2024 Presenter Bios
(Alphabetical by Last Name)
Dr. Lalon Alexander is an associate professor of fashion management for the University of the Incarnate Word, and co-owner of Elephant Embellishments, a school for hand embroidery and beading. She holds a BS from Texas Tech University, an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, an MS from Buffalo State College, and a PhD from the University of the Incarnate Word. She has taught classes in introduction to design, flat pattern manipulation, intermediate and advanced construction techniques, computer illustration, and portfolio at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
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Dr. Theresa Alexander is the other half of Elephant Embellishments as well as an associate professor of fashion management with the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Dr. Alexander has a BS from Texas Tech University, an MA from Nottingham Trent University in England, and a PhD from the University of the Incarnate Word. Prior to teaching at UIW she taught fashion design at Texas Tech University and the Paris Fashion Institute. Dr. Alexander has taught graduate and undergraduate classes in advanced design, senior collections, advanced flat pattern manipulation and drafting, fashion illustration, portfolio, knitwear, and couture embroidery.
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I have been in the Bridal dress business for over 35 years. Mentored by many wonderful bridal shops, I performed alterations for thousands of brides. I make sure all bridal dress alterations look like a natural extension of the original dress. I love love LOVE gorgeous laces, soft silks, and crispy taffetas. When I walk into my sewing room and look at the beautiful dresses that need my TLC, I just smile. |
Brenda has been a professional in her field for 40 years. She has been a member of ASDP since 2006 and a founding member of ASDP of BC and Canada. She has done everything from working on furs to wedding gowns. She loves to work on garments that are a challenge to alter and coming up with creative ways to have the garment remain true to the original style and to give balance to the client’s body shape and height. Brenda is a graduate of the Master of Sewing & Design Professional Certification by the Association of Sewing & Design Professionals. Brenda continues to improve and hone her skills by attending Master Classes at annual ASDP Conferences as well as taking courses online.
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Shawnelle Cherry, fashion designer and costume designer now own and operating a sewing and fashion design school in North Carolina. Opened in 2010 and still going strong today. Learned many marketing strategies along the way.
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Ruth Collins is the creator of the #TopDownCenterOut approach to pants fitting, a body neutral method that enables the individual sewist–no matter our previous hiccups– to take any 2D pattern and make custom fit 3D pants. |
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I am a seamstress in Oregon specializing in Bridal and formal wear. I have 35+ years of experience in alterations, but have specialized in Bridal/formal wear for the past 15 years. I love working with brides out of my studio next to my home in Oregon city, OR. |
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I have been creating custom clothing for private clients since 1986 with studios on Long Island and Palm Beach. I also write about couture construction methods at CloningCouture.com. My work has been featured in Threads Magazine and my submission for the Threads Challenge 2022 was awarded finest garment construction. I have taught many classes both in person and via Zoom.
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Since the age of ten I’ve been sewing! My mother took lessons and then taught me and my sisters. Her mantra was simple : you must fix any mistake, even if it takes five goes to put in a zipper; and the inside of your garment should be of sufficient quality it could be worn inside out!! I now hope to ensure that each of my granddaughters acquires this skill; so, imagine my delight when my eldest grandchild sewed, in paper, a pleated skirt, complete with zipper, as part of her sculpture project! During the years at Pharmacy College in New Zealand, emigrating to the US, caring for four children while my husband began a busy surgical practice, I found little time to sew! When my children began to head for college, I began to teach others to sew and in 2001 I made my eldest daughter’s wedding dress while attending a Couture Sewing School. I fell in love with couture techniques. In 2006, I started a custom sewing business in St. Louis, Missouri. It flourished for ten years, largely by word of mouth. The work ranged from dressy day garments to formal evening wear - including bridal and debutante gowns. In 2012, I completed my Master of Sewing and Design Professional Certification. I have hugely benefitted from all I learnt during that rigorous course. From 2012 until 2014 I was Vice President of Conference for ASDP. I am the coordinator for the Threads Challenge for ASDP. Since moving to Florida in 2016, I have been very busy sewing for family and a few clients and friends. I have expanded my teaching and this year will have classes in Vero Beach, New Orleans, San Francisco and Boston. Since 2022, I’ve been hosting an annual Fashion Tour in Italy. Each tour has had its own flavour and focus. This year we will visit Rome, Florence, Milan and Como - we will hear and see how art and other influences have impacted fashion both in the past and in the present. |
George Kalajian is the fifth generation of his family in the fashion industry. He helps Fashion Designers create dramatic pleated garments to be sent down the runway. He is the owner of Tom’s Sons International Pleating, a fabric manipulation contractor, located in the heart of the NYC Garment District. His book “Pleating, Fundamentals for Fashion Design” is the first (industry) textbook ever written that codifies the art of pleating. George has helped the iconic brands in the world like Dior, Oscar De La Renta, Coach, Calvin Klein, Vera Wang, Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne, Proenza Schouler, Khaite, The Row, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, Vera Wang, Kate Spade, Marchesa, Kate Spade, J. Crew, Tory Burch, Disney, Gabriella Hearst, Christina Sirano, Nile Lotan, Pyer Moss, Reem Acra, as well as restoration work for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. |
Langman has nearly two decades in the fashion industry. She has designed for global brands such as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Target. Her portfolio features projects showcased at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of New York City, including a hand-painted gown for Celine Dion's Grammy Awards performance. Tricia is founder and design director of Spoogi, an international textile print design studio, and leads and facilitates innovative sustainable initiatives workshops all over the world. Additionally, she collaborates as a managing partner with a prominent NGO in Argentina, advising the United Nations on sustainable fashion. Recently, Langman helped spearhead a circular business accelerator in Los Angeles, focusing on empowering the BIPOC fashion community.
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Barbie has had her professional sewing business, Sew Good, in Nampa, Idaho, since 1994. She has been doing professional alterations since 1991, and specializes in formal and couture sewing for both men and women. Barbie has been a member of ASDP since 1996 and earned her Master Sewing and Design Professional (MSDP) Certification, and her Master Alterations Specialist (MAS) Certification. Barbie has been teaching intermediate and advanced sewing classes since 2000, and teaches Couture Workshops in Palm Springs, CA. |
Nancy Nix-Rice is a wardrobe strategist with life-long sewing roots – award-winning fabric retailer, Baby Lock training manager, writer for THREADS Magazine. Her book “LOOKING GOOD … Everyday” is a long-time consumer favorite and the textbook for the image consulting curricula at F.I.T. in New York and City College of San Francisco. Her video training “Sew Your Best Wardrobe” is a top seller on Craftsy. Nancy also presents all-day workshops for ASDP and ASG chapters across the country and appears on the Creative Living program for PBS and hosts the subscription on-line style community, LOOKING GOOD Together.
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Erin has been sewing more or less all her life. She began designing and sewing clothing for her dolls as a child, and then moved on to full-sized fashions after learning to use a sewing machine. Erin relocated to Boise in 2004, where she picked up some more advanced design and construction techniques from local instructors and fell into helping design and build costumes for the ballroom dance community she is a part of. She and partner Frank, who is also an avid sewer, launched Oversway Originals, a custom ballroom dance costume company. In 2010, Erin joined the Association of Design and Sewing Professionals (ASDP) and began participating in the organization's annual educational conference where she continues to expand her sewing and design skill set, improve her teaching techniques, and share her work. Her garment was chosen as a finalist, and was awarded the prize for "Best Color and Shape Shift" in the 2019 Threads Challenge, put on each year for members of ASDP by Threads Magazine. After her original field was hit hard by a recession, Erin made sewing her next career, first as the director of a sewing school within a local fine fabric store, then by launching sewBoise in 2011. Now as sewBoise's owner and director, Erin and her team of 6 offer sewing classes and lessons at all levels, do custom sewing from dog toys and curtains to bridal gowns and 3-piece suits, and are a full-service alterations shop. Erin comes from a family of educators, and is no exception, many have described her as an exceptional teacher. She thoroughly enjoys teaching, learning, and sharing sewing tricks with others. Being an engaged business owner and asset to her community is central to Erin's plans. She graduated from the Executive MBA program at BSU in May of 2018, and was one of the Idaho Business Review's honorees for the Accomplished Under 40 Award in 2016. |
Claire Shaeffer is the author of more than 25 books and videos including "Couture Sewing Techniques", Couture Tailoring, and the Couture Sewing books which focus on Chanel designs. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in art history and, also, with honors from a trade technical school where she learned techniques for making garments at all price points. Her research includes visiting couture and bespoke workrooms, museum collections, and examining designs in her personal collection. She is a recipient of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals Award and the American Sewing Guild Hall of Fame Award. Her current projects include creating YouTubes videos which focus of sewing and fashion and Zoom programs for small groups. |
Shrewsberry’s sewing and design experience began in 1996 with hand-sewn clothes for Beanie Babies. Originally a physics teacher, their passion for education and costuming led to the opening of their cosplay business in 2011, Ask Cosplay-Senpai, through which they offer pre-made costumes, fulfill commission requests, and attend conventions as a guest speaker. Creativity is their favorite form of self-expression, and imagination drives them to continually learn and teach. They engage in and create content for several social media platforms in an to share the joy of creating without the trappings of influencer culture. |
Keynote SpeakerKathleen brings over two decades of full time ICF, Master Certified Coaching experience to Executive, Professionals, and Business Owners. As one of the pioneering and credentialed Certified Professional Co-Active coaches, CPPC. Kathleen has helped set the tone and international standards for coaching in the workplace. She holds degrees in Business Management and Communications, has deep coaching experience in breaking clients through self-perceived limits using the Enneagram in the workplace, is certified in the Leadership Circle 360 for individuals and groups, an assessment and learning tool that builds conscious leadership in the 21st century. Her dedication to human resilience, constructive conflict communication coaching, and activating a client's true potential is furthered through certification in EI-Q, clinical hypnotherapy and NLP. Kathleen coached Nike VPs for ten years, CH2M Hill engineers for 17 years, AirBnb Executives, all levels of executives in the Department of Interior for 23, in numerous US private companies, and coached well over 100 individual professionals in the private sector. The passion and purpose for her continued coaching is to meet people where they are, evoke transformation through deep trust and confidentiality with the client. Together they set productive and effective vision, purposeful goals, and tap into naturally creative and resourceful outcomes for the client's life and work. She has nine grandchildren and is actively engaged in each of their lives. |
Catherine Stephenson was the owner and operator of Catherine Stephenson Couture Dressmaking for 34 years in Portland, Oregon. She specialized in finely sewn dresses, bridal gowns, special event dresses and tailored suits. She also was an adjunct faculty teacher at the Art Institute of Portland for 17 years. She taught regular courses in Draping, both beginner and advanced, along with Couture Sewing Techniques and Advanced Construction and Textile classes. She is a founding member of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals, served on the National Board and National Chairperson from 1998-2000. She chaired the committee that wrote the Quality Standards for Custom Clothing. She participated in the curriculum writing for the Master Sewing and Design Professional Certification program and is the current Chair of the MSDP Board. She also is a current member of the ASDP Apprenticeship committee. She has taught classes at past ASDP National Conferences including classes on Textiles and Master Classes on Beginner and Advanced Draping. Catherine has a BS. Degree in Textiles and Clothing from The University of Wisconsin, and a Masters Degree in Education from Argosy University. She is the recipient of ASDP´s Lifetime Achievement Award from 2021. She is now retired and living in Mexico but still being creative producing a small line of women's clothing called Ajijic Chic! that she sells out of her home studio and at an annual fashion show as a fundraiser for local charities. |
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Liz started sewing when her Barbie dolls needed clothes! Next came garment sewing during her teens. She fulfilled a dream to make her own wedding and bridesmaids dresses. As a qualified University graduate teacher, she taught languages for many years until she switched to teaching her passion: sewing in almost all forms. She enjoyed a long career in the sewing industry as National Educator for a Sewing Machine company. She now operates her own business Sew & Learn with Liz focusing on Lingerie and Garment sewing. She also enjoys machine embroidery and quilting both of which sometimes their way into her garments and lingerie projects. |
Sabrina Wright
| Sabrina is a Wholistic Health and Wellness Advocate, Consultant, MELT Instructor and Therapist in the Wellness field. All these aspects have been developed richly, as she has worked 20-years in practice with integrative physicians, surgeons, naturopaths, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and nurses. With over 21 years of education and experience working with thousands of clients, Sabrina's focus and approach has always been WHOLE person care: Body, Mind, and Spirit. As she works with clients she has found that in every single case, physical health and well-being is the most important factor to address. Also finding that not one single strategy works. She customizes a plan and approach to address the pain, the person, and their lifestyle. Let's work together to change your story of one of pain to a story of health and vitality. |
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