Two students recently set off for Edinburgh for four days of highly technical design training that will enhance the post-baccalaureate projects they are developing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Wilson School of Design.
Tina Buser and Glencora Twigg are both currently enrolled in KPU’s new one-year technical apparel design program, which trains students in advanced design thinking, leadership and global business skills.
For her capstone project, Buser is researching and developing a prototype product that addresses the design flaws in the garments worn by female equestrian riders.
“My stint at Heriot-Watt University is to source materials [yarns] and leading technical [knitting] practices that could create English horse riding breeches for women that feel great on and off the horse, support the rider in her performance, and meet current equestrian fashion trends while keeping with tradition,” Buser explains. “Riders are athletes and need to have apparel that performs accordingly.”
In her post-graduate education at KPU’s Wilson School of Design, Buser is part of an intensive program that trains students with the skills to research and analyze existing performance and functionality problems in sport, recreation, protection, survival, health and military apparel. Students are also given the tools to source the best-quality materials and service providers from around the world to help them bring new technical apparel solutions to market.
“I wanted to make a change and move into the designing world of things, and this program offered itself as a good start,” said Buser, who holds a bachelor of business administration from Thompson Rivers University. “I love clothing and am always thinking about how current products could be improved upon, and made to be more user-friendly and more stylish.”
After a whirlwind four days in Scotland, Buser is back in Richmond for the final weeks of her program, where she will continue to develop a prototype that could have a significant impact on the equestrian world.
Accompanying her on the trip was Twigg, who went to learn how she could use knitting technology to create areas of compression with different technical characteristics in a seamless swimsuit garment.
“As an experienced and mature entrepreneur and designer, I felt like my skills were lacking to meet the current industry needs. I came to KPU to stand out from the crowd and take my career to the next level. The knowledge base for engineered knitting is limited locally. By pursuing this project I’m becoming a specialist in a rapidly growing part of the technical apparel industry.”
While several students in the program are focusing on developing superior athletic garments, the KPU course is equally relevant to technical apparel and protective clothing for professionals working in the healthcare, trades, marine, law enforcement, military and aerospace industries.
For more information on KPU’s post-baccalaureate in technical apparel program, visit kpu.ca/design
