Cashmere and Window Screens

By Ken Reed

For a chic clothing boutique located in Geneva, a window display it is featuring through June 23 is more than a little edgy.

The stylish boutique is Cashmere, 207 S. 3rd Street, and is owned by Erica Hartt, who refined her love of fashion in College of DuPage’s Fashion Merchandising and Design program.

Hartt recently reached out again to the fashion program and recruited two of its “stars” to design two unique garments that will appear in the store’s front window display.

The C.O.D. students Hartt hand-picked are Efrain Ayala (Riverside) and Alaina Murano (Wheaton). Ayala was selected “Designer of the Year” for the Fashion program’s recent “Fierce” fashion show, and Murano was accorded the “Contemporary Design Award” for the same show.

Their assignment at Cashmere was to create garments using non-traditional materials.

They did just that.

The students combined assorted window screens, safety pins, washers, chains and cork to create two garments that Hartt said “look like something you would actually want to wear.”

The two garments will be on display during Geneva’s popular Swedish Days celebration on June 17 to 22. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Going Green.” Hartt explained that the two garments in her window “are our way of going green, using non-traditional and recycled materials.”

Ayala’s garment is a halter-top, gathered to a horizontal bow at the nape, empire waist silhouette with a gathered skirt to mid-calf. The waist cincture is made of basket-woven, one-inch wide cork strips, back closing using raffia ties, and braided cable cord as a top and bottom outline. The main garment is comprised of plastic screen material in a charcoal grey finish.

“I wanted to produce a feminine silhouette that would distract from the fact that the materials are not feminine at all,” Ayala said.

He added that most of the materials in his design were purchased at a home repair/improvement store.

During the design process, Ayala said he realized that he needed to “think outside of my normal parameters, not only from a design perspective, but from a materials perspective as well. I have been sewing for over four years but never have I been so challenged to step outside of my comfort zone – and I like it.”

Ayala said he was “thrown off a bit” at first by the assignment, but once he started to step outside the boundaries, he said the possibilities seemed endless.

And he is pleased with the finished product. “I particularly like that many people look at it and tell me how much they wish it was made of other materials because they would like to wear it.”

Murano’s garment features a pleated screen skirt with ruffles. It also has darts to give it shape.

“Both garments are very creative,” Hartt said. “I am very pleased and am excited to see the reaction of people.” Signs will be placed near the display that describe the materials used in the designs.

In addition, this July, the creations of another student in C.O.D.’s Fashion Merchandising and Design program will be on display in Geneva. Hats designed by Melissa Heischberg will be showcased July 24 to 27 at Savannah Rose Boutique, 207 ½  S. 3rd Street.

The boutique is owned by Ann Ellanson and features pre-1930s style clothing, jewelry and handbags.           

Not only does Cashmere Boutique proprietor Hartt praise the college’s Fashion and Merchandising program, but she is also more than pleased with the services of the college’s Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located at 2525 Cabot Drive, Suite 201, in Lisle.

The SBDC offers training, counseling and consulting services to Illinois businesses at no or low cost. Clients range from start-up through existing businesses that seek ways to improve, develop or finance their organizations.

The center reviews business plans and discusses financing options, bank loans, SBA and state-backed loan programs, management, and other topics of concern to business clients.

“The SBDC works with clients on many fronts,” said Luanne Mayorga, coordinator of SBDC’s Business Counseling area. “We can help with strategies concerning marketing, growth, inventory, pricing, financial and industry analysis, and more. It’s great to have an outside set of eyes confidentially review your information and provide feedback.

“Most business owners know their industry, craft or product well and that is the reason they went into business,” she said. “However, many do not know or necessarily understand the administrative side of running a business. That’s where the SBDC can really help out.”

The SBDC also conducts nearly 50 seminars and workshops throughout the year that address topics important to all business owners.

For more information on the SBDC, call David Gay, (630) 942-2771, e-mail: gaydav@cod.edu, or Mayorga, (630) 942-3041, or visit www.cod.edu/bpi/sbdc.htm.

Sharon Scalise,
program coordinator
Fashion Merchandising and Design
AC 250A
(630) 942-2619
e-mail