August 11, 1997

New Classes at Parsons Focus on Pointcarré Software

Parsons Professional Design Studies department is offering fashion and textile designers a unique opportunity to learn the powerful Pointcarré software in two separate full-semester classes.

The first class, "Woven Design in Pointcarré," will introduce designers to compound weave structures in dobby and jacquard design. "This is the first opportunity for working professionals to catch up on advances in the technology of woven design. Pointcarré offers an integrated approach to dobby and jacquard design," says Patrice George, who will be co-teaching the class with Susan Nestel.

Ms. George is a woven textile design consultant and principal of Patrice George Designs. Ms. George has produced textile-related economic development projects for C.A.R.E. and the United Nations, and has been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, Handwoven, Personal Computing, and USA Today. Ms. Nestel is a textile faculty member in the Product Design Dept. at Parsons School of Design, and a Wovens Specialist for Monarch Design Systems. She earned a BFA in Textile Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and was Director of Styling at Carleton Woolen Mills.

The second class, "Fashion Design with Pointcarré," is an introduction to CAD on the Macintosh® platform. It is ideal for textile designers who want to learn how to scan images, develop repeats and multiple colorways, and fill flats. There will be an emphasis on print design for both apparel and home furnishings, with an overview of wovens and knits, including photo-realistic simulations. The instructor is Ms. Liza Niles, a textile consultant experienced in CAD and printing designs for textiles, whose clients include Tommy Hilfiger and Esprit. Ms. Niles is a BFA faculty member at Parsons School of Design.

"Woven Design in Pointcarré" is an 8-week class, and will be held on Mondays, 6pm-9pm, beginning Oct. 6. "Fashion Design with Pointcarré" is an 8-week class, and will be held on Wednesdays, 6pm-9pm, beginning Sept. 17. Those interested in obtaining further information or enrolling in the class should contact the Office of Admissions at Parsons School of Design via Tel: 212-229-8910 or 800-252-0852, Fax: 212-229-8975, E-Mail: parsadm@newschool.edu, or the World Wide Web @ www.parsons.edu.

Founded in 1896, Parsons School of Design, a division of the New School for Social Research, offers programs Fashion Design, Illustration, Fine Arts, and Design Marketing, among many others. In addition to two campuses in Manhattan, Parsons has a four-year campus in Paris and affiliates in Japan, Korea, the Dominican Republic and Malaysia. Notable alumni of the school include designers Donna Karan and Isaac Mizrahi. Monarch Design Systems is a leading provider of comprehensive CAD/CAM solutions to a virtual "Who’s Who" of apparel and textile companies. Monarch’s solutions, covering wovens, knits, textile prints, photorealistic rendering and more, range from fully-integrated, customizable systems to its trailblazing off-the-shelf software and Monarch School classes. Pointcarré is developed by Pointcarré SARL, France, and is distributed exclusively in North America by Monarch Design Systems.

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This press release is available in electronic format. Press Representative: Eric Rosenberg