Marlene Middlemiss

Female

East Hampton, NY

United States

Profile Information:

Profession / role:
Professor of Fashion Design
Company / organisation:
Fashion Institute of Technology
My primary role in relation to fashion is:
Designer, Other
I am looking to discover or buy
Sustainable fabric suppliers, fabric dyers etc. to speak to students or just to get on a list of suppliers that are conscience of sustainability.
About me / About business or organisation:
I was a designer for 30 years in the garment center of NYC. Now I am a teacher at FIT and work with the next generation of designers. I am very interested in the new direction that must happen in our industry that of ETHICAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN. I am currently writting a new course about Sustainable design and working with the sustainable design club at FIT.
Career history / Company history:
I started out designing for a company Gay Gibson in 1969. I have designed for many companies Collegetown, Abe Shrader, Billina Sport and more. I had my own freelance business for years and had the opportunity to work with many companies. I have been teaching at FIT since 2001 and really enjoying it!

Comment Wall:

  • David McGill

    Hi Marlene,I design tartan fabrics and produce a ready-to-wear range and accessories. I regard these as the most ethically produced sustainable and eco-friendly products of any I've come across. The weavers and garment producers are paid a fair wage, the products last a lifetime and never go out of fashion and can be made locally without causing any significant harm to the environment Although I eventually plan to have these made in cotton they are currently made from wool. Ive found that instead of seeing this as a free by-product of an existing food industry there is a powerful vegan influence in the green fashion industry that ignores the potential of this material and overstates the case for cotton.

    Oct 24, 2010

  • David McGill

    Hi Marlene, last year I worked on a joint projec t with the fashion dept of Grays School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen ( next to Donald Trup.s new golf course). The theme was The Four Seasons' using my Japanese tartan designs (www.sakurascotland.com) It was a huge success and we.ve just finished our third fashion show at a Japan/scotland event for the Japanese Consul General. The show now goes to Japan in the autumn. This years project is 'Americana' and the brief is to design and make the type of outfits created by 18th and 19th C. Scots and Ulster Scots settlers using small amounts of my US State tartans with other fabrics.in a reflection of the frugality of the times and relevant to the current recession. Sustainibilty indeed. Would FIT like to consider the idea of a creating a link with Grays and running a parallel project?

    Oct 26, 2010