Francesca Sterlacci: Difference between revisions

| name = Francesca Sterlacci Purvin

| image = <!--Francesca justSterlacci the name, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] -->Picture.jpg

| baptism_datebirth_place = [[Hoboken, New Jersey]]

Sterlacci was born in [[Hoboken, and raised inNew Jersey|Hoboken]],<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1979&dat=19861021&id=d5AiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wq0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3268,8116734|title=Wide Selection of Colors, Fabrics During Fall Season|publisher=The Sumter Daily Item|accessdate=5 April 5, 2014}}</ref> and raised in [[Union City, New Jersey|Union City]].<ref name=TR>{{cite news|publisher=The Record|title=Designing Her Own Destiny|date=January 28, 1988|page=U-5}}</ref> When she was ten, she used scrapesscraps from her mother's sewing machine and prepared Barbie doll costumes. Her mother did not allow her to use the sewing machine herself, so she had to hand stitch the dresses, and that helped her improve her hand stitching skills. She kept some of these dresses whileand somesold were soldothers to neighbourhoodneighborhood friends.<ref name=GG/>

While studying at the [[Emerson Jr./Sr. High School (Emerson, New Jersey)|Emerson High School]] in Union City, she collaborated with a friend on making mini and maxi skirts and selling them to local boutiques in New York.<ref name=GG/> After completing herhigh High Schoolschool, she joined Fashion Institute of Technology and received bachelorAssociate of FineApplied ArtsScience degree in arts andfashion design.<ref name=TNC/> Upon graduating, she joined [[New Jersey City University|Jersey City State College]] for a bachelor's degree in art.<ref name=TR/>

Sterlacci started her career in the late 70s withworking a job infor a body suit company. Later,She shelater joined a junior sportswear firm, ''Sunday's Workclothes''., Inwho thissent position she hadher to travel a lot to countries like India, Hong Kong, Italy, France and [[Taiwan]]. Later on sheShe became a head merchandiser at ''Time and Place'' where she managed five divisions. BesidesSterlacci workingdeveloped a daylabel job,of Sterlacciher wasown also working on developingin her ownspare labeltime.<ref name=TR/>

She founded Francesca Sterlacci Ltd. in 1980 and the first collection consisted of 15 [[Sportswear (fashion)|sportswear]] pieces. HeHer designs were greatly influenced by her travel while at ''Time andSunday's PlaceWorkclothes''. By 1981, she added leather to her collection. The top-selling clothes in her line were thein leathersleather and the suedessuede.<ref name=TNC>{{cite web|url=httphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2506&dat=19861023&id=_WZJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rAoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3840,7150505|title= Designer, Make up Artist Show Their Stuff|publisher=The News and Courier|accessdate=5 April 5, 2014}}</ref>

In 1981, after receivingpositive feedback on her designs, she quitequit her day job and started working on her label full-time. Sterlacci started her business using savings and a few loans and did not have financial backers andor [[Factor (agent)|factors]].<ref name=GG>{{cite web|url=httphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19880310&id=1EpTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yoMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6465,3747386|title=Up on the Rooftop... N.Y. Designer is Scaling New Heights|publisher=Deseret News|accessdate=5 April 5, 2014 }}</ref> In 1983, she added a groupselection of woven[[knitting|knit]] and knit[[weaving|weave]] sportswear to the line.<ref name=WWD/> AfterShe leavingopened her company, she bought aown showroom within a year.,<ref name=LS>{{cite news|publisher=Lifestyle|date=July 25, 1988|title=From Rags to Riches: New Name in Fashion Gaining Strong Following|page=B-11}}</ref> Sterlacciand kept producing cothesclothes under her label until 1989. In 1990, Sterlacci opened a freelance design service called Design Instinct, designing sportswear, leatherwear and outerwearclothes for theother women’s, men’s and childrenswear marketsdesigners.<ref name=DH>{{cite news|title=Designers for Hire|publisher=Sportswear News|page=24|date=September 5, 1990}}</ref>

In 1990, she started teaching at Fashion Institute of Technology and in 2001, she became the Chair of FIT's Fashion Design Department. She held that position until 2004, when she moved to San Francisco and started teaching at the [[Academy of Art University]] where she taught until 2010.<ref name=TPC>{{cite news|publisher=The Post and Courier|title=Colors, Prints, and Patterns Make Comeback for Spring|page=1|date= April 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://allthingsfashiondc.com/2013/09/06/introducing-the-university-of-fashion/|title=Introducing the University of Fashion|publisher=All Things Fashion|accessdate=April 5, April2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322145839/http://allthingsfashiondc.com/2013/09/06/introducing-the-university-of-fashion/|archive-date=March 22, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sterlacci launched University of Fashion, an online library of [[fashion design]] videos, in 2013. Sterlacci felt that fashion design was declining in the US due to companies movingmanufacturing [[Offshoring|off-shore]], and she wanted to promote fashion design education. She got the idea of launching University of Fashion while teaching at [[Fashion Institute of Technology]] and the [[Academy of Art University]] and felt that students "didn’t want to rely on books; they wanted videos."<ref name=FA>{{cite web|url=http://fashionista.com/2013/10/fashion-industry-veteran-launches-online-library-of-design-video-tutorials/|title= Fashion Industry Veteran Launches Online Library of Design Video Tutorials|publisher=Fashionista|accessdate=22 March 22, 2014}}</ref>

During the 80s and early 90s, her designs were featured in magazines such as [[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]], [[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Elle|date=August 1988|page=79|title=Fast Times}}</ref> and [[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]] and her work has appeared on the covers of [[Women's Wear Daily]] and [[Harpers Bazaar]],<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Harpers Bazaar|title=Bali Highs: Naval Power|page=102|date=May 1988}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=Harpers Bazaar|title=Francesca Sterlacci|date=March 1988}}</ref> as well as in [[The New York Times]] and The Record.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=The Record|page=U-4|title=cover|date=January 28, 1988}}</ref>

In 1982, Women's Wear Daily wrote about her leather collection that "in a year when leather clothing of all kinds and qualities ifis flooding the market, Francesca Sterlacci's Maderia-work leathers for Penthouse G stand out for the quality of their execution and the success with which they translate traditional techniques to modern sensibilities."<ref name=WWD2>{{cite news|publisher=Women's Wear Daily|title=Sterlacci Leather Perfect|date=July 28, 1982|page=79}}</ref>

*''HistoricalLeather DictionaryApparel of the Fashion IndustryDesign'' (20071997) {{ISBN |978-08108545430827377721}}

*''TheHistorical A to ZDictionary of the Fashion Industry'', with Joanne Arbuckle (20092007) ISBN {{ISBN|978-08108688300810854543}}

*''LeatherThe FashionA Designto (PortfolioZ of Skills)the Fashion Industry'' (20102009) {{ISBN |978-18566967150810868830}}

{{reflist|2}}

*[http://www.universityoffashion.com University of Fashion]