Jazmin del Angel | Reporter
Feb. 18, 2016; 2 p.m.

Lindenwood Fashion Design Department had a professional in the fashion industry, Cristiano Carciani, working with students in the program during the week of Feb. 8-12.

“The purpose [of having a professional working with students] is so the students can get outside help and resources and make those connections with other professionals in the fashion industry where they can bring in their own personal or specialized techniques and skills for students to be able to learn from them as well,” said Chajuana Trawick, Lindenwood’s fashion design department chair.

Originally from Italy, Carciani is now the director of the Design Department and professor at the International School of Design and Architecture of Universidad del Turabo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Carciani has worked in a variety of fields in the fashion industry, including both haute couture and commercial production.

“Right now I don’t work as a fashion designer anymore,” Carciani said, “but I always say that I design through my students.”

During his time in Puerto Rico, he met Assistant Professor of Fashion Design Nasheli Ortiz, who has been a colleague of Carciani’s for 10 years. Once she started to work at Lindenwood, she encouraged him to come there as well to work with students.

Carciani has a methodology of his own. He believes the use of unusual materials and techniques are key to awaken students’ creativity and ability to develop their own techniques.

Carciani interacted with fashion students in a daily basis. According to Dr. Trawick, his background in TechCouturism, which she considers new and innovative, inspired the faculty and thought it would be good for students to have him help with their collections and learn from him and the future on fashion industry.

A TechCouturism presentation was offered to LU students last Thursday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. in Room 1115 at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts. TechCouturism, as Carciani explained, is the integration of technology, fashion design and craftsmanship. During this presentation, he showed students a variety of designers that use TechCouturism in their designs as well as designs including this concept and discussed the importance of using technology in fashion industry and its future.

Cody Floyd, a senior in the fashion design student, attended the presentation on. His last collection, which included LED lights sewn into clothing, in the last fall fashion show impressed the audience.

“I really enjoyed it,” Floyd said about the Carciani’s presentation. “I really like the innovation of bringing technology in fashion because it’s exciting. I think adding technology on it is a way to get this generation to, kind of, get excited about fashion and realize the production value of fashion.”

Floyd is one of many students who enjoyed working with Carciani.

“He’s really great at helping with patternmaking,” Floyd said. “He’s helped me a lot with making sure I am using the right fabrics for the kind of effect that I want.”

Carciani enjoyed working with them as well, mentioning, “The students were hungry to learn something else.”