Queen of her craft.Name: J. Michelle Hill-Campbell Age: 45 Occupation: Independent Textile Designer/Computer Aided Design Artist (CAD) Location: New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY Duties: Design and create patterns, and motifs for all forms of textiles and various surfaces used in home furnishings, fashion and theater. New York's "Great White Way" has never been the same since the appearance of J. Michelle Hill-Campbell's bold and colorful textile designs. Three years ago, Hill-Campbell's 15-year career as a textile designer/computer aided design artist (CAD) moved fast-forward when she and a small team of independent designers produced the striking costume fabric patterns used in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of The Lion King. Training: In order to learn preparation of designs for production and printing and sophisticated fashion design software, respectively, a minimum of a bachelor's degree is helpful for textile design and necessary for computer-aided design computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), form of automation that helps designers prepare drawings, specifications, parts lists, and other design-related elements using special graphics- and calculations-intensive . Ms. Hill-Campbell was introduced to the competitive world of textile design as a student at Rhode Island School of Design Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) One of the most eminent fine arts colleges in the U.S., located in Providence, R.I. It was founded in 1877 but did not offer college-level instruction until 1932. . "I was originally planning on going into fashion, but after taking a course in textile design my freshmen year, I never left. I realized I was more excited by creating traditional folk patterns," says the New York-based designer, who also holds an M.F.A. in printmaking printmaking Art form consisting of the production of images, usually on paper but occasionally on fabric, parchment, plastic, or other support, by various techniques of multiplication, under the direct supervision of or by the hand of the artist. from Howard University Howard University, at Washington, D.C.; coeducational; with federal support. It was founded in 1867 by Gen. Oliver O. Howard of the Freedmen's Bureau, to provide education for newly emancipated slaves. A normal and preparatory department was opened the same year. . Hill-Campbell cites the desire for a clear understanding of the ever-changing trends as a key prerequisite for success in the field of textile design. Acquiring technical knowledge of textile production will also enhance one's competitive edge as an independent textile designer, says Hill-Campbell, who divides her time as an independent designer and as a computer aided design/digital printing instructor at the Parsons School of Design/New School University in New York. Before her big break with The Lion King in 1997, Hill-Campbell worked as a CAD designer for Liz Claiborne This article is about the corporation Liz Claiborne Inc. For the fashion designer who founded the company, see Liz Claiborne (fashion designer). Liz Claiborne Inc. Inc. and as a textile consultant for various fashion studios including Bill Blass Scarves, Echo Scarves and Harlem Textile Works. Her first "official" job in the industry came when she was hired to create original designs on fabrics for Jackie Peters' Cully cul·ly Archaic n. pl. cul·lies A fool or dupe. tr.v. cul·lied, cul·ly·ing, cul·lies To fool; cheat. [Perhaps from cullion.] Design Studio in the early 1980's. "Jackie is the only African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. textile designer who ran her own studio in New York, and she was one of the big-wigs in the industry that inspired me," says Hill-Campbell. Her designs are often inspired by African and Asian traditions and themes, and have also appeared in the hit Broadway play, Aida, and in American Ballet American Ballet was the first professional ballet company George Balanchine created in the United States. The company was founded with the help of Lincoln Kirstein, and was populated by students of Kirstein and Balanchine's School of American Ballet. Theater productions at New York's Lincoln Center Lincoln Center New York’s modern theater complex. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 1586] See : Theater . She is also the contract printer for The Lion King's Walt Disney world Noun 1. Walt Disney World - a large amusement park established in 1971 to the southwest of Orlando Orlando - a city in central Florida; site of Walt Disney World tour productions. Salary: According to Michelle Hill-Campbell, independent textile designers generally earn between $30,000 and $60,000 annually, depending on experience. She further states that designers with advanced technical abilities can earn significantly more. Rates for freelance independent textile designers/CAD artists can range from $25 to $45 per hour, she says. "Computer skills are paramount. Before putting together a portfolio of your work take a course in portfolio development advises Hill-Campbell. In addition to mastering the latest technology, Hill-Campbell is currently working on taking her textile designs into the world of home furnishing. For more on this career, check out: * Textile Source: a clearinghouse of other websites and sources of information, www.textilesource.com * Computer Textile Design Group: the homepage of an international textile professional organization, www.ctdg.nildram.co.uk * American Textile Manufacturers Institute: 1130 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 1200 Washington, D.C. 20036; 202-862-0500, www.atmi.org * Soft Surfaces: Visual Research for Artists, Architects and Designers by Judy A. Juracek (W.W. Norton & Co; $89.95) * The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff (Chilton Book Co., $29.95) * Imagery on Fabric: A Complete Surface Design Handbook by Jean Ray Laury (C&T Publishers, $27.95) * Techno Textiles: Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion and Design by Sarah E. Braddock, et. al. (Thames & Hudson, $29.95) |
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