March 7, 2012

Fashion Design and Design & Merchandising Department Head, Roberta H. Gruber and Associate Fashion Program Director, Cindy Golembuski, joined students in their Fashion Design I and Fashion Drawing II courses to participate in a Rowenta Iron Competition. The sophomore students were challenged to draw inspiration from a Rowenta Iron for manipulating fabric and developing silhouettes for their original designs.  The students created garments on half-scale forms, experimenting with Rowenta's irons to manipulate the fabric they draped on the form.

Althea Harper, Runner-up on Lifetime's Project Runway, attended the final critique and served as guest judge.  A diverse range of techniques were demonstrated, utilizing the iron to its full extent. Permanent pleating, creasing, texturizing and fusible interfacing/underlining was used to alter the look of the fabric and create the shape on the body.  Kaitlin Conover created the winning student project, an eggplant colored evening gown that featured the detailed use of hand pleating created with the Rowenta iron.  Kaitlin fused the pleated polyester georgette using fusible interfacing to create a stunning strapless bustier and evening skirt.  For her efforts, Kaitlin won a DG5030 Steam Station courtesy of Rowenta.