the artist & designer
A native Texan, Krissi Riewe Stevenson is an apparel industry professional, educator, designer, and artist. Her passion for art, clothes, and thoughtful, pleasing design began as a child, when she began drawing and sewing simply because she enjoyed making things. She naturally pursued an arts degree after high school, earning first a BFA and, ten years later, an MFA in Fashion Design from the University of North Texas.
During those ten interim years she returned to her hometown of Austin, TX and joined Petticoat Fair as a bra fitting specialist. She eventually became the Store Manager and Buyer for this nationally respected family-owned women’s boutique specializing in professional lingerie, swimwear, and post-surgical fitting. She managed and trained the staff, traveled seasonally to find the best merchandise, and continued the store’s reputation for excellent customer service. The experience gave her an understanding of the fashion industry from manufacturer, to retailer, to end consumer. After enjoying a wonderful relationship with the store, she left this position to pursue her MFA degree.
Upon graduation, Krissi joined the faculty at Kent State University Fashion School as an Assistant Professor, where she teaches design courses and continues her research work. She brings her design, construction, and sewing skills as well as her merchandising experience to the classroom with the goal of guiding students to become thoughtful, aware, and responsible designers. Her research focuses on the design process itself, especially how the relationship between traditional methods of making clothes with digital technologies can provide opportunity for innovative discovery.
Krissi feels blessed to be able to use her creativity in her career and hobbies. She is inspired by life experiences, nature, and music, and she looks for the positive in every place and experience. She embraces life as a journey filled with seasons to learn and grow. Her time in Ohio has blessed her with a wonderful husband and even more special family and frineds.
Grateful to God for her talent and blessings, she hopes to share her hope and joy through her work and life, wherever that may be.
Jerimiah 29:11
EMAIL: kriewe@kent.edu
IG: krissiriewe
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2019 - MFA in Fashion Design, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
2006 BFA Fashion Design with summa cum laude & Honors College distinctions, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
2015 Burda Online University, Adobe Suite Patternmaking Course
2014 Burda Online University, Lingerie Patternmaking & Construction Course
Teaching Experience
Kent State University Fashion School, Kent, OH 2019 - present
Spring 2020 - Fashion Technology Applications
Spring 2020 - Junior Fashion Design Studio
Spring 2020 - BFA Senior Thesis II
Fall 2019 - BFA Senior Thesis I
University of North Texas; Denton, TX - 2016 to present
Spring 2019 - Teaching Fellow, Advanced Industrial Sewing for Fashion Design
Fall 2018 - Teaching Fellow, Draping for Fashion Design
Spring 2018 - Teaching Fellow, Industry Techniques in Fashion Design
Fall 2017 - Teaching Fellow, Draping for Fashion Design
Spring 2017 - Teaching Fellow, Advanced Industrial Sewing for Fashion Design
Fall 2016 - Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Communication Design with Clinton Carlson
Experience
Krissi Design; Denton, TX – 2007 to present
Owner/Designer
- Custom garment development from initial concept to draping, patternmaking,
construction engineering and sewing, multiple sample fittings, to final garment
- Garment expertise includes wedding gowns, dresses, sportswear, lingerie, and tailoring
- Provide custom alterations for menswear and womenswear
- Perform graphic design work for small businesses
University of North Texas; Denton, TX - 2016 to 2017
Graduate Assistant
Spring 2017 / Fall 2017 / Summer 2018 / Spring 2019 - Area Assistant to the Texas Fashion Collection with Annette Becker
- Assisted with research appointments, donations processing, archival preservation, and collections management
- Led volunteer activities: making archival hangers, re-hanging garments, dressing mannequins, maintaining workspace
- Assisted in exhibition preparations and set-up:
“Re-imagining the Kimono,” Northpark Center, Spring 2017
“Sportswear to Athleisure: The Creation of Comfortable Clothing,” UNT ArtSpace Fall 2017
- Assisted in the creation of a separate Study Collection from the Main Collection holdings
Researched garment categories, history, and origins for relevance
Researched UNT fashion-relation classes to ensure items included covered general project and research needs
Assisted in organizing and cataloguing the Study Collection for move to its permanent location
Fall 2016 - Area Assistant to the Sculpture Shop with Jeff McClung
Rosie + Bell; Dallas, TX - Summer 2017
Freelance Work
- developed new product
- created pattern and sample
Petticoat Fair; Austin, TX - 2007-2015
Alterations Specialist 2007-2010
- Performed all store alterations; this included bras, slips and shape wear, swimwear, and sleepwear
- Engineered unique alterations to provide fit solutions for individual customer needs, including designing alterations for special needs such as nursing & mastectomy
Fit Specialist 2008-2015
- Properly fit women in comfortable bras, shapewear, swimwear, and sleepwear
- Provided excellent customer service to all ages and socio-economic backgrounds
Assistant Manager 2010-2012
- Managed fit staff in daily operations
- Handled customer service issues in-store and over the phone
- Recruited, trained, and managed new Alterations Specialist
Store Manager 2012-2015
- Oversaw all store operations on a daily basis, reporting to owner
- Recruited, trained, and managed 12-18 member staff to provide excellent customer service
- Created in-depth product knowledge, sales, and fit technique training plans
-Worked with re-branding team to refresh store image: wrote collateral copy, helped select new logo, gave input on new website design
Buyer 2012-2015
- Reviewed and refreshed entire store inventory upon advancing to Buyer
- Managed inventory weekly, evaluating sales and placing reorders
- Travelled to quarterly markets in NYC, Miami, Las Vegas
Falcon Garments; Richardson, TX- 9/2005-1/2006 Intern
- Produced garment specs and placed overseas sample requests
- Digitized prints for repeat
- Performed Quality Control checks on top of production garments for consistent fit
Professional Work
Awards
2018-2019 UNT Outstanding Graduate Student in Fashion Design
2018 Spoonflower Student Project Grant Award for MFA Textile Design Research
2018 UNT Golden Eagle Award Recipient
2018 Surface Design Association Outstanding Student Award
2018 UNT College of Visual Arts and Design Joann Elliot Bond Memorial Scholarship
2017 International Textile and Apparel Association Sara Douglass Professional Promise Fellowship
2016-2017 UNT Outstanding Graduate Student in Fashion Design
2016 UNT College of Visual Arts and Design Neiman Marcus Scholarship for Fashion Design
2016 UNT College of Visual Arts and Design Henry and Anna Bernstein Scholarship for Fashion Design
2013 Best of Intima “Best Destination Shop,” Petticoat Fair, Austin, TX
2008 Semi-finalist Interview, Project Runway, Dallas TX
2006 Arts of Fashion Design Competition Finalist, held on University of North Texas campus, Denton, TX
2006 “Most Marketable Womenswear,” University of North Texas ARTWEAR senior fashion show, Denton, TX
2002-2006 UNT President's List (all four years of undergraduate study), Denton, TX
2002 UNT 4-year Academic Scholarship, Denton, TX
Publication
2018 “Issey Miyake,” Poster Presentation and Student Best Paper - 2nd place, International Textile and Apparel Association Conference, Cleveland, OH
2013 “The Sports Bra” in December Austin Fit Magazine, Austin, TX
2012 Watercolor Illustrations for “Thank you, Cancer,” by Roger Storer, Austin, TX
Invited Lecturer
Spring 2019 - “Issey Miyake” lecture given for Alisa Otto’s 20th Century Fashion History class
Spring 2019 - "Foundations 1900 - Present" lecture given for Alisa Otto’s 20th Century Fashion History class
Spring 2018 - "Foundations 1900 - Present" lecture given for Alisa Otto’s 20th Century Fashion History class
Fall 2017 - “Digital Fabrication for Fashion Design – 3D Printing” lecture given for Myra Walker’s Fashion Accessories class
Fall 2017 - “Digital Fabrication for Fashion Design – Illustrator” lecture given for Anny Chang’s Computers in Fashion class
Fashion Exhibition
2019 “Pieced Back Together,” Juried Design Exhibition, International Textile and Apparel Association Conference, Las Vegas, NV
2019 Making Clothes, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Denton, TX
2019 “Bending Stripes,” Voertman’s Juried Student Exhibition, Denton, TX
2019 “Assembling Creativity 2,” Accepted to Juried Design Exhibition, Costume Society of America Symposium
2019 “Transforming Throught,” Accepted to Juried Design Exhibition, Costume Society of America Symposium
2019 University of North Texas Graduate Students Open Studio Night, Denton, TX
2018 “Assembling Creativity,” Juried Design Exhibition, International Textile and Apparel Association Conference, Cleveland, OH
2018 “Denim Lace,” Juried Design Exhibition, International Textile and Apparel Association Conference, Cleveland, OH
2018 “Stella Stripes,” Juried Design Exhibition, Costume Society of America Symposium, Williamsburg, VA
2017 University of North Texas Graduate Students Open Studio Night, Denton, TX
2016 University of North Texas Graduate Students Open Studio Night, Denton, TX
2007 University Students Fashion Week Invitational Fabrics Show, China Fabrics and Accessories Center, Guangzhou, China
2006 ARTWEAR, University of North Texas Senior Show, Denton, TX
2005 Recycled Materials Garment Show, University of North Texas Union, Denton, TX
2005 “Wearing My Feelings,” Voertman’s Juried Student Exhibition, University of North Texas Art Building Gallery, Denton, TX
Art Exhibition
2016 Numinous Coffee Shop Spring Artist Show, Marble Falls, TX
2015 Marble Falls Plein Air Competition & Live Auction, Marble Falls, TX
2015 ARTSPACE Fall Show, Austin, TX
2005 “Vision of Sound,” Voertman’s Juried Student Exhibition, University of North Texas Art Building Gallery, Denton, TX
Exhibition Work
2018 Assistant Installer for Faux Real, Texas Fashion Collection exhibition at Northpark Center Mall
2018 Co-curator of (non)Standard Student Invitational Exhibition
- presented at Texas Woman's University Maker Space as part of the 2018 North Texas Digital Fabrication Symposium
- Showcased student work utilizing digital fabrication within the symposium theme "Humanizing the Digital"
2018 Assistant Installer for West-Dressed, Texas Fashion Collection exhibition at Northpark Center Mall
2018 Assistant Installer for Mary, Queen of Prints Mary Katranzou's retrospective exhibition at the Dallas Contemporary
Technical Skills
Computer: Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop, Gerber, Accuscan, Rhinoceros, Netfab, VCarve, MS Office Suite, Mac iOS, RetailPro, Blackboard
Fashion Design: Draping, Patternmaking, Sewing, Tailoring, Illustration in various media, Pastel, Charcoal
Digital Fabrication: Laser-cutting, 3D printing, Digital Textile Printing, CNC cutting
Service
2019 - Kent State Fashion School Awards, BFA, and TechStyleLAB Committees
2017-2018, 2018-2019 - College of Visual Arts and Design Senator, University of North Texas Graduate Student Council
2016 to present, University of North Texas Fashion Design Department
- Fall 2017 Major/Minor Fair Presentation, College of Visual Arts and Design
- Spring 2017 Assist with hosting professor candidate interviewees