May 05, 2021
Grads Launch Careers with Innovative Wearables
Creative Problem Solvers Practice Sustainable Design
On April 24, 2021 a celebratory group of 287 students graduated from ArtCenter College of Design. The future design leaders are anxious to make an impact on the world through art and design. With the explosion of consumer product divisions, continuing growth in streetwear, performance sportwear and athleisure, grads with a specialty in wearables and soft goods are in demand. A sampling of the Spring graduates launching careers include Jeremy Lai, who accepted a footwear design position with Under Armour, and Chase Ghiglia, who will join Logitech’s CMF (colors, materials and finishes) team.
ArtCenter students approach wearables through the lens of product design. The emphasis is on research and problem-solving skills used in product and industrial design in a reverse approach to traditional fashion design. Wearables include apparel, footwear, wearable tech and soft goods.
ArtCenter alumni leading in the wearables space are Zoe Xiong at Puma Lifestyle Footwear in Boston, MA; Pan Liu on the Adidas Future Team in Germany; Hector Gonzalez at Jordan Brand in Portland, OR; Emily Harrington at Nike NXT in Portland, OR; Hailey Hwang at Calty Design Reach CMF Team in Detroit, MI; Pandora Lei is on the Hewlett-Packard CMF Team in Houston, TX; Emin Shahnazarian is at PPG Design Team in Newport Beach, CA; and Chris De Guzman is working with the Adidas Material Innovation Team in Portland, OR on a summer internship.
Here are four Spring 2021 graduates taking on the world of wearables:
Chase Ghiglia’s focus is on soft goods, color and material design as well as business and sustainability. His surfing footwear concept was completed in just four days during ArtCenter’s PDX Study Away program. A partnership with Portland State University Business School, PDX provides an opportunity for students to work on-site at top athletic brands such as Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. Ghiglia’s color and materials talents highlight an ACG Amphibian footwear prototype for Nike while emphasizing warmth, protection and stability for the avid wave riding enthusiast. His Poise lacrosse footwear and apparel design research examined how to convert linear motion into rotational force. He was responsible for the apparel and color material application to the final product that spotlights biomechanics and alignment for lacrosse midfielders.
Jordan M. Moore’s Devil Skin heat acclimatization suit helps runners prepare for the 135-mile ultramarathon in Death Valley, one of the hottest places in the world. His full-body wearable is designed to amplify the benefits of embracing the heat such as lower body temperature, increased blood supply, decreased heart rate and less chance of injury. At the other end of the weather spectrum, Moore’s Salomon Snowcross footwear design is made to enhance performance while training and racing in snowy and icy conditions. With the goal to solve problems for the future, he is passionate about research and pursuing environmentally conscious innovation.
Rachel Qian is an empathic industrial designer who discovers opportunities by learning, researching and exploring. Her DARE apparel line aims to provide an elegant and aspiring beach play experience for consumers with limited mobility. Among her concepts is a body suit to allow people with disabilities to perform on the gym equipment at Santa Monica’s muscle beach. Her product to improve the postpartum care of new mothers in Zambia addressed the United Nations goal to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio. Her kit for working postpartum moms provides portable clean surfaces for baby care without impacting the local environment.
Devin Sarantinos is focused on sustainable design strategy and innovation. His Strava Comp is a set of augmented reality glasses intended for solo mountain bikers to help them improve skills by competing against real time simulations of local riders and friends. His Meta performance enhancing garment for break dancers or BBoys allows for full movement freedom. Through a process of material experimentation, Sarantinos explored how to reduce waste by using new manufacturing techniques and design more with less.
For information on ArtCenter’s wearables and soft goods specialization, please visit http://www.artcenter.edu/academics/undergraduate-degrees/product-design/overview.html
Contact:
Teri Bond
Director of Media Relations
ArtCenter College of Design
teri.bond@artcenter.edu
626 396-2385
