STYLE
Saint Louis
Your interactive resource
for Style in St. Louis
"When you think Saint Louis, think Saint Louis Front Page," a weekly publication covering the news and events in the greater St. Louis area.
St. Louis Front Page."
How To Reach Us:
St. Louis Front Page
P.O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188
Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300
To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com
To advertise, contact:
advertising@slfp.com
|
'Cutting Edge' of Fashion in Chicago
CHICAGO, (BUSINESS WIRE) April 1, 2002 - Today's newest "fashion smarts" may have more to do with artificial intelligence than dressing for success, thanks to the latest innovations in computerized design technology.
The International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT), based at One North State Street, Chicago, is seamlessly adopting into its fashion design curriculum state-of-the-art solutions to take apparel into the next virtual dimension.
Many of the design collections utilizing new technology will be debuted at IADT's 23rd annual student fashion show gala,
Fashions by student designer Dione Munson from 'Fusion 2001'. Photos by Tim Arroyo, IADT faculty, computer graphics.
|
"IMAGINE 2002", on May 22, in the Great Hall of Chicago's Union Station.
"We've entered into an era of 'smart clothing' that has been bolstered by innovations in computer-aided design, 3D visualization and even nanotechnology," said Ron Wade, IADT's program director of interactive media and multimedia production and design.
Most recently, this has been evidenced by the U.S. Army investing $50 million to fund a national institute that would design military uniforms specially engineered to deflect bullets and biological weapons as well as solidify into a medical cast around the site of injuries.
Computer chips also may soon find their way into mainstream fashions within the next decade. According to Wade, such interactive attire might include LCD-based sweaters that change color to suit the mood of the wearer, dresses programmed to change patterns to accommodate day-to-evening events, and
even shirts that sport video animated displays.
While such pieces may be considered futuristic, digital design is rapidly making its way into IADT classrooms today where young designers can tap into new tailoring technology to improve their techniques.
Academy students like Christopher Combs, for example, rely on the PAD System(TM) from PAD System Technologies Inc. to augment the tasks of pattern drafting, measuring, grading, fitting and sizing. The PAD System brings CAD/CAM technology to the fashion industry to give designers like Combs 3D virtual displays that allow him to visualize modifications to pattern pieces in real-time and make alterations on-the-fly.
"Being able to plot and manipulate my designs on the computer screen frees up as much as 50 to 70 percent of the time I typically would need to draft patterns by hand," he claimed. "The system uses artificial intelligence to automatically calculate complex measurement issues so that I can concentrate on what I enjoy doing most - creating new fashion designs."
Combs' fashion collections will premier at IMAGINE 2002, as will the designs of other IADT fashion students selected in the April 23, 2002 Jury Show. Student participation in the May 22 gala event includes original design collections in women's, men's and children's clothing by IADT's fashion design students; logo, poster, program and photographs by advertising and design/computer graphics students; computer, audio and 3D animation by multimedia and design students;
technical support by PC/LAN and eCommerce students; set design by interior design students; and show production by merchandise management students.
IMAGINE 2002 will be open to commuter traffic during a 4:00 p.m. sneak preview. A VIP reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by the fashion show gala at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 312/980-9252. Prices
vary from $40 for the show and $60 for the VIP reception plus the show.
Ford's hot new European roadster - the exciting StreetKa - is teaming up with pop music's hottest property, Kylie Minogue.
|
Streetka Tours with Kylie
(Newstream) March 27, 2002 - Ford StreetKa is a sponsor of Kylie Minogue's 39-date 2002 European 'Fever' Tour, which kicks off in Cardiff in the UK on April 26, and ends in Barcelona on June 20. The production version of the new Ford StreetKa debuts in exclusive photography with Kylie, which will give the public a sneak preview of the new car before it goes on sale in early 2003.
In her 39-date European 'Fever' Tour, Kylie will dazzle crowds with a unique blend of pulse-quickening stage performance and chart-topping music. Kylie's success is reflected in a string of music industry awards received in 2002, including 'Best International Female' and 'Best International Album' at the 'Brit Awards', and 'Best Selling Australian Artist' at the Monaco 2002 'World Music Awards'.
"The partnership with Kylie is the perfect way for Ford to show off the production version of the StreetKa in advance of its launch," said Earl Hesterberg, Ford of Europe's vice president for Marketing, Sales and Service. "StreetKa and Kylie have a lot in common - they are both small, beautiful and stylish."
"Linking with Kylie will allow us to show this car before launch in an environment where we know StreetKa will have great appeal," Hesterberg added. "Kylie is universally popular, especially so with young single people who are resistant to more traditional avenues of marketing communication. StreetKa and Kylie is the perfect combination for them."
The Ford StreetKa roadster was first shown as a concept car at the Turin Auto Show in 2000. A year later, at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show, Ford of Europe confirmed that the public reaction to the concept had been so overwhelmingly enthusiastic, that the StreetKa would go into production.
The StreetKa concept was designed by David Wilkie of Ford's Turin-based Ghia Design Studio. But turning the beautiful show-stopper into a production reality needed the skills of a specialist, so Ford of Europe signed up with Industrie Pininfarina SpA to engineer and produce the road-legal model, based on the popular Ford Ka.
Under the close supervision of Wilkie, and with the objective of staying as close to the concept as possible, Pininfarina's task has been to engineer this exciting car for volume production and launch in early 2003.
The cars appearing with Kylie are pre-production prototypes, but are visually representative of the model that will go on sale. Prices and technical specifications will be announced closer to launch. "With the StreetKa Concept, we were looking for a public reaction, and we certainly drew a crowd whenever we showed it," said Martin Leach, Ford of Europe's vice president of product development.
"Our decisions to go ahead and produce the StreetKa with Industrie Pininfarina and to team up with Kylie Minogue are indicative of our intent to connect with customers in contemporary, exciting ways, and exemplify the spirit we're striving to infuse into the Ford range - exciting new products that are transforming the Ford brand in Europe."
"We'll formally unveil the car to the public at the 2002 Paris Auto Show in September," Leach added.. "But between now and then, it's a case of looking, but not touching."
 The Saint Louis Front Page Style St. Louis is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .
|
|
Find special gift ideas in the
Online Shopping Guide.
|
