I’ll be speaking in Houston, TX  Saturday,  July 24, 2010  for Design Arts on the following topics:

 Textile Technology 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Design professionals have a responsibility to their clients to understand how today’s fabrics are produced and how it affects their health, safety and welfare. With a production process involving the use of over 2000 chemicals and thousands of gallons of water, we explore textile production as it relates to building codes, energy codes, GOTS standards, LEED, cradle to cradle certification and sustainability. This seminar also narrows in on weaves, printing processes, dyes and finishes to provide an understanding of the various characteristics and properties that make fabrics appropriate for use in interior environments.

World Tour: The Hottest Designs from Around the World  1:00 pm  – 5:00 pm

Trend watching is more than spotting the next new color, fabric, or hot designer. It’s about observing change and understanding how to transform change into opportunity: Opportunity for higher financial returns and opportunity for increased well-being for the end-user. We first explore trend dynamics, then look at the newest products and trends from some of the world’s leading design shows. We also examine how best practices and transformative changes from other industries can be applied to your designs, your marketing, your sampling and your business. Finally, we look at how social and cultural currents will impact design over the next 5 to 10 years, including advances in information technologies, universal and barrier-free design.

 Visit Design Arts for more details.

Calling all fashionistas! The Fashion Show premieres on Bravo on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Fifteen professional designers will compete in this fashion creative competition series for a chance to have their designs sold in the retail market and win a $125,000 prize.

If you’re a Project Runway watcher, you know that it has been over a year since we have seen Tim Gunn, Nina and Michael Kors dice up the designers on Bravo’s Project Runway. If you aren’t a fanatic, here’s the reason why. Bravo and parent NBC got into a nasty legal battle when Harvey Weinstein, producer of the show sold it to the highest bidder. NBC sued for breach of contract and Weinstein alleged lack of promotion. The suit has been settled so Bravo is getting set to launch its PR wannabee-Fashion Show- with hosts Issac (Yea!) Mizrahi and Kelly Rowland. So if you need a fashion fix tune in.
To make it even more interesting, join the Design Confidential in Fafarazzi’s Fashion Show Fantasy League. (The trend team played as we religiously watched PR and then dished about the wacky designers and the clothes they created post show.).

By the way- Lifetime was the highest bidder and Season 6 will start airing this summer. Oh can’t wait that long? Check out the finalists’ creations from February’s Bryant Park shows – no names were revealed!
Here’s an Inside Scoop- Along with the students from AIU-Atlanta and colleague Susan Schultz , I will be presenting the Runway to Window fashion show, May 15, 2009 – Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA

 UPDATE- As I was clicking publish this came across across my email screen. Project Runway is casting for Season 7

NEW YORK, NY (April 21, 2009) – Lifetime Television sews up the summer with the highly anticipated Emmy®-nominated and Peabody® Award-winning hit series Project Runway, premiering on Thursday, August 20, at 10PM ET/PT. Produced by The Weinstein Company and Bunim-Murray Productions, host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors (leading fashion designer) and Nina Garcia (Fashion Director of Marie Claire Magazine), will guide sixteen new contestants as they show off their design skills to see who makes the cut for Fashion Week. Filmed in Los Angeles and New York, Project Runway also features influential guest judges from the worlds of fashion, music, film and television.

Models of the Runway, an exciting new companion series, will air at 11:00PM ET/PT, beginning August 20, immediately following Project Runway. Each 30-minute episode will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality competition – from the models’ perspective. Viewers can experience the drama, anxiety, joys, tears and frustrations as the models themselves face elimination each week and compete for a cash prize and photo spread in Marie Claire magazine.
AND…
Do you have what it takes to be the next hot fashion designer? Always dreamed of showing your work on the runways of New York City’s Fashion Week? This is your opportunity!  PROJECT RUNWAY SEASON 7 IS CASTING NOW!!!

3. RELIEF: It’s the first thing I feel on winning the bid, as if I didn’t deserve it or someone’s doing me a favor. Thank God, I wonder why they chose me?  Did I under charge them?

4. GRATEFUL ACQUIESCENCE: Grateful for the chance to work, I acquiesce to whatever extra tasks they ask for, including multiple long drives to meetings at their  house, any and all changes- three versions, expensive samples, no upcharges, etc.

5. EXASPERATION: Fatigue sets in, and I succumb to the weaker emotions of resentment, spite and righteous flares of self esteem, all too little, too late. I should exercise, eat better and learn something from the experience, but instead I work like a maniac to Rage Against the Machine.

6. REGRET: I regret I didn’t charge more. What was I thinking? How could I forget to include that? Can I ask the client for more money?

7. RELIEF PART II: The first thing I feel on getting paid. I feel relief that money still exists (it’s been a while since I’ve seen it in person), that I am finally done and I have a sense of urgency  set in – to get the heck out of there before something else comes up.

8. DENIAL: With money finally in hand, does anyone believe they have been fairly compensated? Up close everything looks smaller, especially money. Isn’t this counter to the laws of perspective- closer is bigger- but in line with the laws of desire and gratification-wanting is big, having is small.? I ignore the disappointment and move on.

9. VAIN SELF-DELUSION: I can do anything!

paraphrased from Chronology, Princeton Press