| Date:
December 4, 2009
HANCOCK, MI – Three Finlandia University Art & Design juniors
and a BFA alumna have benefited from an exchange arranged by
Finlandia associate professor Phyllis Fredendall.
The Victor Group of New York City has woven for each
student-designer five yards of upholstery-weight Jacquard
fabric, which is valued at $40 to $60 per yard.
The four young women, however, view the Jacquard fabric as
"priceless."
Fredendall directs the Fiber Arts and Fashion Design program
for Finlandia’s International School of Art & Design. In the
Spring 2009 semester section of her class, "Jacquard Design" the
now-woven patterns were designed.
"This is the first time we have worked with Victor Group,"
said Fredendall. "The details were worked out by phone and
e-mail, and earlier this month I visited their studios in New
York during a recruiting trip there."
The Victor Group weaves fabrics for commercial uses, such as
upholstery for office and hotel furnishings. The company
produces leading-edge textiles and is known for its leadership
in operational and product ecological sustainability, according
to their website.
As part of the exchange, the Victor Group owns the student
designs, which become part of Victor’s design library.
The opportunity began when Fredendall contacted the German
company, EAT, makers of DesignScope CAD weaving software. EAT
develops electronic textile patterning and related industry
software.
"We had been working with another company that notified us
that they were unable to continue to weave for us," Fredendall
explained. "So, I contacted EAT and asked them for help finding
another opportunity to have our designs woven. They sent a
notice to users of DesignScope software, and Ann Reinhard,
senior CAD designer at Victor, replied that she was interested
in working with us!"
"Linda Allen, design manager at Victor, is particularly
interested in the opportunity to contribute to the education of
future textile designers," Fredendall said. "During the Spring
semester, she offered the students valuable critiques of their
designs."
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