UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 17, Page 3
January 20, 1994
High technology; Fashion industry offers fellows inside look

     Made-to-order, mass-produced fashions may not be an oxymoron in the
future, according to M. Jo Kallal, associate professor of textiles, design
and consumer economics. Through the use of computers, clothing may be
designed and manufactured to fit individual body measurements, making
custom-made clothing more readily available.
     Kallal had an insider's, in-depth view of the U.S. apparel industry
this summer when she was awarded a five-week faculty fellowship with (TC)2
(Textile/Clothing Technology Corp.) in Raleigh, N.C. Only six fellowships,
which are each valued at an estimated $7,500-$10,000, are given each year
by the American Apparel Manufacturers Association Committee on Apparel
Education.
     The program, coming up on its sixth year, is designed to educate the
educators, Kallal said. She participated in an intensive program covering
all aspects of the apparel industry from management to production.
     The goal of (TC)2 is to revitalize the U.S. apparel industry through
research and development, demonstration and education. The research segment
of the organization is examining such topics as how new technology can be
used for made-to-measure clothing or developing new kinds of sewing
equipment. In the demonstration area, the company runs an ideal production
company, which stresses efficiency and worker satisfaction. In the
education area, there are the fellowship program, an internship program for
students and educational programs for industry.
     The program offered fellows a variety of workshops, on such topics as
"Total Quality Management," "Real Time Production Control" and "Quick
Response," with speakers from industry and visits to manufacturing plants.
Kallal brought back a dozen notebooks filled with information, much of
which she can use in her teaching.
     There were hands-on activities as well, such as the Penville factory
project in which ballpoint pens were produced to illustrate various
management tools for product manufacture.
     Through role playing, the fellows looked at a manufacturing plant and
used previously-learned concepts to solve production-related problems. "We
also had brainstorming sessions to come up with workable ideas. The
opportunity to focus on these kinds of problems was invaluable," Kallal
said.
     Kallal said the fellowship provided her with one of the finest
professional development experiences. The University is well-known in the
field as one of the first to incorporate computer-aided design (CAD) into
its program, and the fellowship is another means of enhancing an ongoing
relationship with (TC)2 and the textile and apparel industry, Kallal said.
                              * * *
     Kallal also was a finalist in the 1993 International Design
Competition sponsored by the International Textile and Apparel Association
(ITAA).
     Her winning entry, a contemporary coat entitled "Mexican Artifact,"
was derived from the motifs and colors of pre-Colombian shields discovered
in Mexico. Kallal combined Mexican colors, traditional Middle-Eastern
garment structure with dressmaker tailoring to create the coat, which was
featured in a runway show at the ITAA annual meeting.
     The award consisted of a certificate, $250 and a sketch of the coat by
well-known fashion illustrator, Steven Stipelman.
                                                  -Sue Swyers Moncure