Laura Volpintesta

8 Beach Street Unit 8I

Bethel, Ct 06801

203-788-7909

Info@fashionillustrationtribe.com

Research Statement

  • I want my students to be more conscious and empowered than I was as a graduate. Strong art skills that rethink what they believed about previously (AAS students are many beginners) combined with consciousness that keeps them positive and empowered.  Honing their unique voice and seeing more options in how their careers and businesses can evolve.
  • Ethnic fashion research to find answers to fast fashion problems. ( I call it Ethnical Fashion)
  • Marketing  entrepreneurship skills for independent designers and small businesses.
  • Diversity and empowerment particularly for women who struggle for power in this industry.
  • Online course creation, implementation, research and distribution
  • How small businesses can be flexible and move quickly to adapt and change.   
  • Digital Freehand Fashion illustration techniques.
  • Ethical , conscious fashion from upcycling/ recycling/ zero waste to body image, inclusive fashion across race, age, size and ability.
  • Slow fashion and Makers movement.  All of this as part of ongoing research to evolving consciousness on the planet in this time.
  • Including awareness of ethical and fair trade and practice in textiles and garment production and how fashion industry can harm or help at risk communities.
  • Relationships with designers who work with small studios in house or who work with artisan communities in at risk areas strengthening economy, community, and skills.
  • Ongoing research and testing of feminist principles, roles of women through fashion’s structures, and evolving  educational models.
  • Self-directed learning and unblocking creative fears with students and using experience and entrepreneurial tools to have an empowered experience to share their message and build their business.
  • African diaspora and Latin American partnerships, history and aethetics, from Afro American arts to West African Textiles, from Ugandan artisan communities  to Brazilian designers and artisan communities. Handcraft, beading, dyeing, handpainting, returning the sacred to the fashion garment and its wearer.

Teaching Experience

FashionIllustrationTribe.com- Founder, online course and content creator, illustrator, workshop leader  and designer. Patternmaking,  model drawing, fashion illustration, draping, knitting and crochet, digital fashion illustration, eveningwear, textiles.  Clients: ethical fashion designers, African Fashion and Brazilian fashion designers such as Ela Globo, Artisan Apparel Uganda, Sydney Davies London, and others. Workshops at local fashion and arts schools, brand strategy teaching.

Craftsy.com- course creation and studio filming of coursein Denver.   Course: “Designing with Fashion Flats”. 4,000+ students

Parsons the New School for FAshion/ AAS and Open Campus Adjunct Instructor, Assistant Professor of Fashion Design

January 2012 – PRESENT,  NYC and online

Technical 3D and 2d conceptual: Open Fashion Drawing workshops, Patternmaking studios, Fashion Industry Design (model drawing, fashion illustration, design sketching, specs, and concept development for portfolio), and Core Fashion Design in Open campus.

Parsons School of Fashion/ FT Fashion Faculty AAS

September 2006-January 2012 NYC

Created Parsons’ very first online fashion design studio online course with Distributed Education for AAS Fashion Design and Marketing Program.  

Teaching Fashion Model Drawing 1, 2 and 3,. Portfolio, and Fashion Industry Design (concepts, fashion illustration, presentation, and flats/specs).  

Reviewing and revising syllabi for courses, preparing lookbooks for fashion show, teaching 10 courses per year, advising students.  

Parsons School of Design/ Adjunct Faculty BFA

September 1997- July 2001,  NYC

Committee: Student/faculty liaison.  Moderated roundtable event “Critiquing the Critique) 1999

Courses: 6 hour sophomore year-long  fashion design studios: Patternmaking, Draping, construction (hand and machine sewing)

Summer school sewing/pattern classes.

Education

Rio Fashion Institute: Textile Manipulation with Fernanda Yamamoto certificate

January 2018 (felting techniques, draping, sketching)

Rio Fashion Institute: Moulage with Lena Santana

February 2018 certificate

Rio Fashion Institute: Fashion Illustration and Print Design with Ronaldo Fraga

March 2018 certificate

Rio Fashion Institute: UPCYCLING and sustainabilty with Agusta Comas of Comas

April 2018 Certificate

Marie Forleo’s B-School since 2013

Messaging and marketing intensive for entrepreneurs

Be True Brand You  Branding Strategy Program with Kimra Luna

Since 2016 Marketing and Branding Strategy Intensive

Ethical Fashion Academy with Francisca Pineda and Carmen Artigas

2014 Ethical Fashion in SOHO workshop.

ToLabor Birth Doula and Labor Support Intensive Training

2009 this is very important to my work because it promotes non-violence, dismantles misogyny in institutions and gets to the root of women’s issues and empowerment globally- which is a voice that is going to heal fashion industry as well as medical and birth culture.

Center for Music and Young Children certified 2001. This is important for my work because I learned how young people “learn art”, learn in community and from experience and self-directed learning, as well as how adults can to heal from art education.

Parsons School of Design/ BFA Fashion Design ( BA/BFA program with Eugene Lang College- Cultural Studies)

June 1991-May 1995 ,  NYC and PARSONS PARIS sophomore year.

Music, art, literature and social political courses along with Fashion Design BFA program.

La Sorbonne/ certificate 1992

Intermediate French Language and Culture

Western Connecticut State University / 1990-1991

Honors Program, Humanities

 

Publications/Speaking/Performances

Speaker- “Fashion Filter” NYC event hosted by Ethical Fashion Academy, ethical fashion panel speaker 2014-   Body image and fashion proportion in fashion schools and fashion illustration, body positivity.

Co -Author and Illustrator with Jay Calderin “the Fashion Design Reference and Specification Book” on Rockport Publishers 2013

Available in English and Spanish

Author and Illustrator “The Language of Fashion Design: 26 Principles Every Fashion Designer Should Know” on Rockport/Quayside press

Available in Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French and English.

Performing artist, vocalist, songwriter, percussionist, dance instructor

Afro Brazilian and cultural dances, salsa,jazz, charanga,samba,gospel choi.. Performances and studio recording artist since 1992 throughout NYC, NJ, CT and Boston. Hamburg and Paris.

Speaker- “Fashion Filter” NYC event hosted by Ethical Fashion Academy, ethical fashion panel speaker 2014-   Body image and fashion proportion in fashion schools and fashion illustration, body positivity.

Co -Author and Illustrator with Jay Calderin “the Fashion Design Reference and Specification Book” on Rockport Publishers 2013

Available in English and Spanish

Author and Illustrator “The Language of Fashion Design: 26 Principles Every Fashion Designer Should Know” on Rockport/Quayside press

Available in Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French and English.

 

PROFESSIONAL

PROFESSIONAL

Instructor/ Educator/ Author (see above)

Freelance Fashion Design Illustrator and course content creator 2013-2018

Clients 2DNM, CanCan Accessories, Artisan Apparel Uganda, Kaela Kay, others

BRANDON THOMAS designs: Fit Tech and Technical Designer

2008-2011. Junior and Plus Size Leather, Knits, Fur. Private label for Bebe, Chicos, Apple Bottoms, QVC, Rocawear, Burlington.  Fittings, grading, communications with China Factories, specs, approving preproduction and production.

OXFORD INDUSTRIES sketch artist and technical design, tech packs.

2004-2006 Swimwear and coverups design sketching and original specs for first samples for all Target women’s brands: Juniors (Xhilaration), Plus Size (Merona), Maternity (Liz Lange), and GO TARGET featured designers Proenza Schouler, Fiorucci and Patrick Robinson.

MAGIC ATTIC CLUB 1998 Robert Tonner Dolls, first pattern and sample creation for a line of childrenswear (girls)

BLUE FISH 1999. Upcycled design and production from waste fabrics for a holiday scarf line.

CROSS COUNTRY FASHIONS private label womenswear design 2000 sketching, moodboard, design assitance

ANN TAYLOR LOFT 1999 womenswear and print fabric development

Freelance design services 1997-2001 : Childrenswear Sketching and specs The Childrens Place, Menswear Banana Republic, London Fog, Gap, UB Factory, Juniors/Womens  CK JEANS, Cygne Design/ the Limited

CUSTOM BRIDAL 1997-1998 and original African Print Fashion Designs, one-of-a-kind Wassoulou Studio. Owner.

APPRENTICESHIP: Jewelry making and design, Chris Designs, Brazilian Jewelry designer in the US.

INTERNSHIPS: Barry Keiselstein-Cord with Karen Suen-Cooper and Henriette Joop, Byron Lars Shirt Tales.