Alum Ben Jones highlighted in DesignPhiladelphia

We are proud (but not surprised!) to see alumnus Ben Jones being highlighted in DesignPhiladelphia's online magazine. Ben received his MS in Textile Design this last December and is now working at Anthropologie. The following is an excerpt from the article written by Abbi Mosconi.

Formerly a sculptor with his own at-home fine arts practice, Jones pursued his growing interest in fabrics, enrolling in the Post Graduate Apprenticeship Program at the Fabric Workshop and Museum. Recognizing his potential, an advisor geared Jones toward continuing his textile education at Jefferson.

Although he had limited awareness of the university prior to taking a tour, for Jones, it was love at first sight.

“I was completely blown away,” he said. “The facilities, the equipment, the curriculum — the history. People have been analyzing polymers here for 100 years. It’s in the blood of the building.”

One of the highlights of Jones’ studies was an internship in color development at Nike — an opportunity he nabbed due to the intensive color science training he received during his courses. 

For his final project, Jones utilized that experience at Nike to create a collection of LGBTQIA+ athletic performance apparel aimed at empowering individuals who might not identify with current styles of athletic apparel. 

Follow the link for the whole article.

Thank you to DesignPhiladelphia for shining a light on our amazing students and alumni and showing all the great design work they are doing.

Interview Series: Emily Reppert

Next up in our Student Interview Series is Emily Reppert. Emily is a weaver with a background in print design. Hear her tell her design story in her own words. She'll be graduating this December with her Master's of Science in Textile Design. 

Science has always been at the root of what has inspired my art as well as design. In the past, I was attracted to the “rule breaking” theories of quantum mechanics and groundbreaking processes like CRISPR gene editing. I have also been inspired by the oddities of nature born from the lack of light and resources in the depths of the ocean. More recently I began to reflect on why I keep returning to science as a subject. As defined, science is a process which allows for better understanding of the environment that surrounds us through the use of a clear structure. We rely on science as a given, a truth. However, science as we understand it today, did not always exist. Alchemy was the precursor to science and was known as an art form. These topics are scientific in theme, but have an underlying intrigue that is more akin to the mystical and philosophical. Taking this into consideration I have shifted my current focus to look at the scientific process as a whole and specifically the precursor to science, alchemy.I interpret these concepts through the use of jacquards and dobby wovens incorporating techniques such as pile, cut floats, and deflected picks. I also experiment with materiality by utilizing elastomeric and unusual materials including metal, pipe cleaners, and latex.

 How did you choose Textile Design as a major?

I was interested in learning how to take print artwork and transform it into a woven textile. Jefferson was one of the only schools I found that had hands-on learning with not only Jacquard programs such as EAT and Pointcarre, but also the opportunity to weave on multiple industry looms on-site. Overall I felt the M.S in Textile Design program provided the technical and creative skills I would need to succeed in the industry.

 Do you have a background in design or textiles?

I have a BFA in Crafts with a focus in Fibers and an Art History Minor from Tyler School of Art of Temple University. I had also worked as a CAD/Print designer for Iron Mountains LLC for 7 years prior to attending Jefferson’s M.S. Textile Design program.

Tell us about the colours, landscapes, artists, or architecture that inspire your design work.

In the past, I have found color inspiration from unusual sources such as bacterial cultures, creatures that arise from the depths of the ocean, and tiny sea slugs called nudibranchs. I have also been drawn to the subtle and deep brilliance of colors that occur in low light situations after seeing the fantastic exhibition, Dark, at MASS MoCA. More recently, I have been looking at works by the artist Alexandar Calder and his use of motion and play in The Circus (1927).

What is your favourite book of all time?

 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I read it in the fourth grade, and it was the first time a book really got my imagination going. The book also involved the concept of time travel through the 5^th dimension beyond that of time, the 4^th dimension. Science continues to be a source of inspiration for my designs to this day.

Which design from your portfolio are you most proud of, or is most special to you?

I had the opportunity to collaborate with a fashion design student, Tommy Heidebrecht, and create a custom textile for his senior collection. What we developed together was beyond what either of us could have come up with on our own. The textiles themselves were two mirrored 60” engineered jacquards for the pants and a wool crepe double cloth fabric created for the top. His collection was chosen to walk at NYFW, and I had the opportunity to go and witness it first-hand. It was amazing!

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What would you like to be doing in 5 years?

I would love to be working as a fabric or rug designer for home textiles. More specifically, my dream is to be able to create the technical files for textiles that are made right here in the United States. The number of textile manufacturing mills remaining in the U.S are small, but they exist! 

What is your favorite thing to do to distract yourself from school stress?

I like to escape to the Wissahickon Valley Park trails! Just a few feet from school is a whole network of dirt and gravel trails in the woods surrounding Wissahickon Creek. A walk is nice, but to be able to hike deep in the woods is stress relief on a whole other level.

President's NYC Reception Showcases Textile Student Work

On Wednesday, November 16, 2016, President Spinelli hosted the NYC alumni reception. It was a beautiful New York evening where alumni and current students mingled and networked. Textile Design Graduate Students: Ananya Bevinakatti, Becky Flax and Mimi Spasov attended and displayed their work. 

Alumni from the graduating class of 1974 all the way to May 2016 attended the event! Being able to share experiences had at PhilaU and memories of classes, professors and events, made this evening one to remember. 

A massive thank you to Philadelphia University's Future Alumni Association for putting on such a lovely event!

Textile Design M.S. Alumnus Betsy Olmsted Has Exciting News!

This month Betsy Olmsted will have her first book published "Hand Printing Studio: A Visual Guide to Printing on Almost Anything" by Stash Books!

Her stunning print design work can be found at places like Anthropologie, West Elm, and Land of Nod, but now she is taking you through her process! 

Please check out this excellent write up on Betsy at Susquehanna Style!

Also pay a visit to her website to see the great things she is up to! www.betsyolmsted.com

Exhibitions Not to Miss: GROWTH AND FORM: GLASS AND SILK SCULPTURES · SARA BAKKEN

Tomorrow night, March 11th at 6:00pm at the National Liberty Museum (321 Chestnut Street, Phila, PA)

Sara Bakken and Eva Shelley will be participating in the first Wednesday Night Market.
From the National Liberty Museum's site: "Eva has been a long supporter of the museum and we are thrilled to have her join us in our inaugural Wednesday Night Market. She is a local freelance artist creating glass art and glass jewelry. Eva has described glass as her first love and that passion translates in her art. Both artists derive inspiration from nature; while Eva’s glass tends to take on a lot of floral forms, Sara’s leans towards the botany found underwater. Sara is a local fiber and glass artist that has been shown globally. She was also the recipient of a juried award for a scholarship to UrbanGlass during the National Liberty Museum’s 2014 GLASS NOW Auction. "

https://libertymuseum.org/calendar-of-events/wednesday-night-market-eva-shelley-sara-bakken/

Deep Sea Reef 2, 2014

Additionally, you can see Sara's work at the opening of:

GROWTH AND FORM: GLASS AND SILK SCULPTURES · SARA BAKKEN

Pink Coral, 2014

Friday, March 27th from 6-8pm

at the University City Arts League  4226 Spruce St · Philadelphia, PA 19104

Artist's Statement:
Glass is a material that naturally gives reference to the biological world. At a molten liquid state, glass has the ability to expand, contract and move. Silk is a material that is delicate, yet tough, organic and resilient. By combining these materials through a process of accumulation, these objects begin to project ideas of growth, development and reproduction. Mysterious ecosystems filled with life forms of all different shapes, sizes and colors are a common inspiration for me. They carry many properties of beauty. The world beneath the water’s shore, visions of microscopic life and clusters of fungi in a forest are all important sources in my art making. My work represents a desire for the exotic and the unknown.

This is an exciting opportunity to see the work of a textile artist who pushes the boundary of how we think of textile forms!

Calling All Artists: Design NPR's Next Tee

NPR is teaming up with Threadless to host a tee shirt design competition.
Details can be found here: http://www.threadless.com/npr/
Cash prize!

Kitt Fraser wins 1st place prize - and an alpaca filled weekend in Nashville!

PhilaU Textile Design graduate student Kitt Fraser won 1st place in the Student Design Competition hosted by the Alpaca Owner and Breeders Association. In addition to this, Kitt was invited to participate in the Student Design Retreat in Nashville for a fun weekend of alpacas, farms, and fibers! I caught up with Kitt to ask her a few questions about her experience there.

Can you give the run down of your weekend visit during the Student Design Retreat in Nashville?

The Design Retreat kicked off with an awards dinner where I got to meet students from design schools all over the country. This competition is broken up into fashion and textile categories. It was great to see the variety of ways people interpreted the project from designing for the home, athletic wear, eveningwear, and sportswear. We also got to meet with alpaca breeders and fiber and yarn manufacturers.

The next day we toured two alpaca farms, a mill that produces exclusively alpaca yarns, and two alpaca yarn retailers.  

We also experienced downtown Nashville on a Saturday night, which was a lot of fun. There is live music and great food everywhere you turn! 

What did you learn? 

Alpacas are adorable and friendly! We had the chance to visit them out in the field at Long Hollow Alpaca farm. The mill was actually located on the farm and we got to see alpaca fiber being processed from raw fiber into the finished yarn. It was really interesting to see this mill as I have only visited larger scale mills in North Carolina. This mill was designed to do small runs of yarn and because of its scale has many great benefits. In some larger mills if they want to change the color of the fiber they are processing it could take a whole day and a whole cleaning crew just to make sure the next batch of fibers does not get contaminated. In this mill they can seamlessly move from one color fiber to the next. It was also great to see that as a designer because of scale the mill could work with you to develop an original line of alpaca yarn.

Was there anything that surprised you about alpacas and their fibers?

I didn't realize that much of the range in color of the alpaca yarn comes from the actual alpacas. You can of course dye alpaca yarn, but the naturally occurring fiber is so beautiful that many people do not dye it and therefore save a great deal of money and environmental impact. Fun fact: grey alpacas cost more money than any others because they are rare and produce a naturally beautiful colored fiber.

The range in coarseness of alpaca fiber also impressed me. When yarn is labeled as "baby alpaca" it is not from a baby alpaca, just an alpaca that produces very fine fibers. The coarsest alpaca fibers can be used to make rugs.

How has your appreciation for or understanding of alpaca fibers changed after your visit to Nashville?

Participating in this project really gave me an appreciation for alpaca fibers and it was great to meet people who are so passionate about their animals and this industry. As a knit designer the benefits of using alpaca fibers are vast, including the beautiful hand and drape it imparts to your fabric. What the design retreat really solidified in my mind was that fashion and design can become more sustainable and as designers it is our responsibility to advocate for more environmentally friendly products and practices. Using alpaca fibers is an easy choice, as it not only has a luxurious look and feel, but so many environmentally positive benefits. 

Design for Nine West

Design for Nine West

The global fashion brand Nine West is inviting artists to submit their graphics, illustrations and print designs in the theme of ‘Spring Summer’. Designers will have the chance to have their design printed on a tote bag for a Nine West limited edition collection and to receive $2200.

Submission Deadline: June 22, 2011

Voting Starts: June 23, 2011

Voting Ends: June 28, 2011

Winner Announcement: July 1, 2011

Recycled Polyester

132 5. by Issey Miyake from Dezeen on Vimeo.

RECYCLED POLYESTER

While polyester does not biodegrade, at the end of its use phase it can actually be recycled to near-virgin or virgin-like quality (something which cannot be said of natural fibers). Issey Miyake’srecent collaboration with the Japanese chemical company Teijin, which developed specialized equipment to revert used polyester back to its original source material of dimethyl terephthalate, demonstrates just how beautiful recycled polyester can be.

by Sarah Scuturro, Cooper Hewitt