Featured Stories
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Fashion Matters In Tough Times, Says Top Designer
11 November 2011 4:59 PM | No Commentsby NPR STAFF
If you pay attention to the Emmys and Academy Awards, then you’ve probably seen those glamorous, haute couture gowns made by Kevan Hall. He’s known for dressing A-listers like Vanessa Williams, Salma Hayek, Celine Dion — even first lady Michelle Obama.
His work has earned him multiple awards. After studying fashion design at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, he won a scholarship sponsored by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. After graduating, he won the Peacock Award for Outstanding Fashion Design. In 1989, the NAACP named him the Great American Designer, and in 2005, Life & Style Magazine named him Stylemaker of the Year.
Among the handful of top African-American designers in the country, Hall centers his work in Los Angeles. He’ll be showing off his 2012 bridal and ready-to-wear collections Friday at the Washington Club in the nation’s capital.
More here.
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African designers steal the show
11 November 2011 4:50 PM | No CommentsBy WANGUI MAINAWalking tall at 1.78 metres, Kenyan model Ajuma Nasenyana,, walked to the front to be crowned Model of the Year at this year’s Africa Fashion Week held in Johannesburg, South Africa two weeks ago.
An international model, Ajuma was one of the models who took to the catwalk to showcase some of the continents leading talent. In its eighth year, Africa Fashion week brought together 30 designers, based on the continent and beyond, to showcase their designs at the Sandton Convention Centre for three days last month.
More here.
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Assistant Professor, Graphic Design at California College of the Arts (CCA)
12 October 2011 8:03 PM | No CommentsASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GRAPHIC DESIGN, SAN FRANCISCO CAMPUS, FULL-TIME, TENURE-TRACK, EXEMPT, JOB # 2069
October 2011
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) is an independent art college with undergraduate programs in architecture, design, fine arts, visual studies, and writing. The college also has graduate programs in architecture, curatorial practice, design, design strategy, fine arts, visual and critical studies and writing. Through these programs, the college has created a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment. Diverse cultural perspectives enrich the CCA community and the college believes that continuing to expand the horizons of the students and faculty is essential to achieving its educational objectives. With campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, CCA currently enrolls 1,930 full-time students.
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
The Graphic Design Program at CCA offers a fully accredited four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. The program is dedicated to conceptual and skill-based problem-solving grounded in practical knowledge, critical awareness, and social and cultural engagement. Guided by an active and accomplished faculty, students are exposed to diverse design perspectives and practices and encouraged to develop a culturally competent and personally committed point of view. CCA’s Interaction Design Program takes a studio-based, collaborative, and playful approach to training future interaction designers, equipping them with a unique mix of skills to shape their field. The Graduate Program in Design prepares its graduates for careers in innovative design practice, including design direction, strategy, and leadership. Situated at the heart of the Bay’s Area’s vibrant design culture, these programs benefit from a rich community of practitioners and a compelling context for projects.
POSITION SUMMARY:
CCA seeks candidates for a full-time, tenure-track position of assistant professor of graphic design, beginning fall 2012. This position has been created to support the development of the program’s 4D curriculum. The successful candidate will demonstrate an active interest in the evolving relationship between graphic design and screen-based media and a capacity to steer curricular and pedagogical change in this area.
In keeping with the college’s commitment to diversity, community engagement, and social justice, we seek candidates who will cultivate an equitable studio environment and a diverse curriculum. In addition to teaching (a full-time load is five lines per year) and participating in the undergraduate Graphic Design program, the position requires a readiness to teach in the Interaction Design, Graduate Design, and First Year Programs, mentor students in the major, and serve on college-wide committees. It also entails a commitment to continued professional work.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A BFA degree in Graphic Design (or equivalent professional degree and/or experience) with a minimum of one year of teaching experience at the college level or two years of professional experience in the field. Applicants should present evidence of leadership ability and the potential to make significant contributions in their field of practice. They should have a strong commitment to design education and a keen interest in design-related technologies. Specifically, CCA seeks candidates who demonstrate conceptual agility and practical aptitude with respect to the dynamics linking graphic design and screen-based media. Please submit at least five projects that provide evidence of front- and/or back-end skills and practice in one or more of the following areas: interface, interaction, video, motion graphics, or mobile/other platforms. Professional and/or educational experience in collaborative interdisciplinary contexts, project-based community engagement, and design writing and research are also desirable.
SALARY: Commensurate with experience, and includes a comprehensive benefits package.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Postmark deadline for applications is January 20, 2012.
NOTE: If you wish to be notified of the status of your application for this position, please provide a current email address on your resume or cover letter.
application instructions:
Interested candidates should submit the following in .pdf format:
- A formal letter of application
- A brief statement of teaching philosophy highlighting areas of pedagogic concentration
- A curriculum vitae
- A portfolio of professional work
- Course syllabi and student work
- Student evaluations of recent courses taught at the college level.
- Three names of reference, including contact information
Note: A self-addressed, stamped envelope is required for return of submission materials.
California College of the Arts
Human Resources (Job # 2069)
5212 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94618-1487
Fax (510) 594-3681
employment@cca.edu
We recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. Documents larger than 10MB, should be submitted on CD and forwarded to CCA as indicated above.
CCA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.
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Position: Chair, Industrial Design at California College of the Arts (CCA)
12 October 2011 7:47 PM | No CommentsCHAIR, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, SAN FRANCISCO CAMPUS, FULL-TIME, EXEMPT, JOB # 1968
October 2011
The CCA Industrial Design program
The Industrial Design program at CCA offers a fully accredited four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design. Industrial Design is among the fastest growing programs at CCA and reflects the dynamic nature of the field. Specific areas of interest include sustainability, urban mobility, design research, community engagement, and cultural analysis. For more information about the program mission, visithttp://www.cca.edu/academics/industrial-designCalifornia College of the Arts (CCA) invites applications and nominations for the position of Chair of the Industrial Design Program.
The profession of industrial design is expanding to more areas of influence than ever before. Designers have the opportunity to impact social, environmental and political outcomes. Consequently, the way we educate designers matters now more than ever. Merging visionary leadership, curriculum development, and professional and community connections, the Industrial Design Chair plays an essential role in shaping the next generation of industrial designers, who will tackle some of the most pressing concerns of our time.
The Chair of Industrial Design is a key player in the CCA and surrounding communities with access to the Bay Area’s most notable practitioners. The successful candidate will approach the development of a practical and critical design curriculum as a creative and intellectual opportunity and demonstrate a capacity to incorporate diverse cultural and practical perspectives in shaping curriculum, directing pedagogy, and building community.
The chair position is a full-time position throughout the 9.5-month academic year. A program manager provides administrative and organizational support, and faculty coordinators assist with specific aspects of the program, including internships, student reviews, technology support, sustainability and semantics. The director and assistant director of Design provide guidance and oversight for curriculum development, faculty selection, scheduling and accreditation reviews.
Specific Responsibilities of the Chair of Industrial Design
- Lead the program in attracting and retaining the most promising Industrial Design students.
- Design a curriculum that combines skills acquisition, design research, conceptual thinking, and professional preparation.
- Encourage collaboration between Industrial Design and other CCA programs.
- Establish external relationships with the professional design community, including sponsored studio partnerships.
- Promote the visibility of the Industrial Design program locally, nationally and globally.
- Hire and mentor faculty to reflect a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
- Organize subject-specific student workshops throughout the academic year.
- Teach at least one class per semester.
- Direct the academic and administrative operations of the program.
- Oversee ongoing program assessment and prepare for accreditation reviews.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Professional experience in the field of industrial design and its related practices: research, prototyping, manufacturing, materials, sustainability, human factors, interaction, design history and criticism, etc. Experience in design education, including teaching and a demonstrated capacity for curricular and extracurricular program development. Proven management experience in an academic or professional setting.
The ideal candidate will articulate a vision for the future of the program and the field that merges creativity, curiosity and craft. He/she will demonstrate the ability to lead faculty, students and staff, and address diverse design practices that combine professional development, cultural awareness, and community engagement.
SALARY: Salary is commensurate with experience and includes a comprehensive benefits package.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Review of applications will begin January 17th, 2012. Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF. If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. NOTE: If you wish to be notified of the status of your application for this position, please provide a current email address on your resume or cover letter.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Applicants are invited to submit their CV and a letter of interest that addresses their vision for the future of Industrial Design, in both education and the profession, as well as their philosophy of leadership and pedagogy. Applicants should also submit the names and contact information of three professional and academic references. Submit materials to:
California College of the Arts
Human Resources (Job # 1968)
5212 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94618-1487
Fax (510) 594-3681
Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF. If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. Documents larger than 10MB, should be submitted on CD and forwarded to CCA as indicated above.
CCA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts (CCA) is an independent art college with undergraduate programs in architecture, design, fine arts, visual studies, and writing. The college also has graduate programs in architecture, curatorial practice, design, design strategy, fine arts, visual and critical studies and writing. Through these programs, the college has created a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment. Diverse cultural perspectives enrich the CCA community and the college believes that continuing to expand the horizons of the students and faculty is essential to achieving its educational objectives. With campuses in Oakland and San Francisco, CCA currently enrolls 1,930 full-time students.
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Job Postings on this site with BDNN
12 October 2011 7:36 PM | No CommentsBeginning November 1, BDNN will charge for all job postings on website.
- Please inquire by email at atim@blackdesignnews.com
Until September 30, 2011, all postings at BDNN are free. We have a right to select what we post.
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Fashion Matters In Tough Times, Says Top Designer
Archive for August, 2010
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Bite: Street Inspired Art and Fashion
Posted on August 31, 2010 | 1 Comment
Opening Wednesday September 8, 2010 9pm - to midnightPresentation at 9pm of Furbished:Refurbished Spring 2011 Neo Sex Collection by Tunji Dada
Performance by Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow
(New York City) On Wednesday, September 8, Third Streaming proudly announces Bite: Street-inspired Art & Fashion, an exhibition and a retail store that explore the interface between art, fashion and performance. Organized by fashion designer and independent film maker Zulema Griffin with Yona Backer and Junichi Masuda of Third Streaming, the show features objects and design by a group of emerging independent fashion designers and visual artists influenced by urban culture. The street registers a general tenor of the times we live in, and to that end, this show reveals how artists and designers – in tune with this sentiment – use it as a source for their work. Creative producers refer to the street as a means to capture cultural and social change, even before we are aware of it, producing the next wave in fashion and art.
Integral to the show are contemporary artists who employ performance as a way to implode tradition and generate new forms and practices. Performance defined as social interactions, cultural movements and ethnic cultural distinctions, act as an intermediary element, translating street culture to fashion and art.
The participating artists and designers are concerned with philosophical and social issues that range from the commercialization of art and fashion to the politics of gender, race and culture. In a commodity-based world, the handcrafted object often becomes a political stance against commercialization, mass production, and desensitized consumer base. The “store” will be part of the show and will feature limited edition products by artists and designers.
Several of the featured designers and artists cross over between art, fashion and design blurring the lines between disciplines. This tendency reveals how many of today’s creative producers fluidly move between genres to reinvent new forms of expression. To further this point, the performance series not only explores the influence of the street, but also reveals how fashion and design perform when it is integrated with contemporary art. In addition, a music and film series will take place during the run of the show.
Participating artists and designers:
Derrick Adams with designer Brian Wood; Designers John Ashford and Michael Walls with Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow; Xenobia Bailey; Tunji Dada of Tunji Dada Design; Andrew Dosunmu; Nicky Enright; Zachary Fabri; Jay Tuazon of Plag13; Zulema Griffin and Sherie Weldon of Deux Conceptualiste Noir with Kenya Robinson; Malcolm Harris of One Dress; Ronald Jean-Gilles: Jennie C. Jones; Jayson Keeling; Osamu Koyama of Complete Technique; Laura Lobdell; Yumiko Matsui; Olek; Karyn Olivier; Peter Dean Rickards, Jason Rylander; and Xaviera Simmons.
For more information, please contact Yona Backer at yona@thirdstreaming.com or Junichi Masuda at junichi@thirdstreaming.com. We can also be reached at 646 370 3877.
Regular hours: Wednesday – Friday 12 to 7. Saturday 12 to 6.
Third Streaming is also open by appointment. -
The First Haitian Arts and Culture Forum: Remake the Landscape, Retain the Spirit: Strategies for the Rebirth of Haiti through Her Arts and Culture
Posted on August 20, 2010 | No CommentsThe First Haitian Arts and Culture Forum: Remake the Landscape, Retain the Spirit: Strategies for the Rebirth of Haiti through Her Arts and Culture
August 20-21, 2010
See it live at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/haiti-cultural-economy-forum
Kylti formulates cultural, governmental, educational and fiscal policies and strategies to establish ‘an arts and culture agenda‘ for Haiti. Leaders and communities around the world recognize the vital importance of culture’s economic contribution to society. The Haiti Cultural Economy Forum (HCEF) has invited Haitians from all over and Friends of Haiti to discuss culture and its role in building a stronger economy and society for Haiti, while fostering opportunities for partnership in areas of mutual interests.
HCEF is designed to build cultural, artistic, and economic development opportunities through the convening of like-minded Haitian leaders and Haiti supporters from around the world. This forum provides participants an opportunity to mobilize available assets, identify needed resources to ARTiculate Haiti’s future, its prosperity, and explore new partnerships. Kylti is encouraging all business, cultural, and academic leaders in Haitian society to participate in HCEF to develop a strong society and economy for Haiti.
Embassy of Haiti
2311 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008-2802More details at
http://www.haiticultureforum.com
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BDNN produces Post-Earthquake Haiti: Disaster + Design in the Diaspora at 2010 NOMA Conference
Posted on August 4, 2010 | No Comments
Post-Earthquake Haiti : Disaster + Design in the Diaspora
SPONSOR: AIA Diversity & Inclusion
Event Location:
Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116
Room: Fairfield
Fees to attend: Haiti Day long Event: Yes, details to follow soon.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010
9am: Black Design News Network (BDNN) The Launch
Exposing the World to Designers of the Diaspora: A Digital Expose
Atim Annette Oton Disaster in the Diaspora – Overview of the Last Six Months of Initiatives
Renee Kemp-Rotan Overview of the Panel System/Overview of the Code
9:10am – 10:10am
PANEL 1- Post-Earthquake Haiti as a Physical System: Rebuilding the Country: The Full Monty Update
Renee Kemp-Rotan, Co-Founder, Black Design News Network/Moderator
- Ambassador Leslie Voltaire, U.N. Special Envoy/Government of Haiti
- Jean Emile Simon, President Society of Haitian Architects
Above: Ambassador Leslie Voltaire, U.N. Special Envoy/Government of Haiti
Description: This Panel focuses on what is being done in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010. Through PowerPoint presentations, a Haitian Envoy and government dignitary and Haitian architect who participated in the Haitian Summit sponsored by AIA/Puerto Rico in April 2010 will update the entire NOMA membership and others on proposals and plans for Haiti’s redevelopment. Maps, Images, plans will be shown.
10:20am – 10:30am – Break -
10:30am – 11:30am
PANEL 2: Post-Earthquake Haiti as a Social System: Rebuilding the Family: Women and Children at Risk
Atim Annette Oton Co-Founder, Black Design News Network/Moderator
Diane Jones, Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture, Morgan State University; Dowoti Desir, Founder, Durban Declaration Programme of Action Watch Group, (DDPA Watch Group); and Ella Ayiti Turenne, Assistant Dean for Civic Engagement, Occidental College
Description: This Panel focuses on what issues are facing women in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010. Presentations will update the entire NOMA membership and others on how women will be involved in Haiti’s redevelopment.
11:30am – 12:30pm
PANEL 3 Post-Earthquake Haiti as a Cultural System: Rebuilding Identity: The Haiti Culture Code- Architecture, Disaster + Cultural Identity
Renee Kemp-Rotan, Co-Founder, BDNN/Presenter/Moderator
Jean Emile Simon, President Society of Haitian Architects, Benjamin Vargas, FAIA, Architect and 2010 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award Winner, Bettina Byrd Giles, Interculturalist, The Birds Nest, LLC, Erica Rioux-Gees, Architect, AIA National Board Member and Disaster Expert, Anthony Whitfield, Associate Dean, Parsons The New School for Design; Mabel Wilson, Associate Professor of Architecture, Columbia University, Architect Rodney Leon, Rodney Leon Architects, Jenna McKnight, Architecture Record, Dale Joachim, MIT Media Lab, Haiti and Social Media, Max Beauvoir, President of International Brotherhood of Voodoo Priests,Michel DeGraffe, MIT, Linguistics Expert on Kreoyl and Atim Annette Oton/BDNN.
Description: This panel focuses on a review of the Culture Code by Haitian Architects, African American Architects, Disaster Experts and Interculturalists. It will look at the rebuilding of post-earthquake Haiti as an opportunity to create Haiti as the new utopia for the African Diaspora. The Culture Code is a fully documented design and development kit being constructed by Renee Kemp-Rotan who will outline the Culture Code as a comprehensive framework of 100 cultural considerations advanced across the socio-economic geography of pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial and post-earthquake Haiti, in a way that informs all future design, development and resettlement. Panel and audience participation will review the usefulness of such a code during times of resettlement and rebuilding of post-disaster environments.
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Lunch (not provided)
1:40 pm –
2:40 pmPANEL 4 - Post-Earthquake Haiti as an Economic System: Rebuilding the Economy: Getting Work in Haiti
Atim Annette Oton, Co-Founder, BDNN/Moderator
Jim Paul, Director, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Mauricio Vera, Director, OSDBU, USAID and Renee Kemp-Rotan/BDNN.
Description: This panel focuses on ways to get work on Haiti for design professionals from the Haitian government, the US government and non-profits working in Haiti
2:50 pm -3:50 pm
BDNN Final Comments: Rebuilding International Relationships
For more details, please contact Atim Annette Oton at atim@blackdesignnews.com
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Architecture professor and activist Kenneth Simmons dies at 77
Posted on August 3, 2010 | 1 CommentKenneth Simmons (Sara Ishikawa photo)
Kenneth Harlan Simmons, a professor emeritus of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, died of cancer in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 6 at the age of 77. He was known for his work in equal rights, urban planning and community development from San Francisco to Detroit, Harlem and South Africa.
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2010/08/02_kennethsimmons.shtml
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Maison D’Afie (House of Afie)
Posted on August 2, 2010 | No Commentsby Liz Agbor-Tabi
Welcome to Maison D’Afie (House of Afie)! Your time here will leave you craving for the closet expansion that you wish you had done last season. Once you enter, the visual and sensory experience might leave you aflutter. Undoubtedly, after viewing the wide array of fashion forward and edgy interpretations of “Afric chic”, you are likely to step away wanting one of each piece from the collection. With each piece being increasingly detailed and gorgeous with careful attention paid to draping, you might just step away, and return in a few days once you have taken it all in! A self made entrepreneur from Cameroon is taking the fashion scene by storm. Great workmanship, a classic aesthetic which incorporates old world tailoring with modern sensibilities are a few of the qualities that have catapulted this line from an “emerging line” just a few years ago, to one with an expansive global following.
The brainchild behind this artistic feat is none other than Sarah Divine, an ebullient twenty something from Douala, Cameroon. Having grown up in a sewing room, she credits her prowess to early exposure and a devotion to “fashion” at a tender age- before she could even incorporate the term fashion into the diction of her vernacular.
From the age of three, “I’d started designing and sewing things for my dolls. As I grew older, I put my dolls away and started focusing on always looking good myself”.
Through her teenage years, she created the vast majority of her wardrobe essentials. Who would have imagined that this would become the scene for a nascent career in design? Facing familial pressures and discouragement from her mom to pursue a career in design, she would ultimately abandon her sewing and designing projects. She eventually pursued a career in Accounting where her tenacity and drive for perfection would land her roles in top firms and companies in Europe and the Americas.
However, designing remained central to her life, “it was my passion”, she says. While an accountant, she recalls spending increasing amounts of time working on a “look book” for what she dreamed would one day become her first collection.
“I would draw everywhere, in the middle of meetings, on the train, on the bus…everywhere.”
In 2009 she decided to follow her heart and embark on a career switch. She was determined to launch a fashion line. Her mom and co- partner Afie, would become the inspiration for the eponymous line. Sara credits her style inspiration to this great lady who she says “is one of the most talented people God created.” Afie is the root of the brand. She runs the sewing room in which the designs are created and she trains and supervises a small group of people driven by passion and an obsession over detail.
Maison D’Afie is Sarah’s gem. A lot of her inspiration is drawn from experiences and different cultures around Africa (especially Nigeria and Cameroon which are her two countries of origin). She likes to fuse African cultures with fashion from different parts of the world. Maison D’Afie reflects her genuine commitment to offering stylish, comfortable and luxurious clothes.
Visit www.maisondafie.com. to embark on this style experience!
