A Central Michigan University student has been chosen as a finalist for the Passion for Fashion Sewing Challenge at the American Sewing Expo in Novi next weekend.
Hea Joo Lee, from South Korea, is working toward her master’s degree in apparel merchandising and design, and she’s part of the new, innovative movement in fashion.
Lee came to Mt. Pleasant on the recommendation of her professor in South Korea.
“I am interested in functional designs,” she said. “There are many technologies at CMU. For example, I can study about the thermal balance between the fabrics and the human body through the thermal camera, the thermal mannequin, the hot plate test and the body scanner.”
That and other technologies have made it all “very attractive to me.”
But moving from one culture to another and from one language to another hasn’t been an easy ride.
Even the fashion world is different in South Korea, she said.
“(In South Korea) it’s more formal, people are more dressed up,” she said. “Sometimes I feel too fashion-conscious in my country while at the same time I’m thinking, it’s too casual in the U.S.
“For the fashion trends, I think, Americans express their personal style freely, while we South Koreans tend to follow the season’s fashion and we are sensitive to current fashion.”
Language, however, has proven the most difficult, she said.
“English is so hard,” she said in an e-mail. “When I first came here I was working with an American professor. I made many mistakes owing to misunderstandings. I felt so sorry for my professor. She always understood and explained slowly and in detail to me. All my professors are kind and friendly.”
And, Lee admitted to a “funny situation “ of hers.
“I was very scared to order (food) at a drive-through restaurant,” she said. “I can’t understand what they said because it’s so fast for me. Also, they couldn’t understand what I said because of my different pronunciation. So, I hate the word, “What?” That word is a trauma to me.”
Even so, she’s begun to understand and like the American culture.
“Even when I visit my country during vacation, I feel too weird for Korean style.”
But Lee came to America to study and a degree in fashion design these days is no piece of cake.
Lee is studying the new fabrics and how they are made, the movement of the body inside the clothing, including muscles, skin and tissue, as well as art.
Kinetic art is one such aspect that includes any medium that depends on motion for its effect, she said.
“I want to express multidimensional movements to my designs,” she said. “For example, my garments should be designed mathematically, or systematically and I consider the plastic style or the rhythmic movement to show in my designs.”
One of her assignments is to design a nurse’s scrub jacket.
Her first task is to investigate the current problems with nurses jackets and this is done through focus group interviews.
Next is to evaluate the properties of the jackets based on a fabric test.
And finally, she is to create a practical, yet comfortable design and evaluate it.
Most scrub jackets, she said, are made of woven fabrics and she wants to investigate more suitable ones.
From the fashions of the past, Lee said she likes the styles from the 1940s and ‘50s. But her designs are for today’s modern young women, maybe even a little avant garde..
“I usually design very creative dresses,” she said. “So my dress should be one that’s worn on some special day. When my friends see my dress, they say, “It’s awesome” or “Wow, your design is very unique.” They like my design.”
She also would like to design men’s fashions and has some experience in that in South Korea.
Once she completes her master’s degree she wants to go on and get her doctorate, but not before she gets a little experience in the fashion field, if possible.
After that, she said she’d like to get a job in the U.S. fashion industry or possibly, teach.
“However, if I have the opportunity to get a job in South Korea, I will come back to my country.”
Passion for Fashion Sewing Challenge
According to a press release, reality sewing television competitions are the inspiration for the Passion For Fashion Sewing Challenge in Novi, sponsored by Baby Lock.
The show opens when 12 finalists design and sew garments for judging and a fashion show on Saturday, Sept. 28 (similar to Lifetime’s Project Runway, NBC’s Fashion Star and Bravo’s The Fashion Show). The contestants are from Illinois, Michigan, Nevada and Ohio. First place receives a Baby Lock Symphony sewing machine; second place receives a Baby Lock Eclipse DX serger and third place receives a Baby Lock Anna sewing machine. Baby Lock is providing the same machines for audience door prizes.
“Quick-Stitch, The Challenge” will also be a live sewing competition, sponsored by Craftsy and Pfaff. Three times per day, contestants will compete in a 75-minute challenge to create a fashion accessory, home décor or craft project.
“The expo inspires creativity in beginner to expert sewers and crafters who will find fashion shows, classes and shopping at the event,” Janet Pray, show producer, said in a press release.
Show instructors include fit specialist and couture expert Lynda Maynard; couture sewing expert from “It’s Sew Easy TV” Angela Wolf; home seamstress and creator of Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing Gretchen Hirsch; Baby Lock’s Love of Fashion national spokes-designer Joi Mahon, instructors from the online craft education and community platform Craftsy and other award winning fashion sewing designers.
The sewing expo features accessories, embellishments, one of a kind fabrics and supplies, fashion sewing, fitting, home decorating, machine embroidery, needle arts, quilting, sergers and wearable art. Showgoers will see over 20 exhibits, fashion style shows and sewing challenge competitions.
Suburban Collection Showplace is located at 46100 Grand River Ave. between Novi and Beck Road in Novi. Show hours are 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday.
Expo admission is $14 and children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. One-hour seminars are $14, all-day workshops are $130 and special combination packages are available. Onsite parking is available for $5. For more information, visit www.AmericanSewingExpo.com or call (248) 889-3111.
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