SVP Worldwide, owner of SINGER®, HUSQVARNA VIKING®, and PFAFF® sewing machine brands, announced its participation and product donations to the world’s leading fashion design institutions and programs—Fashion Institute of Technology, CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship, and Teen Vogue Fashion University.
From the fashion savvy to the craft enthusiast, the popularity of sewing continues to increase. According to the Home Sewing Association, there are approximately 35 million sewing hobbyists in the U.S., up from about 30 million in 2000.
“Sewing is in vogue,” said Don Fletcher, CEO of SVP Worldwide. “We are developing the next generation of sewers. SVP Worldwide is honored that the world’s finest sewers in the up-and-coming generation at these prestigious educational institutions will be designing and creating tremendous pieces of work using SINGER, HUSQVARNA VIKING and PFAFF sewing machines.”
The 2007 Teen Vogue Fashion University in New York City brought one of the most popular editorial features to life at the SINGER creative workshop. Attendees learned the basics of how to make personalized designs using SINGER sewing machines and received valuable tips on how to customize items already in their closet. With the SINGER stylist, students took home a one-of-a-kind piece created exclusively at Fashion U.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Teen Vogue have teamed up to award the industry’s first CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship Awards for high school students who plan to attend design school in September 2008. “The new CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship has been established to help emerging American design talent find success in higher education, “said Steven Kolb, Executive Director of CFDA. “This important initiative, made possible by CFDA and Teen Vogue, in partnership with Target and with the support of the Singer sewing machine brand, will ensure that these students are prepared for college-level work, and help inspire the creativity of the designers.” In addition to a $25,000 cash award which will help defray educational expenses, the “Target Fashion Scholar” will receive the SINGER FUTURA™ sewing and embroidery machine while the (5) additional scholarship winners will each receive a $5,000 award and a SINGER PRECISION™ sewing machine.
Today’s sewing machines are much different from the myriad of models that were developed in the 20th century. SVP Worldwide products exemplify the tremendous technological advancements that have revolutionized the sewing industry in the 21st Century. Automatic needle and bobbin threaders, sewing machines connected to a laptop, and wireless downloads of embroidery designs directly to the sewing machine are only a few features sewers previously dreamed of that are now necessities sewers demand.
About SVP Worldwide®
SVP Worldwide, a global company headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda and doing business through its affiliated companies in over 190 countries, specializes in the design, manufacture and sale of high-quality household sewing machines and related products under the SINGER, HUSQVARNA VIKING, and PFAFF brand names. For more information about the Company and the company’s brands view the following websites: www.svpworldwide.com, www.sewingideas.com, www.singer.com, www.pfaff.com, and www.husqvarnaviking.com.