Underfashion Club's Mission and History

Our Mission

It is the intention of certain members of the Intimate Apparel Industry to raise funds and expend energy to safeguard the present and future health of said industry by:

Primarily supporting education of new talent.
Secondarily by attracting this talent to careers in Intimate Apparel.
Thirdly to act as a good citizen in the local community within which the industry exists.
To accomplish these goals these members have formed the Underfashion Club, Inc

Our History

About The Underfashion Club, Inc.

Two thousand-seven marks the Club's 49th year. Begun in 1958 as the Corset and Brassiere Women's Club, Inc., it evolved into the Underfashion Club in 1963, broadening both its membership and program scope.

Today Club members are engaged in all facets of the intimate apparel industry - foundations, day wear, sleepwear, robes and loungewear. The Club's membership represents a cross-section of the varying interests and points of view held by different segments of the industry - retailers, manufacturers, textile mills and fiber producers. Members hold positions of responsibility in the areas of management, marketing, merchandising, sales, design and education.

A nonprofit organization, the Club was formed to provide executives of the intimate apparel industry a forum for the exchange of information and ideas, a platform for the discussion of industry needs and problems, and a vehicle establishing the importance of the intimate apparel market as a vital aspect of the fashion industry.

Some years ago The Underfashion Club, together with the Intimate Apparel Council, established a chair at the Fashion Institute of Technology to ensure that graduates coming into the industry are fully qualified.

Activities and Programs
Our Program Committee develops informative seminars featuring guest speakers and panelists from the industry and related fields. Held at frequent intervals, these meetings are designed to stimulate and entertain, as well as provide opportunities for career networking. The committee also offers such fun get-togethers as the annual Holiday Party where, in the spirit of the season, clothes and toys are generously donated to the New York Foundling Home.

Through our Charity Committee, meaningful cash donations are made in support of many worthy causes that are industry-related and/or humanitarian in nature.

Our Femmy Awards Committee is responsible for the most prestigious event of the Intimate Apparel Industry - the annual Femmy Gala held in recognition of outstanding executives for exceptional achievements. Proceeds from this event provide the primary funding for the Club's extensive scholarship, awards, internship and grants (SAIG) programs.

Our SAIG Committee has evolved into a proactive group of volunteers who interact with and monitor the progress of scholarship recipients, coordinate industry participation in educational seminars for students, support intimate apparel education on the high school and college levels, and actively pursue an intimate apparel internship program in the New York area.

We believe the future depends on attracting and educating young people to opportunities in our industry. As a means to this end, our scholarships provide substantial monetary support to students who pursue college-level, Intimate Apparel-related courses. Currently, college level students at institutions such as the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute benefit from our scholarships.

The Club also supports undergraduate students at the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City, an institution specializing in teaching all aspects of the needle trades. Our program of incentive awards encourages these talented young people to pursue careers in Intimate Apparel.

The grant section of this committee provides money to colleges around the country to develop and initiate Intimate Apparel-related courses into their curricula. Past grant recipients include: Oregon State University, who has developed a resource handbook identifying ways and means of infusing intimate apparel education into existing undergraduate programs and classes; and Oklahoma State University, who has developed industry-based multimedia presentations for promotion of the Intimate Apparel Industry.

Most recently, the committee's internship program provides college and high school students with the opportunity of working as interns for intimate apparel manufacturers, suppliers and retailers while continuing their education. It is our hope that this effort will result in a new generation of enthusiastic and knowledgeable intimate apparel workers.

Our Web Site Committee is responsible for the Club's web site, www.underfashionclub.org. Current events, membership and Club information are available on-line, and the committee is developing new services and information opportunities for the intimate apparel community.

Our Board

Officers

President
Barry Ross
Barry Ross Intimate Connections

Executive Vice President
Thomas A. Garson
Lovable World Trading Co.

V.P., Capital Formation
Barbara Lipton
Soma/Chico's

V.P., Communications
Karen Bromley
The Bromley Group LLC

V.P., Education
Victor Vega
Wacoal America, Inc..

Treasurer
Gary E. Hughes
GH Lace, Inc.

Secretary
Rosa M. Chamides
Madison's Best LLC