The Underfashion Club is very pleased to present 3 celebratory women from our industry, Janet Peters, Roz Harte, and Norma Reinhardt. These women, still active and well into their senior years, are intimate market history incarnate. Together, they have had a radical impact on design and merchandising for over 65 years. Now, in honor of their extraordinary legacy and renowned sense of humor, we have brought them together for one evening of conversation. Moderated by Amy Bittner, we present “Getting Intimate with the Icons” on October 7th at the Cutting Room. Come and hear the untold stories as only they will tell them, uncensored and informative.
The three winners of the Femmy 2014 student design contest, “Shaping The Future”, have been featured in INTIMA Magazine‘s August 2014 issue!
1st: Cristina Ramos with “Beauty is Vein”
read more
Paris Mode City / Interfiliere show was a bit like the weather: hot & cold, even rainy at times.
Hot were the
Forum trends : focused on colors and prints, delicate & decorative details , and sport-inspired elements
Beachwear : “Momenti Di passione” which was a runway collection of innovative beachwear prototypes created by leading fabric mills and organized by Jos Berry of Concepts Paris and Paula Maltese as a “live trend book”
Absolute Summer : interactive experience focused on supporting beach and lingerie professionals with advice on beauty trends, consumer merchandising, summer shop prototypes and accessories
Lace: one customer shared that they were elbow to elbow looking through collections read more
The SAIG members, (11 dedicated committee members) met at FIT on Wed, April 23rd to interview 15 students from the Fashion Design Department. These students presented themselves, talked about their goals and aspirations and presented their portfolios and garments. This time there was one Production major and the rest of the students were from Design. Professor Alexandra Armillas has done a remarkable job in helping to bring about this annual night of interviews for possible scholarships to the FIT students. read more
It wasn’t just an ordinary rooftop party. This was the Underfashion Club’s networking rooftop party, held at 230 Fifth Avenue on June 19th. It was a gathering of members old and new…at least 60 of us! And so fantastic to see some of the newly graduated intimates designers amongst us! The weather was spectacular with the sun beaming on all the palm trees and folks having a good time. We even had a raffle and gave out 8 gift certificates for Starbucks and the APPLE store. And oh, welcome to the 10 newest members…. check out the pix below. It was fun!
Last week I met with a group of intimate apparel professionals to discuss the improvements needed in the industry. Andrew Sia, Publisher of Intimate Apparel Journal, headed the discussion along with his wife Mimi. As a founder of Ace Style group, a vertically-integrated women’s intimates manufacturing business covering garments, fabrics, trims, printing, retailing, wholesale, and franchising, Andrew’s established background and experience has allowed him to recognize the disconnect between all levels of the industry and in-turn create a solution. From recent graduate students, to buyers, to factory workers, it obvious that a common thread and understanding of standard practices is absent. In other words, there is no standard go-to resource that one could be educated on the technical, marketing, manufacturing and design techniques. This creates a problem in our industry.
Everyone at the meeting unanimously agreed that the Intimate Apparel Journal (IAJ) is the vehicle that will solve this issue. IAJ will ultimately create a common dialogue within the industry and in turn connect the American, European and Asian markets. At the luncheon Julia Poteat, assistant professor at Parsons The New School for Design, spoke of the possible use for IAJ in her student’s curriculum. As a new instructor at FIT teaching at the Center for Professional Studies in June, Andrew Sia believes the journal is a great resource for all students studying in the industry. I spoke of how IAJ would greatly help buyers and store owners understand why samples can not be produced over night or why certain fabrics can not be used for specific purposes. Not everyone in the industry understands these simple concepts, which is why a dialogue must be started.
Every article in the journal may not always speak directly to a specific area, but it will serve as a learning tool for students, and an industry resource for professionals to keep up with trends and reports. I look forward to seeing the success of the journal along with world-wide discussion it will create in the industry
I was delighted to attend the “FACES AND PLACES IN FASHION” Lecture Series presented by the Office of Alumni and Faculty Relations at FIT on May 5, 2014. The distinguished panel of lingerie professionals was moderated by FIT Alumna Karen Bromley, Principal of the Bromley Group.
Most of the panel is on the UNDERFASHION CLUB’S Board of Directors, but also includes graduates of FIT and other top leaders from the world of Intimate Apparel. They gave detailed information about the Intimate Apparel industry and also a peek into each of their extensive backgrounds. read more
Tuesday evening the membership committee hosted a terrific presentation, “Building Your Professional Network With LinkedIn.” The event, organized by Tristine Berry and Victoria Vandagriff, was held at Fashion Group International in NYC. There were 70 people in attendance, including 14 new members. Tristine introduced Guest Speaker, Author and Career Coach, John Crant. John addressed the audience focusing in on the strategic benefits of LinkedIn.
I was initially a bit wary; I already have over 1,300 connections on the site. But besides being thoroughly entertained, I learned several LinkedIn secrets that turned my perspective about the purpose and potential of the site around. This mega networking machine is a great way to promote a business. It is a communication powerhouse that cannot be ignored. And there is no doubt, that for anyone searching for a career change, it is the premiere go to social media tool available today. John’s expertise is well documented both on his website at www.selfrecruiter.com and in his book “Self Recruiter® Changing the Rules.” read more
On March 18th, Karen Bromley of the BROMLEY GROUP led an energetic panel of experts for the UNDERFASHION CLUB’S PR event, “PR & THE BOTTOM LINE”.
The panelists included: read more
I don’t think one more person could have fit into the space that had the Lingerie Fashion Night “IN” on February 24th. The fashion show was presented by CURVExpo at the TriBeCa Skyline Studios. Everyone that attended was treated to a vast array of brand names that presented as little as 2 looks to a mind boggling 18 looks. Aubade, Natori, LeMystere, Arlotta, LOU, Maidenform and Fantasie were just some of the 50 plus brands that were represented. There was excitement and sizzle. The colors and styles were scrumptious and so was the food!
