Brittany Erb and Katy RobbBio: Brittany Erb and Katy Robb both graduated from the College of Textiles: Fashion and Textile Management program at North Carolina State University.  While students at NCSU they both participated in various fashion shows.  Brittany designed in the Threads 2009 Senior Collection Showcase, winning second place.  She also designed in AATS 2009, winning third place.  Katy participated in AATS 2008, winning third place.  She also designed for the 2008 Art to Wear pre-show, Couture for a Cure 2008 and Threads 2009 Senior Collection Showcase.  Collaborating on a collection has always been a dream for us, with similar creative styles, working together on a line made sense. 

In our line we are going to recycle old furniture fabrics, brocades, suedes and vinyls, to create our garments.  With these fabrics we want to revolutionize what women ages 35 – 50 are wearing.  We want to create new shapes and new lines for them to give this age group a more mature look while making them feel younger and more appealing.  We are going to create better fitting clothing for these women with design elements, such as line and balance, that grab the attention of everyone they pass.  They are cougars and they are on the prowl.  Most importantly, this fashion line will be driven by the concept of cutting down on massive consumption, but not in an over done “hippie” way which has been re-iterated time and time again.  The clothes will still have a chic appeal and still be kind to the environment.

-b and katy

Rima L'AmirBio: Through my studies in fashion development at NCSU and involvement in political activism, it has been my mission to challenge the fashion industry’s exploitation of the environment and workers of the world.  One of my favorite quotes from the Situationist International is, “We need to make the world more rational--the necessary first step in making it exciting.”  As a designer, I would like to create in a manner that is aesthetically stimulating and eco-friendly, rather than ubiquitous and unjust.  I am thrilled about participating in Redress Raleigh for the first time, and hope that my collection will reflect a collage of recycled past and sustainable beauty.

Keira L. FloodBio: Hello World! My name is Keira Lashan Flood and I am 20 years old. I am a junior at Meredith College where my major is Fashion Merchandising and Design-Design Concentration, and my minor is marketing. I am from Ahoskie N.C. where I was born and raised but I have been living in the Raleigh/Durham area for some time now. I discovered my interest in designing at the age of 12 when I began to develop my first collection of sketches in a blue notebook that I still have and use to this day. At first my mother only taught me to hand stitch and hand sew things that needed mending and then I started cutting up and recreating my old clothes to make new ones. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be in Redress Raleigh this year for the first time! I love the idea of taking everyday items found in the home and using them to construct garments. Fashion can come from anything around us with the right ideas and proper direction and execution. That is why for my collection I am using some of my grandmother’s old curtains to construct my pieces. Instead of throwing out things when they get old we can use them to make new items that can be useful to us. It is my responsibility to use my creativity to come up with new ways in which I can help protect my planet by being less wasteful and environmentally conscious. 

Jackie AlmeterBio: Hey! My name is Jackie Almeter, I am 16 years old, I am a Junior in high school and I have been designing and making clothing for a couple of years. I started making jewelry when I was 10 years old and began selling it in boutiques in North Carolina under the label, JRA 12, when I was twelve. I am now focused on clothing design. I started by teaching myself how to sew,  but when my grandmother visits she provides the structured lessons. She is a  fussy meticulous seamstress who taught me patience, precision, not to  cut corners and that quality work is all in the detail. Last summer I spent a month at the New York Fashion Institute to advance my skills in both Fashion Illustration and Manual Pattern Making. It was an incredible experience to be taught by the professionals who work with the world's top designers. Redress Raleigh is my first clothing show and eco-friendly design will be a challenge and an opportunity. Environmentally friendly clothing is concept grounded in protecting the earth and I am thrilled I am taking part in the beginning stages of this movement.
Sincerely, Jackie

Contact: www.vickischool.etsy.com

Grace McFarlandBio: Grace was born and raised in the Triangle and has recently relocated to Boone as a freshman at Appalachian State University. After having a great experience with Redress Raleigh in 2009, she is excited be a returning designer for this year's ecologically conscious fashion show and is grateful for having been given the opportunity to participate. Grace has been interested in design and the fashion industry for many years, but as an advocate of reducing our impact on Earth she has had an aversion to the wasteful methods fashion design can utilize. Hoping to stay active in the local fashion community, she is optimistic that using Redress Raleigh's principles will get the message out that fashion can exist without being harmful to the environment. Grace will be creating collection of dresses that make use of recycled fabrics and eco-friendly production processes. She has gathered thrifted and recycled fabrics that will be dyed using all natural resources and reconstructed into new, wearable products. As a supporter of of Eco-consciousness, the young designer is looking forward to sharing this revolutionary experience with other local designers who share a similar appreciation for planet.