FASHION NEWS | AFA Academy Sewing & Design Program launches, April 6th. For ages 16 and up. Meet the Instructors!
AFA Fashion Academy | Sewing & Fashion Design 101 Certificate Program (PILOT)
5 CONSECUTIVE SATURDAYS, starting April 6 - May 4, 10AM-1PM
FEE: Valued at $1200. Introductory Cost $750 for pilot program
Want to take advantage of our PAYMENT PLAN? Contact us at 256-361-9550
$250 Non-Refundable Deposit to hold your spot; 2nd Payment Balance due prior to first class session- $250, Then Final Payment of $250 due by 2nd class session. Inquire about our partial scholarships that may be available.
This program is for creatives, sewing & design enthusiasts, and/or anyone who want to take a deeper dive into the sewing and apparel design world. Upon completion, you will walk away with foundational knowledge from credible instructors that can be applied to both your personal and professional pursuits.
Students will also meet established designers and industry experts from across the US (both virtually and in-person), then walk away with tangible information of starting their own brand, or simply building a more confident and established foundation in sewing, design and the industry.
Student Receives Certificate of Completion at end of program.
MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS!
SALLY BALESTRIERI
Sally Balestrieri was formally trained in fashion design at the famous Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, is a professional pattern maker and seamstress, and is a professional artist. Sally's focus will be BASIC FLAT PATTERN MAKING from existing garments, showing how budding sewists can use existing garments for construction references.
JANIE HOYT
Janie Hoyt, Fashion Stylist & Expert Sewist, has joined the lineup of illustrious instructors. Bringing to the table over 25 years of industry experience, Hoyt received a BBA from Mississippi State University and has an extensive background in the fashion industry, including modeling, dance, organizing fashion shows and style events for top brands like Chicos and Cabi Clothing. Her experience also includes a background in interior design.
Currently, Janie teaches sewing to young, home-schooled creatives under her brand, Crafternoon (crafting in the afternoon).
LAVERNE BRAITHWAITE
Meet Award-Winning and published fashion designer and tailor, Laverne Braithwaite of Cest Laverne. A native of Guyana, Laverne has joined our team as an illustrious instructor for the new AFA School of Fashion & Design and brings with her over 40 years of experience in the industry, which includes working for high-end designers in Trinadad at the beginning of her career, to owning her own C'est Laverne Design Studio.
ELLENA LEJEUNE
Meet the founder of the Alabama Fashion Alliance, and creator for the 12-year running, Fashion Week Alabama, Ellena LeJeune. Most recently, she launch a boutique showroom that gives designers, makers, and independent brands a retail platform to market and sale their lines of clothing, jewelry, accessories and products.
As an instructor, LeJeune will focus on Fashion Sketch and Developing Clothing Collections. She will also be able to share from her experiences with the AFA Fashion Academy students as it relates to the Alabama Fashion Industry Community.
LeJeune, as most call her, is a ready-to-wear designer that has been a lover of fashion design for over 25 years. She is most fulfilled by creating platforms that provide education, personal and professional growth, and inspiration to individuals and business owners, especially those in the clothing and beauty industries. She believes that it is through faith in your God-Given vision that you learn the most about yourself, others, and your true calling.
CAROL WATTS, Fashion Class Assistant
Carol Watts is a retired NASA Physician and seasoned sewist and designer. She has traveled the globe, which gives her a broader creative perspective when it comes to design and exploring new ways of learning. Carols is the winner of the 2022 StyleTank Fashion Design Competition, hosted by the Alabama Fashion Alliance.