The next VDTA/SDTA Convention & Show will be in
New Orleans, LA
February 27 - 29, 2012
at the Ernest Morial Convention Center

Jillian Lewis of Project Runway Season Four & Brother International Corp. team up to support the American Heart Association

Brother International Corporation has teamed up with designer Jillian Lewis of Project Runway Season Four again, but this time to support the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement. Lewis constructed a beautiful red dress on the Brother Quattro™ 6000D, the newest top-of-the-line sewing, embroidery, quilting and crafting machine, and modeled the dress during the “Go Red Style Show,” a charity event that was part of the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in March. All proceeds from the style show went toward the American Heart Association’s battle to reduce the impact of heart disease, the number one cause of death for women in the U.S.

Brother and Lewis’ participation in the “Go Red Style Show” helped draw attendees to the first fashion show at the Expo that benefits a charity organization. When approached by Brother to be involved, Lewis was happy to design and model a predominantly red garment to help support such a great organization. After much thought and many sketches, Lewis decided to design a unique red dress for the style show.

“The dress can be described as short A-line, flame red ombré, triple-tier dress made of Italian viscose/silk. The textile was selected because it was more of a reflection of the nature of humanity, which is why we dedicate this dress to Go Red For Women. The textile is very expressive and powerful, so much so that the details in the construction needed to be minimal, stitching on the Quattro™ was a breeze as the machine handled the delicate silk with ease,” explained Lewis.

During the “Go Red Style Show,” Lewis modeled the short A-line dress as a floor sweeping gown by wearing it over a double-tier long skirt. The versatility of this dress is very unique, as it can be worn as a gown, as a short dress with opaque tights, or as a long skirt with a slouchy hand-knit sweater. The dress will also be included in Lewis’ fall line, in stores July 30, 2009.

For aspiring designers, Lewis suggests Brother’s line of Limited Edition Project Runway sewing and embroidery machines. The Innov-ís 40 and Innov-ís 80 computerized sewing machines are affordable, easy to use, and feature-packed for both the beginning designer and the advanced sewer. For more design capabilities there is the LB6770 PRW, the first computerized sewing and embroidery machine in the Limited Edition Project Runway line. The embroidery embellishment on the LB6770 PRW is accomplished with few steps and minimal skill. Brother innovation delivers high-tech performance and step-by-step instruction for beautiful embroidery work that any fashionista can achieve.

In fact, the Limited Edition Project Runway machines are similar to the Brother Pacesetter 2300 machine that Lewis began sewing on at the age of 16. This machine carried Lewis through her collegiate career at Parsons School of Design, and was used to create her first complete line shown on Project Runway Season Four. Lewis notes the Pacesetter 2300 “will go down in history” as a huge asset to her for creating clothes to wear to school, developing her senior thesis and preparing for Project Runway Season Four.

“Jillian Lewis is a perfect example of the Brother brand promise. Brother has been at Jillian’s side as a beginner sewer and continues to be as she develops her career as a successful designer,” said Dean F. Shulman, a senior vice president of Brother International Corporation, and head of the company’s home appliance division. “We are happy to work with her, as always, and feel the red dress she has created is perfect for the benefit of the American Heart Association.”

For more information on Brother’s extensive line of home sewing and embroidery products, visit www.brother.com . To learn more about Jillian Lewis’ new fall line, set to hit stores in July, visit www.jillianlewisny.com . More information about women and heart disease can be found at www.GoRedForWomen.org .

Reprinted from SQE Professional, April 2009