Article provided by Ayla David, L.I.M. student & IFD Intern Happy Independence Day! This year seems to be speeding by because we’ve crashed into the July Fourth weekend already. Next to the fireworks, cook outs, and red, white and blue snow cones there is nothing more relaxing than shopping holiday  sales from your favorite stores. What better way to celebrate this special holiday than shopping brands made in the beloved United States of America? Throughout hundreds and thousands of online boutiques, shops, and specialty stores, there are hidden American–made gems waiting for their next line of new customers. Below is a list of our top 10 American made fashion brands to shop for your summer wardrobe this July! ADEIRLINA Adeirlina is a newer brand based in Boston that launched April 2020. They create modern trendy clothing for all women to feel confident and free in their unique pieces They specialize in cottage core dresses with floral patterns, comfortable fabrics, and beautiful detailing GIANT HOODIE Giant Hoodies launched their first line of one size giant hoodies in March 2020 from a college town in California. Their website exploded and is even featured in Oprah’s favorite things of 2020. These hoodies are meant for comfortable loungewear and a staple for everyone’s closet. They have now added Giant T-shirts, Giant Sweatshirts, and joggers, and they drop new designs every month. JOLYN This California made swimwear brand was created b female athletes for women of all shapes and sizes to feel confident and secure. The brand started by creating flattering, unique suits for female water polo players and competitive swimmers. They have no w created a wholesale ordering process where teams can create custom logos and swimsuits for their upcoming season. By using a sustainable fabric called Foreverever Fabric Technology they have created bikinis and one-piece suits that will last the active woman many years of fun. RICHER POORER Richer Poorer is a San Marcos, California based brand who pride themselves on bringing their customers high-quality basics essential for all closets. They aim to create sustainable, long-lasting pieces the customer can keep for many years. To do this, they have found sustainable fabric and methods of manufacturing for their products. This includes recycled fleece, pima cotton, and biodegradable tags/packaging as well as California manufacturing and production for all lines. LOUP Loup was created and manufactured out of New York City in 2009. This size-inclusive brand creates Parisian-inspired clothing for the modern woman. Their staple piece is curve-friendly pants making every woman feel confident, sexy, and stylish by using the best fabrics and waistbands.  The brand hopes to bring the best quality clothing to their customers for a good price and incredible fit. BLACK HALO Best known for their Jackie O dress, Black Halo was started in Los Angeles California in 2002 by a husband and wife, Sean Pattison and Laurel Berman. The brand uses fabrics from the surrounding area to create their products, making sure they are of utmost quality. The brand includes casual dresses, jumpsuits, two-piece sets, and more. You can even see celebrities wearing their pieces, such as Meghan Markle, Angela Bassett, Kelsea Ballerini, and Yael Grobglas. ZKANO This sustainable sock brand launched in 2009 by Gina Locklear in Fort Payne, Alabama. They use organic grown cotton dyed in Texas and North Carolina to create unique and comfortable socks for any outfit. Gina is passionate about supporting all-USA manufacturing and using organic, sustainable production instead of environmentally harmful methods. KLASSY NETWORK KN was founded in 2019 in Orlando, Florida where they design and ship all of their products. They became increasingly popular when their co-founder Natalie Rodgers made Tik Toks and Instagram posts about their new bramis. These are camisoles, tank tops, tube tops, and bodysuits made with a built-in padding to take the place of bras. They are size inclusive, AVOCADO Avocado is a fashion-forward brand creating sus tainable activewear in Los Angeles. By ensuring all products are manufactured and produced in Los Angeles, they cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and the manufacturing workers are in a healthy work environment. Their products are designed using Sensil Nylon giving odor control, breathability, and sweat-wicking properties to every piece of activewear. IMPRESSIONS This online boutique was launched in 2012 to offer staple pieces for any woman’s closet. Owner Ashley Milliren lives in Fayetteville Arkansas and creates products that will make any woman feel comfortable, sexy, beautiful, and unique. The products include basics, tops/bottoms, swimwear, sets, dresses, athleisure, and all the accessories to create a one of a kind outfit for your closet. Thanks for reading today!  Support your favorite American Made Brand today! Love, Peace & Blessings, Britta

IFD’s Featured Job Profile:  Fashion Merchandising Article written by Ayla David, L.I.M. student, IFD intern and contributing writer When you think about a career in fashion, design is normally the go to option for jobs. What many people forget is that fashion industry jobs are widely varied, expansive, and incredibly detailed. Just like any creative process, the fashion industry has many minds and hands working together to do everything from designing a garment  to running an entire brand. One of these sometimes overlooked but incredibly important jobs is the fashion merchandiser. In her book, The Fundamentals of Fashion Management, Susan Dillon defines fashion merchandising as, “…the business side of the fashion world and involves finance, visual merchandising, data analysis, trend forecasting, marketing strategies, advertising principles, publicity, product development, buying and retail management.” Now hold on, how can one individual possibly complete all of these roles? Fashion Merchandisers often manage the line planning of each collection. They might work for retail stores, costume supply, or design houses and apparel brands. Fashion merchandisers are often charged with keeping things pointed in the right direction and are asked to predict fashion trends, handle store layouts, purchase apparel, and work with design teams. The reality is that fashion merchandisers are juggling many tasks because they are always on the look out for new trends, thinking about retail strategies, target markets, consumer sales, and even could be creating the window displays for stores! The job takes passion and drive and if that sounds like a dream job to you, read on to learn more and see if this is a good fit for you! So what are some of the key roles & responsibilities ?? Dillon breaks down the role of a fashion merchandiser into a handful of specific operations: ● Consumer research ● Creating seasonal range plans ● Creating mood boards ● Identifying trends ● Trend forecasting ● Supply chain planning ● Critical path thinking ● Building seasonal calendars ● Margin and mark-ups ● Practical buying and merchandising exercises Merchandisers may also work hand-in-hand with fashion buyers to ensure they buy products with maximum profitability for the coming season. It is a varied, analytical and immersive role where the merchandiser must be in-the-know about all details within their brand. Fashion merchandisers must offer customers an innovative and exciting experience and it all comes down to the main mission of the job: creating profit for the company. So what are some of the skills needed? Ideal skills for fashion merchandising can also depend on a brand since they give every merchandiser their own roles & responsibilities. However, below are some of the overarching skills and personality traits needed to succeed in the field. Blogspot.com and Ordnur.com tell us that successful fashion merchandisers are: ● Excellent communicators ● Self motived ● Able to handle high pressure situations ● Always learning and researching fashion trends and competing brands ● Creative and offering up fresh new ideas ● Extroverted ● Skilled at Forecasting Fashion ● Analytical, looking at data such as consumer sales and brand needs ● Knowledgeable about target market and a brand’s demographic ● Trend-spotters ● Able to make connections (with influencers, celebrities, collaborations with other brands/designers, etc.) Where can I find a Merchandising education? An associate degree in business or merchandising will benefit a small brand merchandiser. If you’re hoping to pursue a major brand or haute couture merchandising, bachelors and masters degrees are what to strive for. A bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising is most popular but you can also get a bachelor’s in business, business administration, an associates in business, fashion merchandising, fashion retailing, and many more. Every brand has different education requirements, so identify some key brands you’d like to work for then do your research to find out what specifically each is looking for- this will give you a  jumpstart towards your dream job of working in fashion merchandising! Below are some schools with fashion merchandising programs: ● Lim College ● Kent State University ● Savannah College of Art and Design ● Fashion Institute of Technology ● Florida State University ● The New School’s Parsons School of Design ● Baylor University Wow! Fashion merchandisers truly do it all. Next time you’re noticing a brand, check out their retail and online presence, watch for their ads and promotions, think about how a fashion merchandiser helped bring that product to life….did it make an impression on you?  Was it impactful and if so, in what way?  Let the brands know through their customer service what is working and what you think could make the brand experience more meaningful to you. Fashion merchandisers enjoy the feedback and want to  hear from their followers. To learn more about the different types of merchandising roles, crucial steps to merchandise planning, what are  5 R’s and more, check out this article from wikipedia.org Thanks for reading today!  Are you curious about other  roles in the fashion industry?  We will be covering lots of jobs in the industry to stay tuned for more to come. Like this article?  Share with a friend.  We appreciate you!

By Contributing Writer, Ayla David:  LIM student and IFD Intern June is Pride month! Pride started in the 1970s after the Stonewall Riots of 1969 when policemen raided a known gay club at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City. Officers forced customers and workers out of the bar and into waiting vehicles when patrons and onlookers decided to fight back. The riots lasted six days, and the uproar jump started the Pride Movement. The following year, the first official Pride march was organized to take place in Central Park to raise awareness. From these roots, Pride has grown and changed shape into the vibrant celebration it is today. However, in the fashion world and beyond, there is one factor trying to pull focus away from the people who fought so hard to amplify their voices during Pride. It is called rainbow washing. The rainbow flag is the symbol for gay pride, and just like pink is for breast cancer and green is for environmental sustainability, big corporations have started using what the rainbow symbolizes to make money off the cause instead of investing in it. These companies use the rainbow Pride colors to suggest to consumers that they support LGBTQIA+ causes without putting any real money or effort into creating better outcomes for queer communities. Often they pay lip service to Pride for the month of June, while continuing to underpay LGBTQIA+ talent or enabling work environments that are hostile to queer employees. That means a lot of big corporations are all talk and no action. Pretty sneaky right? What they want is “pink money”—the money the LGBTQIA+ community spends as consumers, which totals $3.7 trillion dollars, according to Forbes which also notes that “upwards of 90% of gay people support businesses who target pink money.” The math for these statistics is simple. For one month every year, big corporations create a line of Pride clothing, featuring the Pride colors and some queer couples and then reap the profits without giving back or doing the work. Companies profiting from rainbow washing and pink money should incorporate LGBTQIA+ designs and marketing efforts year-round and give a percentage of their profit to LGBTQIA+ organizations to help the cause. And there are a few things we can do as consumers to keep our dollars working for the cause. Here are some questions to ask yourself when shopping, whether for Pride or year round, when you want to make your money count for the LGTBQIA+ community. If a company has a new Pride collection out, ask yourself: *Are they only launching campaigns and collections like this during Pride? *How is the queer community reflected in their marketing? Are they absent? Positively represented? Do you see LGBTQIA+ models in their marketing year round? *Is inclusivity something they champion outside of June? *If the product features rainbows, making money off of what Pride stands for, is a portion of the profits being channeled back to LGBTQIA+ non-profits and other efforts? *Do some light Googling. Does the company have a track record of not putting the work in—i.e. complaints in the news from LGBTQIA+ employees, or a track record of donating to anti-LGBTQIA+ legislators or causes? What you’re really working out here is whether the mission matches the message. Avoid these red flags. As a best practice, or simply when in doubt, opt for brands that are LGBTQIA+-owned as well as brands that actively give to organizations year-round. These brands are usually very transparent with their missions and initiatives, and dedicated to keeping the LGBTQIA+ community empowered. Some brands to start with include: Homocats Started as a zine titled “Fight the Power” by Brooklyn artist J. Morrison, Homocats now includes a line of screenprinted apparel along with books, zines, and prints. They “aim to fight phobias, propose equal rights, combat cultural stereotypes, question social norms, and make the world a better place.” Devious Designz Devious Designz founder Duante Brown, is a community organizer, board member of both National LGBTQIA+ organizations, and is a “Legend” in the House and Ballroom community. His designs shine a light on the unique experiences of the LGBTQIA+ Black community. Over the Rainbow Apparel Owners and best friends Alex and Abel are both in their ninth year of transition from female to male. Their designs are an alternative way for LGBTQIA+ community members and supporters to stay visible without the traditional rainbow look. Pride month has always been an impactful, important, and meaningful movement. As consumers, we can put the pressure on corporations to refocus on the empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ community, rather than money-making empty gestures. Just like the sustainability movement, be mindful of where you buy from and seek out brands you are proud of. You can be a force to help create change in our society! Thanks for reading today!  Thank you to Ayla for contributing this story….have more to share about Pride Month?  Send us a note to design@insidefashiondesign.net.  Like this article?  Please share! Love, Peace & Blessings, Britta Founder, Inside Fashion Design

Images from RhayvenJArt on Etsy Images from Black Cadre.com One of our favorite ways to celebrate Juneteenth is to put money in the hands of Black entrepreneurs and designers. Increasingly, Juneteenth is making its mark on fashion. Brands like Black Cadre spread messages of freedom and empowerment in their everyday apparel, and Juneteenth themed clothing is popping up everywhere online. If you’re looking to put money into the hands of Black-owned businesses, here are five fantastic brands to support. Follow them online, buy yourself something new, and celebrate their successes! ZOU XOU Zou Xou sells slow fashion shoes that are ethically made in Argentina where owner and designer Katherine Theobalds live and works. All of Zou Xou’s artisans are independent makers who set their own wages and work hours. Small batch and thoughtfully made, you’ll love Zou Xou’s classic-with-a-twist take on mary janes, mules, slides, loafers, and ballet flats. POETIC JUSTICE Inspired by African American women, lifestyle and apparel brand Poetic Justice saw a gap in the market for women with unique curvy shapes. Their mission is to celebrate the style and voice of women who aren’t being catered to by the apparel industry, and provide a safe fashion haven for bodies that are all too often scrutinized or objectified. Poetic Justice apparel has been worn by celebs like Vivica A. Fox, Jordin Sparks, Wendy Williams, and Amber Riley. DEADSTOCK COFFEE What does coffee have to do with apparel? At Portland, Oregon’s Deadstock Coffee, coffee and sneakers go hand-in-hand. Owner Ian Williams spent years working his way up through various positions at Nike before switching gears to coffee. The result? The perfect overlap of sneaker-head culture and coffee shop community. Patrons go there for their terrifically roasted coffee and well-crafted drinks. Others might visit the sneaker-themed coffee shop to talk about a recent shoe release or check out the rare sneaker collections that rotate through the store. It’s a perfect blend of coffee and shoe design, all by a veteran sneaker-head. Even if you aren’t local, you can buy Deadstock Coffee online. THE OULA COMPANY Vibrant colors and patterns make OULA garments stand out from the pack. Hand-cut and sewn locally in the US, OULA uses African Wax Fabric and vintage deadstock textiles for its limited edition and small batch runs. Think of it as wearable art: the company’s founder and CEO, Erika Dalya Massaquoi, is a contemporary art curator and former Assistant Dean at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. RE ONA Ready-to-wear brand Re Ona offers clean lines, neutral palettes, and elevated basics. Garments are designed in Toronto, Canada, and made in Bangladesh and China by fairly paid workers who receive full benefits. They are produced in small batches to avoid overproduction and eliminate waste. We especially love their suiting, with blazers and trousers that straddle the line between traditionally feminine and masculine while giving us strong monochromatic and luxe looks. Thanks for reading today and supporting Black owned businesses.  Have a favorite designer or brand to share?  Let us know…we would love to feature our reader favorites!

Corinne McManus has been running her textile design studio, Atom Designs, for over 30 years from its base in New Cross, travelling the world selling designs to pretty much every major fashion and sports brands you could name – you’re most likely wearing or seeing one of their prints on yoga pants, swimsuits, dresses, t-shirts, board-shorts, socks, underwear, Hawaiian shirts, umbrellas, tents, wrapping paper, note books, push-chairs and anything else you can put a print on. When the lockdown occurred in March 2020, her company, reliant on international travel, was one of the first to feel clients closing their doors to all visitors. Like many, she started with a top down clean of her studio and came across a large bag of old surplus unique fabric samples she realised could be transformed into colourful patterned uplifting face masks to give to dedicated essential workers whose jobs had become unbelievably extraordinarily challenging for which they hadn’t been trained or equipped. Bus drivers, shop workers, carers, postmen, teachers and many others who faced the public without being provided any protection. After a few days of “are you sure?” from her life partner Ben Roberts, a photographer who also works for Atom Designs, he worked out they had enough unique printed fabric swatches in a huge range of different styles to make the first 1500 limited edition masks before needing to find different outer fabrics. Wherever possible they sought bright funky printed fabrics so as well as being a necessary safety precaution they added style, were less intimidating and could help normalise the need to wear a protective face covering in public as well as lifting the spirits of those they met. Several hours after the first 17 masks were taken on Wednesday 8th April by their bus driver friend Trevor into New Cross Bus Garage a request was made for 700 masks, and that was just for one garage… From one sewing machine, 20 masks and a few FaceBook posts, Masks For Extraordinary People grew to over 60 volunteers. Atom Designs owner and Masks For Extraordinary People founder, Corinne McManus We put a call out on social media for donations of fabrics and bedsheets, t-shirts for making ties and for volunteers to help sew. Soon enough we were able to provide free masks to the local bus companies who were at the time severely lacking in PPE. To meet demand for masks we managed to buy Dutch and African wax print fabrics locally. The bus drivers loved the vibrant colourful prints as they made them feel more positive, safe and stylish. In July 2020, MFEP were commissioned by Stagecoach Bus Company to make 13,000 African print face masks. As the news changed and the public were asked to wear facemarks in shops we started to grow more demand from the public. For every mask brought we could then continue to provide free masks to those vulnerable and less able to afford it. Since the start of our mission in April 2020, we have made well over 42,000 face masks of which more than 20,000 have been donated. We are currently producing 500 masks a week for Everydoctor.org.uk, a doctor-led organisation campaigning for a better NHS for all, doctors and patients. If or when this situation comes to an end or our operation winds down we intend to distribute any excess funds to a local education based charity we already support. Photos by BenRoberts.co.uk photoshoot campaign for MFEP Furthermore, We helped our bus drivers make this video featuring a beautiful poem written by Carolyn Pelling, a bus driver. https://youtu.be/yBhJdJ34kcI We also thought we should paint a message on our wall… MASKS FOR EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE Corinne McManus 07961 107485 | Ben Roberts 07932 033355 www.masksforextraordinarypeople.org Atom Designs, 443 New Cross Road, London SE14 6TA Caption

By IFD Intern Mia Boulukos. Pink Lady, inspired by the 1980’s, yet somehow always seems to be in style- whether a pastel pink mixed with grey and black, or a hot pink statement making piece, Mia’s combinations in this color palette become trendy and classic all at the same time!  Use her palette for inspiring your own new combinations to achive this retro, happy vibe.

Featured Designer; IFD Intern Mia Boulukos creates a series of Color Stories as part of her internship work.  Check out her portfolio at: www.miaboulukos.com Any baker knows how easy Buttercream frosting is to make- but finding that perfect color takes some experimentation.  Like a baker trying out new combinations, Buttercream color story keeps the color palette within the same hues, while mixing them creates beautiful,  soft, elegant and classic combinations, sure to flatter any personality. Thank you Mia for your contributions to our Color Inspirations!  To check out her work, visit: www.miaboulukos.com

Featured Designer; IFD Intern Mia Boulukos creates a series of Color Stories as part of her internship work.  Check out her portfolio at: www.miaboulukos.com “Marigolds are a favorite, no-fuss annual that can bring the color of sunshine to your garden, as well as butterflies, bees, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects.”  Garden Design, By Linda Hagen Challenge:  Pick an unusual flower or plant- maybe something rare or exotic.  Research it, find images, learn about its climate, then make a collection of images and inspiration from what you find- then send us your work!  You could be our next featured Designer/Student.  We would love to see what you come up with.

Featured Designer; IFD Intern Mia Boulukos creates a series of Color Stories as part of her internship work.  Check out her portfolio at: www.miaboulukos.com Reader Challenge:  Use Red, White & Black in an athletic collection- including solids & prints.  Can you come up with a graphic, athletic textile print using those 3 colors?  Or does it need shades added in? Research inspiration, find images, learn about its the characteristics of those colors…how do they make you feel?  Do they feel “fast” like speed?  Do these colors make you think of a specific sport? Show us what you come up  with by submitting to us at:  design@insidefashiondesign.net You could be our next featured Designer/Student.  We would love to share your work!

Featured Designer; IFD Intern Mia Boulukos creates a series of Color Stories as part of her internship work.  Check out her portfolio at: www.miaboulukos.com

Written by Jacey Mayer- NDSU Senior and IFD Summer Intern 2020 Imagine walking into a room and instantly feeling like you’re traveling through various time periods represented by pieces of fashion. Moveable shelving with hundreds of garments, tagged by the decades they were made in, and who it was donated by. A closet, rich in history dating as far back as the late 1800s. The Emily Reynold’s Historical Costume Collection at North Dakota State University represents an endless time capsule in which these pieces have been preserved so they can be admired for years to come. The vision of Professor Emily Reynold’s was to allow students a hands-on experience of learning and recognizing different design techniques, history, and to potentially gain inspiration for their own designs. The collection was started by Emily Reynold’s in the 1970s, and now contains over 5,000 unique pieces including accessories such as shoes, hats, and gloves. Some pieces in the collection have been donated by local political figures such as the past governor’s wives and former state representatives. The collection is a beautiful work of art as well as an informative study tool utilized by students to help gain a better understanding of historical fashion. Each piece has been carefully preserved with the assistance of a Smithsonian consultant, organized, and cataloged to make the pieces easily accessible. Emily was initially a secondary school teacher in Tioga, ND. She then attended the University of Tennessee to receive her Masters of Science. She later returned to NDSU and became a professor. As the Department Chair from 1948 to 1981, she expanded the faculty and curriculum for the Textiles and Clothing department. She was very involved on campus and resonated with the students. While working on an assignment for my apparel construction course, I came across a double-breasted dress from the early 1900 in the collection and thought the top details of the dress would be a beautiful concept as a jacket, with its v-neckline and double-breasted closure. Although I wasn’t able to find a pattern that specifically had the same design concept, I was able to find a 1940s pattern that loosely resembled the 1910s dress and made modifications to the pattern such as extending the sleeve length and implementing a collar to create the same v-shaped neckline. I also adjusted the button placement and eliminated 2 sets of the buttons, creating the jacket I had originally envisioned. Countless students just like me have been inspired by the The Emily Reynold’s Historical Costume Collection at North Dakota State University. Here are some highlights from this gem of a collection: Emerald Green Silk Taffeta Evening Gown One of the most iconic pieces in the Historical Costume Collection is this Emerald Green evening gown. On January 20th, 1961, Jocelyn Burdick wore this beautiful evening gown to John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Ball.  She was appointed to fill her husband, Quentin Burdick’s position on the US Senate after his death in 1992. Jocelyn was the first woman to represent North Dakota in the US senate until a special election was held to properly elect his replacement. During her time in the US Senate, she became a strong supporter of women’s rights and was able to add her name to legislation in support of pay equity and women’s health. Design details: The simple, yet elegant emerald green gown, was made from a Silk Taffeta material fully lined in green satin. The top of consists of a drape bodice with square neckline, shoulder straps, and a zipper closure. The skirt is draped as well, with a boned waist. It is part of the ERHCC’s Women in Politics Collection. Sleeveless evening “Flapper Girl” dress This dress is what one would envision as the stereotypical flapper girl dress. In fact, it was worn by Esther Nesmith Breed during her younger years in the 1920s. During this era, she attended college for one year and then spent the rest of her time traveling around Europe. She was often described as the “flapper girl” by her friends and family. Design details: This “flapper girl” dress consists of many fine details such as champagne-colored crushed velvet, as well as lined with champagne- colored Chiffon lining, and has a scoop neckline. The bodice is shirred into the shoulders with two stripes of beading. The dress also contains intricate beadwork of pearls, silver bugle beads, and clear rhinestones down the sides of bodice front, which then merges into a wide band. The scalloped hem is also heavily beaded with teardrop-shaped cutouts at the waist and hem. The back has a beautiful T-shaped opening and is also outlined in beading. Fuschia/ Black Floral Silk Tapestry Three Piece Ensemble This three-piece ensemble was purchased by Fargo woman, Anne Libby Goldberg during the 1960s. She saw a photograph of First Lady Mamie Eisenhower wearing the coat and dress ensemble and instantly fell in love with the look. She then purchased the Nat Kaplan pieces. After receiving the pieces, she commissioned local milliner, Margaret Steiner to make a hat to match the dress and coat. Design details: Not only are all three pieces made from the same beautiful floral silk material, the dress and coat both have princess seams and bust darts. The dress consists of a rounded neck and short sleeves. The back closure is a zipper with a hook and eye at the neck. The coat has a mandarin collar and three-quarter length sleeves. The coat’s closure has five black rhinestone studded buttons on the front. Both the hat and the coat are lined with black satin. The hat itself, has a turned-up brim, a round crown, and is gathered to back with two self-fabric hat pins. Sleeveless orange/blue/black floral print brocade dress. This brocade party dress dates back to 1924 and was worn by Newlywed Beatrice Burns Zimmerman. In her younger years, she wore it to parties in Casselton, ND especially during the winter of 1924-1925. She graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1922 with a major in Home Economics with a minor in both Chemistry and Physical Education. Shortly after she married Edwin C. Zimmerman. They had three children and moved to Fargo in 1948. Beatrice taught Red Cross Home Nursing at what is now considered North Dakota State University but at the time it was known as NDAC. In 1956, Beatrice became the first person to earn a masters degree in Home Economics at North Dakota State University. Design details: Shots of gold metallic thread run throughout the floral brocade fabric. The neckline is a scoop neck with an attached black velvet capelet which has long points at the front. The dress comes completed with a drop waist with a scalloped edge attached to a short, pleated skirt made from the same black velvet material as the capelet. Blue Rayon Chiffon with White Flower and Butterfly Print Dress and Underdress In the 1940s, military goods made from natural fibers, leather, and rubber were prioritized during production over civilian clothing and shoes. The Regulation L-85 issued in 1942 by the government’s War Production Board, prioritized the conservation of fabric and trims by 15 percent on women’s clothing which created regulations for manufacturers only allowing them to use a yard and three quarters of fabric for the garment. They also prohibited design details such as the use of ruffles, patch pockets, and attached hoods. Although these strict regulations were implemented for manufacturers, home sewing was not affected by the regulations. Most women opted to follow guidelines anyways because fabric was hard to obtain. This dress was made by Helga Olson to be worn by her daughter and followed the regulations placed during the war era. Design details: To accommodate the regulations three snaps were utilized to close the left side of the under dress. To save fabric, the A-line dress also only has pleats on the front of the skirt, short sleeves, a small integral band collar, and uses narrow tucks on the bodice. It also has white plastic buttons for the closure down the front of the dress. The self-fabric belt carriers at the waist so the skirt of the underdress is exposed. Men’s Dusty Rose Polyester suit Professor Peter Munton, former chair of the Design department at NDSU. This suit was purchased at Young America, Minnesota, in 1972. Although this suit was trendy for the time it did not remain in style as time went on. It is also a good representation of the Peacock Revolution in men’s fashion, which took place during the 1960s. Design details: The double-breasted jacket is made from a dusty rose polyester material and includes a 12 dark gray button closure down the front. The wide notched collar comes to a point at the center back. The front of the jacket has two slightly curved seams for shaping and two v tab inset pockets also lie along the seams. On the back of the jacket there is a faux topstitched belt that comes to a point similar to the collar. The jacket comes complete with long sleeves with three decorative buttons at the cuff. The inside of the coat is lined with blue, red, and light gray colored taffeta material. The inside of the coat also has a chest pocket at the left with a button closure. The pants are also made from a dusty rose polyester material with brown and ecru vertical stripes. The pants have a slight bell bottom flare with a front fly closure. They also include 2 front pockets, 2 back pockets, and 5 belt loops with a metal hook on the waistband. Two-Piece Green Wool Dress Being one of the oldest pieces in the collection, the two-piece green wool dress worn by Inga Hovland in 1885, was what she wore on board the ship that brought her to America from Norway. Hovland was 33 years old when she immigrated to the US. 5 years later, she married Sam Hovland in Minnesota, but they settled in Trail County, ND where they farmed and raised a family. Design details: The top bodice includes a fitted waist and has a 12-button center closure and includes a blue mandarin collar edged with lace. The long sleeves consist of cartridge pleats at the cuffs accented with three buttons, blue ribbon, and lace. The back of the top has a slight flare in the back and the inside is fully lined. The matching skirt is floor length with 4 rows of cartridge pleats at the hemline and blue-ribbon trim. The back of the skirt is slightly gathered in back to create a bustle. The skirt is also fully lined. Navy Blue Wool Twill A-line Coat Although upcycling has become more of a trend in recent years, this coat from the late 60’s was made by Dorothy Novak for her daughter from a recycled adult’s coat. Dorothy was known for being resourceful and taking old articles of clothing and fashioning them into clothes for her children. Design details: The A-line coat was made from a navy-blue wool twill material with black sharkskin facings, and a blue cotton lining. The coat features a rolled collar and 4 white pearl buttons as the front closure. Blue and White striped Chambray two-piece dress This two-piece dress dates back to the 1940s and was made by North Dakota farm wife, Gladys Olson Pruess. She would wear this dress to run errands in town,  club meetings, or to pickup/deliver grain at the elevator. Design details: Fun fact, the top had originally had blue glass buttons Glady’s had recycled from her wedding dress. However, she removed them and put them on a different dress. The buttons were replaced with white plastic buttons. The blouse has a flat, wide collar with rounded ends, and short sleeves with turned-back cuffs. The bodice has pleats at the lower half on both the front and back. A patch pocket can be found on the left chest. The skirt is a simple A-line cut and has a side button closure at the waistband due to the shortage of material because of the war. Sleeveless floral print Silk Georgette Summer Dress In the late 1920s, this dress was made for Alma Stockstad Gilbertson by her mother. Her mother, Aletthe Stockstad, was a skilled dressmaker and made this dress using a commercial pattern. Because her mother often made her dresses, Alma did not own a ready-to-wear dress until after she graduated high school. Design details:  This multicolored floral print dress is made from a silk Georgette material and has a V-neckline with a self-fabric ruffle down the center front. The unique collar is designed to have a waist-length capelet that attaches to the back shoulders. The bodice side seams are ruched with dropped waist and a gathered skirt. Rosemari Myrdal purchased the dark gray woven wool coat in 1995 to wear during her daily walk to work at the state capitol in Bismarck, ND, where she served as Lieutenant Governor from 1993-2001. She religiously walked four blocks to work multiple times a day regardless of the temperatures, even when the wind chill was below zero. She also served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1985-1992. Mid-Calf length dark gray woven wool coat with off-white polar bears The coat was purchased in a shop in Minneapolis airport on her way home from a conference. Since she has a Nordic and Northeastern North Dakota Heritage, the coat quickly caught her eye and she knew she needed to purchase it. The Lillunn company that produced the jacket was founded in Norway in 1953 by Unn Søiland Dale. Dale was inspired by deck blankets on a cruise ship and began designing coats made from Norwegian wool blankets. Design details: The wool coat falls to a mid-calf-length and has a tall stand-up collar that closes with two plastic buttons.  The wrap front closes with plastic buttons at the shoulder and the waist. It has long sleeves with turn-back cuffs, inseam pockets, and the edges are finished with gray machine serging. Emily Reynolds started with a vision and was able to turn a simple concept into a historical masterpiece for people to admire for years to come. After Emily’s retirement in 1995, Professor Anne Braaten from the Apparel Department stepped up to be the Curator for the collection which is also managed by Susan Curtis. The collection is available for tours on a limited basis. If you are interested in visiting the Collection, please contact Susan Curtis at ndsu.erhcc@ndsu.edu. Photo credit: North Dakota State University, Emily Reynold’s Historical Costume Collection. ndsu.edu. My Personal Inspiration Experience I, Jacey Mayer, from personally being a student at North Dakota State University, and being in the Apparel program have my own special story of how the collection has positively impacted my education. I have spent hours in the costume collection searching for inspiration. I love admiring the craftsmanship and hearing the interesting stories behind the garments. In classes such as history of fashion I have had many lectures where my professor has brought in pieces from the collection to properly show us specific design details. Once while working on an assignment for my apparel construction course, I came across a double-breasted dress from the early 1900 in the collection and thought the top details of the dress would be a beautiful concept as a jacket. I took a picture to capture the specific elements (as seen on the top right) I was looking for such as the v-neckline and double-breasted closure. I then searched for a pattern that had those design elements within it. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for. Although I wasn’t able to find a pattern that specifically had the same design concept, I was able to find a 1940s pattern that loosely resembled the 1910s dress and made modifications to the pattern such as extending the sleeve length, implementing a collar to create the same v-shaped neckline. I also adjusted the button placement and eliminated 2 sets of the buttons. Therefore creating the jacket, I had originally envisioned. Wrap up! The collection is a beautiful work of art as well as an informative study tool utilized by students to help gain a better understand of historical fashion. Each piece has been carefully preserved with the assistance of a Smithsonian consultant, organized, and cataloged to make the pieces easily accessible. Emily Reynolds started with her vision and was able to turn a simple concept into a historical masterpiece for people to admire for years to come. After Emily’s retirement in 1995, Professor Anne Braaten from the Apparel Department stepped up to be the Curator for the collection and the collection is also managed by Susan Curtis today. North Dakota State University. (n.d.). Emily Reynold’s Historical Costume Collection. ndsu.edu.   https://www.ndsu.edu/erhcc/ Thank you to Jacey for contributing such great content. For more information about NDSU’s Apparel program, visit: https://www.ndsu.edu Interested in learning more about IFD internships? Send a note to: design@insidefashiondesign.net

Sharing Post from Kristen Anderson @ https://www.kndrsn.com Thank you for the write up Kristen!!  Check out her services and website to learn more This week, I’m excited to share my interview with Britta Cabanos. She is the Chief Design Director and Co-Founder of CCD – Creative Capital Design. CCD is a design studio that assists brands with everything from strategy to design to development to production management. Additionally, Britta is also the Co-Founder, Director, and Editor in Chief for Inside Fashion Design, a global resource for all things fashion design. Whew! That’s a mouthful. In other words, Britta is an all-around powerhouse! She’s developed a platform that’s valuable for “creative thinkers, makers, and brands.” She created Inside Fashion Design to help fashion designers and creatives better understand the fashion industry’s behind-the-scenes. Here’s a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of Inside Fashion Design, and the lovely Britta Cabanos! Britta Cabanos, Our Lemons into Lemonade Feature Were you always interested in starting your own venture? What inspired you to start your own business? Britta has always wanted to start her own business. In fact, her entrepreneurial spirit started at a young age. “My first venture was building a “Snack Shack” in my backyard. This was a little wooden hut my dad helped me build, and I used my money from my paper route to buy candy and snacks to sell from this “shack.” I put signs up all over the neighborhood!” Since then, Britta has incorporated her entrepreneurial spirit into every job she’s had. What was the beginning like? Did you have a hard time getting started, or did the pieces fall into place? As it turns out, Britta has started multiple businesses, including her own swimwear line! So, Creative Capital Design was not her first rodeo. “I have started a few businesses, one of them being my own swimwear line. I started this in 2000 and operated that until 2003. The main reason I stopped was because I got the opportunity to move to Portland for a design position as the Nike Swim designer. So I had some experience under my belt of starting a biz before launching CCD. Creative Capital Design was started with my business partner, so we founded this together in 2012.” Although Britta had much experience in the fashion world, it wasn’t until she met a complementary business partner, that she decided to create CCD. Britta had nothing but beautiful things to say about her business partner. “She is an amazing mix of left brain with the right brain, business savvy, and highly experienced in managing design teams. My experiences in managing the design process made for the perfect blend of our skill sets.” Together, they are a dream team! Britta, you work on similar projects to Kristen, but you work with a lot of big-name brands! Was it scary when you first went out on your own? How did you get started? Britta shared how valuable her past corporate experience had been. “Between my partner and I, we had both worked in corporate jobs, so we had the experiences already of working on big brands. This gave us confidence and knowledge so that we could work more closely with smaller clients, as well as bigger firms, to provide our services to them. One thing we did when we launched our company was to reach out to our network, share with them our launch and what we were doing, and from there, we started getting referrals and a lot of word-of-mouth inquiries.” The Creative Capital Design team! What is the biggest failure you’ve experienced in your business? What did you learn from it? Britta’s biggest failure is a devastating loss she experienced while building out her swimwear line. “When I had my swimwear line, I was learning on the fly…which I believe can be great in some ways but also difficult. I was not experienced enough to manage orders and payments – I had 2 cases where I got a fairly large order, and I put money upfront for fabric & production to fill these orders. One of the buyers received the shipment and then completely disappeared without a trace – so they got their order for free – they stole it basically. I never recouped the costs for that order and never heard from them again. I drove to their shop one day, and it was completely shut down- so my suits from that order probably ended up at some discount shop somewhere.” As if that wasn’t challenging enough, Britta experienced something similar later on. “The 2nd experience was similar, where I shipped an entire order, the terms were for them to pay in 30 days, but then they decided to cancel it due to lack of sales in their shop…Again, I paid for all the materials and production and received no payment to cover those costs…. It was a HUGE learning lesson for sure!!” A HUGE learning lesson and a sign that if you don’t learn a lesson the first time…the universe will keep trying to teach you! What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given life or business? Although she has gotten lots of good advice from colleagues and mentors, there is one statement that Britta has carried with her since age 14. “I was a very shy kid….in 9th grade, at that very awkward age, I had a friend/classmate who wrote in my yearbook a message that said, “Always hold your head up and be proud of who you are.” I thought that was such a wise thing to say from a fellow 9th grader…but I felt that she knew the awkwardness I was experiencing at that time, and those words have stuck with me ever since.” Wonderfully said. A Mood Board Britta Created What’s the most recent lesson your business has taught you? In light of COVID-19, Britta has spent a lot of time re-evaluating her businesses. “The most recent lesson is to look at our business, evaluate what we are doing, where we are going, what we need to do to pivot, how to expand our offering of services…so we can determine our business strategy moving forward. This is a lesson we are in the midst of- It’s important to stay flexible and always keep evolving.” Although COVID-19 has been extremely challenging in many ways, it is inspiring to watch Britta use it as a time of growth. What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs? Britta’s advice is simple and solid. “Find a mentor, find your community/tribe, build your support network!” And her advice if you lack specific skills? “Find a way to learn them to expand your knowledge & skill set- keep growing personally and professionally. Some things just come with time, so also be patient.” What’s your favorite part about being a business owner? What’s the hardest part? Like many other Lemons into Lemonade interviewees, Britta’s favorite part is the freedom to run your own company. “I love the freedom and flexibility- that’s probably the #1 reason I wanted my own business in the first place.” The hardest part is similar to many other Lemons into Lemonade interviewees, not getting a break from work! “The hardest part is that it is always with you. When I worked for a company, I was dedicated to that work, but at the end of the day, I could go home, leave work at work, and focus on my family. When you own the business, it is always there…but I will also say that having a business of your own is something you are passionate about, and you won’t mind so much that it is always with you!! Just have to make sure you can take those mental breaks and allow yourself some escapes from time to time.” What are the most important skills or traits you’ve found helpful in entrepreneurship? Are there any traits you’ve discovered that make it harder to succeed if you don’t keep it in check? Although a blessing and a curse, Britta shared how her empathy has been extremely beneficial while running her business. “When we get a client who is passionate about their project or work, I love feeling that energy, and I want to help them succeed. I can get so excited about ideas that I believe have potential and can get really wrapped up in that project. This gives me a lot of motivation and drives to succeed.” The downside, though, is that Britta can be hugely affected by people’s bad energy. “This is where I have learned to work on not allowing someone else’s negative energy or stress to affect me. I believe a lot of creatives have this trait, and we have to remember that most of the negativity that happens out there is NOT personal to us, but its the other persons’ issue…we don’t have to allow them to affect us, so I am reminding myself of…and not always successfully!” Britta, in Her Zone of Genius I noticed you’re also the Chief Editor and co-founder of Inside Fashion Design. Can you tell us more about it, and what made you start working on this? Britta shared her humble beginnings with clear enthusiasm and passion; it all started out with a love of journalism. “I was on the journalism team in high school, and I absolutely loved being “press,” I recall getting press passes to school events, such as concerts and football games. I was also a photographer for my own stories….As I get older and have more years under my belt, I find that people are always asking me about my career path, asking for advice, asking me to look at their portfolios etc. I have built over the years a network of amazing professional industry experts who I can call my friends, so I wanted a place to share advice, share their stories and wisdom, and build a place to offer opportunities for connection, personal and professional growth.” What’s your favorite ‘game-changer’ tool that you can share with everyone? (ie. hellobonsai, airtable, later, etc.). Britta answered in two parts. First, she suggests a platform that helps build and share tech packs. “One is a program called ngnine (https://ngnine.io). This is a fairly new platform created by a friend in the industry as a tool for building and sharing tech packs with your makers. This makes the process so much easier, and it’s built with live documents, so every addition or update in the system is shared across all involved parties. This is a tool we are using more and more as we add in new clients and will reduce our time spent on building tech packs in excel, for example.” Second, Britta shared WordPress as a resource, which has been a great resource as she learns the ins and outs of website design. “WordPress has been a wonderful platform to build the site on and learn from. They offer support staff, and I often find myself chatting with them live through their chatbox, asking many questions, and getting advice on how to add in things to the site.” Britta also noted that Linkedin has been a valuable resource as well. Where can we find you if we’d like to learn more about you? For Design Services: www.creativecapitalpdx.com For Features: www.insidefashiondesign.com Britta notes: “I am always on the lookout for designers and apparel industry folks to feature on our IFD site. Please reach out if you are looking to share your story, experiences, words of wisdom, or if you are a younger professional wanting to get some exposure! We also hold events, classes, and networking opportunities, so it’s a great place to subscribe and be included in all of our happenings and opportunities.” Original article from: https://www.kndrsn.com/post/lemons-into-lemonade-britta-cabanos