The Chronicle stops the presses- Play offers new twist on classic story
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Graduate student channels classic horror in thesis film - Alumnus creates mobile gallery
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- Athletics updates for Feb. 15
- Baseball off to best start in program’s history
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Class in the Spotlight
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Course focuses on shoe, handbag design
 Photo by Wayne C. Moore Professor Shana Hall (left) and student Ashley Frieson cobble shoes April 18 in Eckburg Hall. By Monique Bos Published: Friday, May 11, 2007 The accessory design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design is on the verge of significant growth, with new machines and equipment slated to be installed in Eckburg Hall, 115 W. Henry St., this summer. In the meantime, however, professor Shana Hall is teaching students how to design and create accessory items, working mostly by hand. For example, in her Handbag and Footwear Design course, students are creating two pairs of mule shoes and matching handbags. Near the beginning of the shoemaking process, students draw design details on muslin and drape the muslin on a last — a wooden or plastic form in the shape of a foot. Draping helps them see where details will be and how the parts of the shoe will fit together. “Since I’m doing a gather fit, I had to drape it on the last to make sure it fits perfectly and everything matches up,” explained Ashley Frieson, a senior who is pairing a fashion major with an accessory design minor. The department recently acquired cylindrical sewing machines, which allow students to sew in 3-D. “Instead of sewing flat, they can get very close to the edge, which is important for leather goods and accessories,” Hall said. “This machine can actually sew through cardboard.” After sewing together the various pieces of shoe leather, the students install a metal shank, which Hall termed “the backbone of the shoe; it keeps the arch stable,” beneath the cardboard inner sole. They then use rubber cement or glue to attach the fabric of the shoe to the inner sole, and nail the sole to the last while the glue dries. “Be careful on the toe; you really want that to be smooth. Use a lot of little nails,” advised Hall. “The tacks or nails are just to hold it until the glue solidifies, then they come out.” She said because most shoe manufacturing takes place outside the United States, lasts and other materials can be expensive and difficult to acquire. She and the students purchased thrift-store shoes and tore out the shanks for use in their own projects. They use linoleum, strong leather or old shoe bottoms from local cobblers for the outer soles, she said. However, both Hall and the students said Fabrika, 140 Abercorn St., which is owned by SCAD alumna Kendrah White (B.F.A., fashion, 2003), is a valuable source of various types of leather. Hall earned a degree in accessory design from the Fashion Institute in New York, which is the only other college or university in the United States to offer an accessory design program. She spent several years working in the industry, creating shoes, handbags and hats, and she said she usually develops sample pieces in class to show students each step of the process. For her first shoes and bag, Frieson used bronze-colored leather. “My concept is from the movie ‘300,’” she explained. “My inspiration was from their cloth — what the Spartans wore and what women wore during the Greek times.” Classmate Martinique Mix — also a fashion major with an accessory design minor — was using patterns cut out of pink leather, which is sewn onto silver, for her first set of shoes and handbag. “Pink is my favorite color, and this was a chance to use color,” she said. Her patterns grew from research she did into Indian accessories and designs, she explained. “I looked at their shoes. I’m playing around with how they have different shapes. I try to use different cultures in my work.” The students are building their shoes on lasts that fit their shoe sizes, so they can wear the finished products while they sport matching handbags. And even though most accessories are manufactured in other countries, Hall said understanding the process is important for accessory designers. “You have to focus on the whole process,” she said. “You need to know how to construct a shoe in order to design it properly. I want the students to become familiar with processes for all types of shoes — mule, Oxford, boot, pump — and the fundamental styles of bags.” Hall said she sees approximately 30 students each quarter in her accessory design classes. And for this particular class, a small number is ideal, because the students can work at their own paces. Not surprisingly, many students who sign up for accessory design courses are majoring in fashion, but Hall said she also has seen significant interest from industrial design students. “They want to work for Nike or sports companies,” she said. “It’s interesting because the way they think and design is so different. Their perspective brings something new to class.” She added, “I’m just in awe of the way these students think.”  |
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