URBN Internship

Textile Design Junior Olivia Pagnotta shared with us details on her great internship with Urban Outfitters. Please see the interview and images below.  

*Please tell us about your summer internship.  Where did you work and what were your responsibilities?

I worked at URBN for shared services (Free People, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters) as the knitting room intern.  As the knitting room intern, I shadowed the knitting room manager and his assistant.  I would sit in on meetings about new projects and the plans to execute them, and then I would help by picking out the color combinations and by knitting swatches or yardage.  

*How did you land this great internship?

I landed this internship thanks to a former PhilaU alumna.  She works with the sweater/knit teams at URBN.  When they were looking for help in the knitting room she contacted the university, who then suggested me as a possible fit for the job.  I went to the Navy Yard (where URBN is based) and interviewed with Alan, the knitting room manager.  I found out a few weeks later that I was accepted into the summer internship program.  

*Can you tell us a bit about the day to day work you did?
The typical day started with my manager and I going over the projects we needed to complete that day.  We would brainstorm about the colors, textures and stitches that should be used. Once it was all figured out, he would show me how to complete the desired stitch and then I would knit the sample.  After the sample was done, it would get washed, thrown in the dryer, ironed and then presented to the designers.  They would decide if they wanted anything tweaked, such as weight or texture, or they would ask for yardage of the sample.  After the yardage was knit, washed, dried and ironed, that project was completed and I'd move on to the next.  It was so much fun getting to work on a variety of  projects this summer and I loved the pace of the environment I was in.  Every day, each person had new and different swatches they were working on and I never found myself bored.

*How did being a textile design student prepare you for the internship?

Being a textile design student helped prepare me for the internship by teaching me how to use and blend yarns together to create beautiful color combinations, as well as teaching me the basics of knitting and designing on knitting machines through classes such as Knit Tech I and Knit Design Studio I.  

*Anything else you want to share?

It was a wonderful experience with incredible people and I'm so grateful that my decision to pursue textile design at Jefferson led me to this opportunity!

Textile Design Student Uses Microbial Dyes for Forward-Thinking Fashion

Textile Design M.S. student, Sivan Ilan ’19, showcased in London Design Festival   

Synthetic dyes rank as one of the major pollutants in the fashion industry. With the growing interest in sustainability, researchers continue to search for alternatives.

Dyeing fabric and yarn through microbially derived pigments is one possible option. This technique, being explored by M.S. in textile design student Sivan Ilan ’19, can reduce the demand for synthetic pigments and allow for more creative applications that can harness the power of organisms.

At the recent London Design Festival, she showcased a new line of apparel designed with Philadelphia-based biotech startup Biorealize’s Microbial Designer Kits. As the inaugural Biorealize Design Fellow, Ilan is working with Orkan Telhan, the company’s chief design officer, on the creative possibilities of microbially dyed yarn embroidered on previously owned denim.

“On their second time around, this series of garments is given a new life,” Ilan explained. “Drawing on botanical motifs from the natural world, the renewed garments move toward an environmentally responsible kind of making. Off-set seams and superimposed florals are designed to catch viewers’ attention by displaying imperfections and the handmade touch, contrasting the characteristics of a mass-production saturated market. The garments embrace a circular approach to fashion and a new way to think about the consumption of it.”

With a process called bioremediation, the synthetic dyes on existing yarn are selectively removed by natural microorganisms, she said. Remediated yarn offers an alternative aesthetic by working on an existing product, and they allow designers to combine environmental responsibility with their creativity for forward-thinking fashion.

“As a graduate student at Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University), my body of work is focused on sustainability in textiles and fashion,” Ilan said. “I have been exploring ideas like circularity, environmentally conscious practices and consumer culture as they relate to textile design, so it was a great match to my interests to support Biorealize’s development with microbially dyed yarn.”

After graduation, she plans to continue on the path of sustainability in textiles and fashion and implement her knowledge through practical practices within the industry. “I’d like to support more brands and designers in their efforts moving toward a better, more responsible way of designing and producing textiles,” Ilan said.

Read Story: http://wordpress.philau.edu/today/2018/10/11/textile-design-student-uses-microbial-dyes-for-forward-thinking-fashion/

Alumni Spotlight: Meghan Kelly- Kelbourne Woolens

Kelbourne Woolens: An Interview With Meghan Kelly

"Meghan came to Kelbourne as a part-time intern in 2012 soon after moving to Philadelphia to obtain a masters degree in textile design. She fit seamlessly into the team and stayed on as an intern/part-time employee throughout the rest of her education. After graduating, she kept eluding to the many head hunters contacting her after graduation, so we made it officially official and hired her full time before anyone else could steal her away!

Most shop owners and managers know Meghan, as she is the one who organizes orders, calls for shipping and payment information, manages the warehouse and packing schedule, and assists with inventory management. Over the last year, Meghan has also been directly involved with the latest chapter of Kelbourne Woolens as we worked to move away from being an exclusive distributor to bring in new brands to the N. American market and develop our own line of yarns. 

A big part of last year's behind the scenes work was designing and developing Mojave, fondly referred to around the office as "Meghan's Yarn". I thought it would be fun to ask her some questions about the process of designing Mojave, the collection that accompanied the release of the yarn, and her love of crazy color."

-Kate Gagnon Osborn

Bodie in Kelbourne Woolens Mojave: seafoam green

"By nature, I run hot so I'm always on the lookout for nice cotton or linen clothing. I also knit year round and it is really hard to sit and try to knit wool in the sweltering heat of July. These preferences led me to want to develop a yarn that was both comfortable to knit with and to wear. Cotton yarn is notoriously hard on your hands because of its low elasticity so the other part of the puzzle was to make a cellulose-based yarn that was also easy on the hands. After a lot of back and forth with the mill, we were able to develop a yarn made of several tiny plies that are smooth and soft. The blend of cotton and linen is perfect for summer sweaters and evening cover-ups. I'm really happy with the feel and drape of the resulting fabric and knitting with it doesn't feel like a gym workout for the hands!" -Meghan Kelly

Full Online Interview:

http://kelbournewoolens.com/blog/2018/6/an-interview-with-meghan-kelly


Mojave Collection:
http://kelbournewoolens.com/blog/2018/6/mojave-collection-the-designs

Meghan designed the complete Mojave Collection. 

Textile Designers attend Showtime

Textile Design Master of Science students A. Zurinah Nuri and Ji Young Park were invited guests at this month's International Textile Alliance Showtime, held in High Point, NC.  Showtime is the premier global event that brings together the full range of segments of the textile industry.  Zurinah and Ji were invited--all expenses paid--as the winners of the 2018 Virginia Jackson Design Competition.  This competition celebrates excellence in home furnishing design in jacquard woven, dobby woven and print categories.

Virginia Jackson Design Competition 2018 display at Showtime, in High Point, NC (photo courtesy of Ji Young Park).

Ji shared that: "Showtime was so wonderful. We were able to see what’s going on in the U.S. textile industry and talked to designers. The ITA team did their best every single moment to show us everything!"

Ji and Zurinah participated in line reviews, networking opportunities and showroom tours.  Congratulations again to Zurinah and Ji for their First Place Awards in the 2018 ITA Virginia Jackson Design Competition!  Excellent work!

Jefferson Textile Design Students Sweep ITA Virginia Jackson Design Competition

Jefferson Textile Design students were awarded all of the top prizes in the 2018 International Textile Alliance Virginia Jackson Design Competition.  This national competition awards excellence in residential upholstery design in jacquard woven, dobby woven and print categories.  All award recipients receive cash prizes.  First place students also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Showtime, the pre-eminent home furnishings show in the country.

First place in Jacquard: A. Zurinah Nuri (in the M.S. Textile Design program)

First Place in Print: A. Zurinah Nuri

First Place in Dobby: Ji Young Park (in the M.S. Textile Design program)

2nd Place in Dobby: Emily Reppert (in the M.S. Textile Design program)

2nd Place in Jacquard: Emily Olsen (in the M.S. Textile Design program)

Honorable Mention in Jacquard: Nina Nickerson, B.S. Textile Design 

Congratulations to all of the Jefferson students for their excellent design work!

Jefferson University Textile Design Collaborations Featured on WWD

Jefferson University Annual Fashion Show Award Winning Designs Featured on WWD

Kelsey Fickes received the Carson Kressley Most Ready for Retail Award for her collection, which included this knit and denim dress, in collaboration with textile designer Madeline Halsey.

"One such collection was the Carson Kressley Most Ready for Retail Award winner Kelsey Fickes’ Beauty in Decay collection of pieces ranging from a teal chiffon dress to a textured knit asymmetric shift inspired by the deterioration of Victorian manor homes."-Marni Prichard Manko

A look by Alexandra Pizzigoni, who won the award for best senior collection in collaboration with textile designer Sivan Ilan. 

To view full article online visit: http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/stuart-weitzman-jefferson-spirit-design-award-1202661838/  

NiCole Monson- iMBA Collaborative Entrepreneurial Business- BuddaflyBlaq

NiCole Monson graduated from Philadelphia University in May 2017 from the Pre MBA Accelerated program, and is now in Jefferson University's iMBA program. In developing her product, NiCole worked with our program director, Marcia Weiss, in the Jacquard Center of Excellence. Her company, BuddaflyBlaq, creates strong, graphic products across a range of end uses. NiCole collaborated with Marcia Weiss (Jacquard) and Alex Rapley (Prototype) to develop the items pictured.  Please find her work on Twitter @seriouslymonson and Instagram @pure_gold_3.  

PhilaU Alumni Spotlight: Neha Jhunjhunwala, Founder of The Cushion Project, Featured in India Today Magazine

Neha Jhunjhunwala

Founder, The Cushion Project, Kolkata 

www.thecushionproject.com

Neha Jhunjhunwala made her name as a textile designer with her furnishing brand Onset that she founded in 2008. Later when she shut the standalone store she reinvented the brand by a launching an online portal, TheCushionProject.com in 2017. Unlike Onset which made intricately hand embroidered cushions, The Cushion Project uses "smarter design" to retain a similar look while being cost effective.

DETAILED DESIGN The textile design graduate from Philadelphia University uses natural fibres like cotton, linen and silk. Her products use multiple techniques including printing, embroidery and surface texturing with pom-poms or tassels. "I like the human touch. So all my work will feature either hand woven, screen printed, hand embroidered or hand finished detailing," she says.

ON DISPLAY She retails cushion and bed covers.

For full article from India Today visit: https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/supplement/story/20180423-behind-the-best-dressed-homes-akila-seshasayee-pankaj-kehr-1211462-2018-04-12

Textile Design Immersion: Kravet Design Studios

Textile Design students spent a great day in New York City on April 6 at the Kravet design studios.  Our host, Scott Kravet, shared his extensive knowledge regarding textiles, the design field and artisanal craft.  We had a wonderful tour of the studios, meeting with the design teams across all of the Kravet brands.  Here are a few images from the amazing day.  Thanks to Scott, Karen, and all of the Kravet team who shared their time and knowledge with us!

Scott shares part of the collection.

A detailed discussion was held regarding Textile Design and fabric construction details.

One of the beautiful collections on display in the studio.

Kravet creates high-end textiles in dobby and jacquard wovens and prints, in a range of luxurious fibers.

Students examine a sumptuous silk leno window treatment fabric.  

Textile Design Students Compete in Loro Piana’s “Knit Games”

 This semester, textile design students and faculty traveled to Italy for “The Knit Games,” a textile design competition sponsored by Loro Piana, a manufacturer of luxury yarns, apparel and home furnishings.

 

M.S. in textile design student Drew McKevitt and B.S. in textile design student Nina Nickerson visited the company’s headquarters in Quarona with Claire Beevers, director of the M.S. in textile design program at Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University). While there, they learned about the Loro Piana brand and philosophy, toured the production facilities and viewed their collections of fabrics and scarves.

 

For the competition, the students received a visual design brief to design a collection of knit fabrics which reflect a vision of the future for the company’s brand. Their pieces will be judged during a second visit to Italy in April, and the winning team will have the opportunity to work on their designs with the Loro Piana knit development team and show their collection at Pitti Filati, the international yarn and knitting fair in Milan in June.

 

The Jefferson team will be competing against students from Politecnico di Milano in Milan and École Duperré in Paris.

Textile Design Senior Show--sneak peek

The Annual Textile Design Senior Show Reception will be held on campus at the Gallagher Center on Tuesday May 8, from 6pm to 8pm.  Here is a sneak peek at the work of two of the talented seniors in the show.  Watch this blog for additional posts of designs from our other great students.

Watercolor croquis by Marjorie Bertrand.

Madeline Halsey at work on a large scale painting.

Spring 2018 Textile Design Speaker Series--Alum Neha Jhunjhunwala

On March 2, Textile Design alum Neha Jhunjhunwala returned to campus to share her entrepreneurial experiences with Professor Denise Gutierrez's Design Management graduate class.  Ms. Jhunjhunwala spoke of the successes and challenges she has had in the textile industry, as well as the opportunity with business start-ups.  Everyone in attendance welcomed the engaging, inspiring and open discussion (as well as attempting to connect for summer internships in India!).  We were happy to welcome back Professor Peggy Goutmann--Textile Design professor and chair--to campus for the visit.  Thanks to Ms. Jhunjhunwala for being a supportive, engaged Textile Design alum!

Spring 2018 Textile Design Speaker Series--Nike

On January 31st, three representatives from Nike came to campus to recruit Textile Design students and to give a presentation on the company.  We were pleased to welcome back Christianna Wincek, Textile Design MS alum, as well as Nike recruiters Andy Croll and Kim Johnson.  All three shared their excitement with working at Nike and presented career possibilities.  The presentation, as always, made everyone in the audience ready to join the great company!

Spring 2018 Textile Design Speaker Series--Glen Raven

On January 30th, Kathy Remsa of Glen Raven kicked off the Spring 2018 Textile Design Speaker Series.  She shared with the students the history and possibilities of Sunbrella--innovative "outdoor" textiles.  Kathy introduced a semester-long project entitled "Sunbrella--What's Next?".  Graduate and undergraduate Textile Design students and undergraduate Textile Materials Technology students attended her presentation.  Check the blog in late May to see the results of this exciting project!

Students Immersed in the Home Furnishings Industry on the ITA Industry Tour

Earlier this month, Nina Nickerson and five undergraduate students spent three days in North Carolina on the International Textile Alliance Educational Foundation’s annual industry tour. The tour was based in High Point, North Carolina (known as the furniture capital of the world, and home of the biannual ITA Showtime Market) but included trips to surrounding cities in both North and South Carolina and their were 22 total students on the tour from other textile programs across the country. The theme of the tour was “Fabric: from Concept to Consumer”, so each day was filled with activities that gave us a deeper look into the various stages of textile design and production.

  

"On the first day we visited Bennettsville Printing, a rotary printing facility, and STI, a family owned woven textile mill that produces Revolution Performance Fabrics, where we saw both their design space and mill where the yarn is spun and the fabric is woven, all in the same place. Our second day included a visit to Glen Raven / Sunbrella design headquarters and yarn spinning facilities. Seeing the yarn go from fiber to yarn was pretty incredible! We then got to head to the High Point Textile Tower and get a lesson from the design team at De Leo about being an inspired and innovative designer, and how to move from inspiration to finished fabric. That evening, we headed to the Future Talent Mixer & Portfolio Review, where we presented our work and got to gain insight from various industry professionals and ITA members about the industry. Many of these ITA members had visited Jefferson last fall for our ITA Design Symposium and naming ceremony, so it was great to have a chance to reconnect with them and pick their brains about what they hope to see from us, the “next generation” of textile professionals. The last day included an inspiring trip to Ambella Home Collection, where we got to see how furniture is designed, built, and upholstered and how upholstery textiles are selected and designed.

Overall, the tour was filled with information and inspiration, and I think I can speak for all six of us students in saying that it was an invaluable trip and we enjoyed learning from so many amazing people and representing the Jefferson Textile Design community in High Point!"- Nina Nickerson