Honored To Be A Guest Speaker and Judge

The Student Showcase at Iowa State University

Dr. Ling Zhang, Assistant Professor, invited me to be a guest speaker and judge at Iowa State University for the first ever student event called, “Cotton in the Curriculum Student Showcase.” The students at ISU showcased and presented their final presentations from courses including Fashion Illustration, Computer Aided Apparel Patternmaking, Computer Integrated Textile and Fashion Design, Innovative Textiles, and Apparel Production Management.

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,, I was extremely excited to meet the next generation of aspiring fashion designers.
—Stella

Together Again!

The Student Showcase at Iowa State University

Ling and I worked together in the fashion industry for many years and, when she called to ask me if I’d like to be part of this special event I did not hesitate. I was extremely excited, not only to see Ling and catch up, but also to tour the ISU campus and meet the next generation of aspiring fashion designers. What an honor to be able to share with these graduates my fashion expertise, industry insight, and personal journey of entrepreneurship.

On the day I arrived, Ling gave me a complete tour of the campus at ISU. I couldn’t believe how large the University was and the number of career services they offered. I even spent some time in the library salivating over all of the fashion books, including a huge section of vintage Vogue Magazines dating back to 1979. Threads Magazine is another sewing magazine that has always been full of inspiration and sewing tips and tricks. Those dated back to 1997.

My Experiences and Talking Fashion

The Student Showcase at Iowa State University

I was one of five judges, and to my surprise one of them was Malgorzata Gradowski, Director of Technical Design at Komar, whom I also worked very closely with in the fashion industry. She joined us virtually. The three others (from left to right) included Ellen Kerschke, Lead Designer at Polo Custom Products, Elizabeth Gardner, Senior Designer at Target, and Carla DeShaw, Product Development Manager at Polo Custom Products.

During my presentation, I talked all about my fashion journey from winning the Intimate Apparel Award in my 8th semester class at The Fashion Institute of Technology, to my first day working in the fashion industry and now running my own small business. I also left them with my top 5 pieces of advice whether they work in the fashion industry or build their own fashion brand. Afterwards, the other judges and myself had a panel discussion with the students answering all of their questions. Before the night ended, I was able to talk to some of the students one-on-one and answer additional questions they had for me. It was a lot of fun to connect with these students and talk fashion!

So Much Talent

The Student Showcase at Iowa State University

After that was over, it was time for the other judges and myself to watch the students present their work. Although it was very hard to choose the winners as they are all so talented, we discussed and decided on the top winners from each course. How exciting it was to announce the winners!

As you can see, I decided to wear my floral lace corset under a green blazer with dark denim jeans and pink heels as the guest speaker. This corset is perfect for this time of year. You can read more about this corset from my past blog posts; The #1 Hack to Feeling More Confident and Spring in Full Bloom.

Congratulations Iowa State University Graduates!

The Student Showcase at Iowa State University

I am so impressed with the amount of talent this next generation of designers has and I wish them success as they begin their journeys. Congratulations to the graduates of Iowa State University 2022!

Let’s get started on a custom handmade corset of your own! I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Please comment below.

Cheers

Images enhanced by Intimatology