Areas of Expertise
- Fashion design, costume design, fashion history, sewing, fiber arts, textile arts, fashion and product manufacturing, pattern making, craft, sustainability, environmental impact of the fashion industry
Education
- BFA in fashion design, Fashion Institute of Technology (2008)
What's My Why?
Growing up in coastal New England, I have always felt a strong connection to the textile and clothing industries. My career has taken me around the world, allowing me to explore how clothing influences art, culture, history and the environment. I am passionate about helping students learn about these important topics and inspiring others to be kinder to their bodies, their clothing, nature, and the countless people involved in creating our clothing globally.
Professional Experience
After winning a national award in high school for designing and constructing a dress out of Starburst wrappers, I studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. My career began on the design team of a startup menswear label owned by Jay-Z, where I honed my skills and expertise. After several years in the NYC streetwear industry, I moved to Oakland, California, starting my own fashion marketing consulting business. Later I joined the Chubbies Shorts team as their first apparel designer, traveling the world and experiencing overseas manufacturing firsthand. I made headlines during the 2021 presidential inauguration for creating leopard faux fur coats worn by Meena Harris' daughters as design director for I Love Plum. Now living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, I lecture in the fashion design department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, am the costume designer for New Bedford Festival Theatre and design and teach at Salve.
Media Coverage
Women's Wear Daily, Harper's Bazaar, Insider, Today, InStyle, New York Post, New York Times, SFGate, People, MSNBC, CNN, FOX News, South Coast Today
Selected Publications
Tain, Linda. Portfolio Presentation for Fashion Designers. 3rd ed., Fairchild Books, 2006