that test properties like abrasion resistance, dye absorption and bursting strength, while Christel conducts research with a state-of-the-art body scanner. Once you step inside the black box of the scanner, more than 400 lights create a 3-D image of your body. This technology allows digital design of clothes for any shape, and leapfrogs costly traditional methods. You don t need the model, you don t need to pay for the fabric or production. You do it all virtually, Christel said. There s so much potential. It s going to revolutionize our industry. AMDT s new spaces will continue to improve. In a branding competition held last fall, merchandising students met with interior-design counterparts from the WSU School of Design and Construction to brainstorm branding suggestions for the space. Installation of the winning design elements will add even more polish to a sparkling department remodel. A PLACE TO BE AWESOME New visual merchandising studio AMDT s new home in Johnson and Vogel halls includes: Three new classrooms with state-of-the-art equipment Two new product development studios with all new equipment A new computer lab A functional apparel and textile teaching and research lab with a 3-D body scanner and textile testing equipment A new visual merchandising lab with a mock retail store Modern conference space A gallery to display student and faculty research and design.
MEET THE NEW FACES OF AMDT Students in AMDT are challenged to master tools and techniques for careers in the textile, retail and fashion industries. AMDT faculty members are the ones doing the challenging. In 2015, that team added newcomers who are excited to teach, inspire and discover. HANG LIU, instructor/assistant professor Q: What is your focus? Teaching introduction to textiles and textile product development. Research Nanofibers, biodegradable textile products, environmentally friendly textiles. Q: What s your background in the industry and in university teaching? I have B.S. and M.S. in textile engineering and a Ph.D. in textile sciences. I joined WSU in 2008 as a postdoctoral research associate in the textile research lab. I am currently an instructor and will move to tenure-track this fall. Q: What interests you about the properties of textiles? The most interesting thing is that textile products can provide multiple functions to meet customer needs. For example, a surgical suture can be strong enough to keep a surgical site enclosed, antimicrobial to prevent infection, bio-absorbable, and made of sustainable materials. The most challenging thing is developing a product to meet needs by varying these components. I enjoy facing the challenges in research. Q: What s something most people don t realize about textiles? When we talk about textiles, most people think only about clothes and home textiles. Actually, applications of textiles are much broader than that. Textiles are being used in biomaterials like surgical sutures, artificial blood vessels and organs, agricultural products like mulch and netting, geotextiles such as landfill liners, building materials, and so much more. Q: What does the new functional apparel and textile teaching lab mean for your work? The new lab is great for both teaching and research. Here, students are able to use the equipment to evaluate properties of fabrics to complete their own product development projects. DEBBIE CHRISTEL, assistant professor Q: What is your focus as a researcher? Product development and design for functional plus-size apparel; weight bias against obese people; and the social constructs of obesity. Q: What s your background in the industry? I ve done internships with boutiques, worked at Nike as a university representative, visual merchandiser, test-wear analyst and product development consultant. Q: What interests you about apparel? Why is it important? Fashion, apparel, and clothing are symbolic to gender, class, status and the zeitgeist. Clothing is designed and developed with a specific target market in mind. When we only design for the ideal figure, we are excluding a major part of our population. In this way, the fashion industry controls who can and cannot participate in trends, colors, styles, prints. [But] all humans, regardless of gender, class, race, body weight, body shape, or ability should be able to wear whatever they want. Q: What s something most people don t realize about the clothes they wear? Most people don t think about the intricate parts of the seams and stitches, and the entire product development process that every single garment goes through in order to be sold in a store. I think it s cool, and my AMDT 212 class would agree. Q: What would you love to discover or learn as a faculty member? How clothing improves quality of life.
AMY HUGHES, instructor Q: What is your focus as an instructor? Fashion show production; merchandising; social, psychological, and cultural aspects of dress and appearance. Q: What s your background in the industry? Nineteen years working in retail management, buying, visual merchandising, and product development. At Colorado State University, I was a graduate teaching assistant and graduate research assistant, then a temporary instructor for merchandising, retailing, and fashion show production classes. Q What interests you about apparel? I am fascinated with the ways people use apparel and textiles in every aspect of their lives. Not only do apparel and textiles fulfill basic needs such as warmth and protection from the elements, but they also communicate much about the culture and people who consume them. I love the problemsolving aspects of getting apparel and textile products to consumers in the most effective, socially responsible and profitable ways. Q: What s the main thing you want your students to take away from their experience? I hope that they will be able to use the skills they learn in class to solve real-world problems out in industry. Q: What does the industry need from graduates? It needs well-rounded problem-solvers who are passionate about what they do while at the same time are dedicated to creating a more socially responsible industry. PATRICK BROWN-HAYES, instructor Q: What s your background in the industry? I ve been in advertising, photography and fashion for 10 years: I opened an advertising agency and was senior graphic designer and web designer for Coldwater Creek. Later, I was a magazine food photographer. I went on to shoot thousands of photographs every couple of months for high-end e-commerce clients, working in New York and Miami. I also do photography for a luxury travel wear company, and still shoot for them today. Q: Why do you do this for a living? I m a photographer at heart; I got my first camera when I was 12. My work is very beauty- and fashion-based. Teaching fashion illustration comes naturally to me. I know what looks good. Q: For you, what makes a good visual? A story. And with any photograph, there s no story if there s no emotion behind it. The reason I became a photographer in the first place was to tell stories. What do you think the industry needs from graduates? Most companies don t want to train employees they want to hire somebody who can already do the job. Learn the tools of your trade, then apply them in your own way that s the only way to really stay creative. AMANDA RAWLINGS, instructor Q: What is your focus as an AMDT instructor? I teach a lot of design courses beginning and advanced sewing, pattern design, visual merchandising and promotion, and a historic costume class. Students make their own designs and I mentor them through it. Q: How did you get started in design? I started my own business when I was 14, designing my own jewelry. I have a website and Etsy store; I do craft shows. From jewelry, it became the clothing thing, and just built on itself. Q: What s your background in faculty work? I did my undergraduate work at WSU, then got an assistantship and worked as a TA in grad school. When an instructor retired, I took her place. Being a student and teaching the class are two different things. One of the hardest things is being so close to the same age (as my students). I write a really detailed syllabus and stick to it. I don t make exceptions for anybody. Q: What about design interests you? Why is this field important? I take a historical viewpoint to see what happened in history and how it influences what s going on today. Q: What do you want your students to take away from their AMDT experience? Students come here with all types of ideas for where they want to end up. I want to mentor those who want to have their own business, because it s similar to what I have done with my life. For those with goals of getting into the apparel industry, I want to help them make the connections and get the knowledge to get to where they need to be to find their passion and dreams.
Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles PO Box 646406 Pullman, WA 99164-6406 NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PULLMAN, WA PERMIT NO. 1 THE MAIN EVENT Student fashion show gives undergrads a taste of the runway Future fashion industry pros step up to the main event in Knock Out, the 29th annual Mom s Weekend Fashion Show. Presented by AMDT students and campus members of the Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles club, the Mom s Weekend fashion show puts culminating collections and inspired designs on the runway. The 2015 show is 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 10, at the Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. Senior apparel designers show collections that cap their undergraduate careers. Other designers submit their work too, exploring ideas such as sustainable garments and recycled fashions. Industry professionals weigh in on senior collections, choosing winners in categories like most wearable and most marketable. Entirely studentcreated, the show provides practical lessons that can fuel lifelong creative careers. Students plan, set up and host the evening of fashion, learning to work as a team both on stage and behind the scenes. It s very real-world for them, said Amy Hughes, instructor of the fashion show class. It takes what they ve learned all the way through the process, and gets their work on that runway and out there. I wanted to have a say in the fashion show, said sophomore Emily Halvorson, who is participating as a student modeling coordinator and choreographer. Future employers, she added, will see that as a plus. It will be really nice to put on my résumé you went out, applied for it, and have experience with models, clothes, designers. ANNUAL COOKOUT KICK-STARTS NETWORKING FOR NEW STUDENTS Every August, as new students begin their AMDT experience, the department helps them meet and network with knowledgeable undergrads, faculty and industry visitors at the annual Welcome Back Cookout. The cookout helps undergraduates build relationships right out of the gate. Sponsors generosity helps freshmen and transfer students get excited about the industry, about AMDT, and about learning. In 2014, AMDT welcomed executives from Nordstrom, Inc., who shared their business knowledge with students. The cookout also featured prize drawings for merchandise such as Speedo swimsuits, hats from Zumiez, backpacks from Eddie Bauer and clothing and watches from Nordstrom, getting newcomers excited about the program. Planning is under way for the 2015 event. To help make it a success, contact Shanna Pumphrey at s.pumphrey@wsu.edu. APRIL 10, 2015, 7:30 BEASLEY COLISEUM Learn more or buy tickets at amdt.wsu.edu/fashionshow or follow AMDT WSU on Facebook. 2014 design by Taylor White