Thursday, March 31, 2011

USA:Alvanon Academic Programme for design universities & colleges

Alvanon Academic Programme for design universities & colleges

 


Alvanon Academic Programme for design universities & colleges

Alvanon Inc, the world's leading apparel fit expert, announced it has launched a global academic program to help apparel design students establish a comprehensive knowledge and appreciation of customized fit processes, strategies and standards, enabling them to design better fitting clothes.

The Alvanon Academic Program 2011 will give students direct access to the apparel industry's most advanced sizing, fit and communications tools – at significantly discounted rates. The program will include master classes in consumer sizing research and analysis by renowned apparel fit experts, and the use of customized design fit forms for pattern making, draping and fitting classes.

The launch follows a series of successful pilot partnerships with leading design colleges around the world, including the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Other colleges participating in the pilot program include University College Falmouth, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London College of Fashion, De Montfort University and Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK; and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Clothing Industry Training Authority in Hong Kong.

Janice Wang, chief executive officer, Alvanon Group explained: "Our successful partnerships with some of the world's foremost fashion colleges has persuaded us to formalize the program and open it up to all interested academic parties." She added: "The program is a way for us to give something tangible back to our industry. By providing insight and tools that are actively being used by the wider industry, we are giving the next generation of apparel designers real-world experience and helping prepare them for a bright and successful career."

Through seminars or visits to Alvanon's regional offices in London, Germany, New York and Hong Kong, students will learn how customized fit strategies, fit forms and pattern blocks – executed consistently and continuously throughout the global garment development process – can deliver greater customer satisfaction, brand loyalty and a competitive advantage.

Students will also learn how 3D body-scanning data can provide consistent and successful regional and brand fit strategies. Then using Alvanon's advanced industry standard mannequins, AlvaForms, students will learn how to design and fit clothes for a target consumer shape. The program will also include several custom-made AlvaBlock pattern generation tools for the selected AlvaForm shape.

Barbara Bundy, vice president of education at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, said: "Alvanon has quietly changed the way we teach about apparel design at FIDM. The faculty and students love AlvaForms because they enable us to achieve a consistent fit in our pattern labs." She continues: "At FIDM, we believe in giving students a realistic and practical education that will further their career in the industry. Alvanon's tools help us achieve that."