It is the intention of certain members of the Intimate Apparel Industry to raise funds and expend energy to safeguard the present and future health of said industry by:
Two thousand-nine marks the Club's 51st year. Begun in 1958 as the Corset and Brassiere Women's Club, Inc., it evolved into the Underfashion Club in 1963, broadening both its membership and program scope.
Today Club members are engaged in all facets of the intimate apparel industry - foundations, day wear, sleepwear, robes and loungewear. The Club's membership represents a cross-section of the varying interests and points of view held by different segments of the industry - retailers, manufacturers, textile mills and fiber producers. Members hold positions of responsibility in the areas of management, marketing, merchandising, sales, design and education.
A nonprofit organization, the Club was formed to provide executives of the intimate apparel industry a forum for the exchange of information and ideas, a platform for the discussion of industry needs and problems, and a vehicle establishing the importance of the intimate apparel market as a vital aspect of the fashion industry.
Some years ago The Underfashion Club, together with the Intimate Apparel Council, established a chair at the Fashion Institute of Technology to ensure that graduates coming into the industry are fully qualified.
Our Program Committee develops informative seminars featuring guest speakers and panelists from the industry and related fields. Held at frequent intervals, these meetings are designed to stimulate and entertain, as well as provide opportunities for career networking. The committee also offers such fun get-togethers as the annual Holiday Party where, in the spirit of the season, clothes and toys are generously donated to the New York Foundling Home.
Through our Charity Committee, meaningful cash donations are made in support of many worthy causes that are industry-related and/or humanitarian in nature.
Our Femmy Awards Committee is responsible for the most prestigious event of the Intimate Apparel Industry - the annual Femmy Gala held in recognition of outstanding executives for exceptional achievements. Proceeds from this event provide the primary funding for the Club's extensive scholarship, awards, internship and grants (SAIG) programs.
Our SAIG Committee has evolved into a proactive group of volunteers who interact with and monitor the progress of scholarship recipients, coordinate industry participation in educational seminars for students, support intimate apparel education on the high school and college levels, and actively pursue an intimate apparel internship program in the New York area.
We believe the future depends on attracting and educating young people to opportunities in our industry. As a means to this end, our scholarships provide substantial monetary support to students who pursue college-level, Intimate Apparel-related courses. Currently, college level students at institutions such as the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute benefit from our scholarships.
The Club also supports undergraduate students at the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City, an institution specializing in teaching all aspects of the needle trades. Our program of incentive awards encourages these talented young people to pursue careers in Intimate Apparel.
The grant section of this committee provides money to colleges around the country to develop and initiate Intimate Apparel-related courses into their curricula. Past grant recipients include: Oregon State University, who has developed a resource handbook identifying ways and means of infusing intimate apparel education into existing undergraduate programs and classes; and Oklahoma State University, who has developed industry-based multimedia presentations for promotion of the Intimate Apparel Industry.
Most recently, the committee's internship program provides college and high school students with the opportunity of working as interns for intimate apparel manufacturers, suppliers and retailers while continuing their education. It is our hope that this effort will result in a new generation of enthusiastic and knowledgeable intimate apparel workers.
Our Web Site Committee is responsible for the Club's web site, www.underfashionclub.org. Current events, membership and Club information are available on-line, and the committee is developing new services and information opportunities for the intimate apparel community.
President
Walter A. Costello
Macra Lace Company
Executive Vice President
Thomas A. Garson
Lovable World Trading Co.
V.P., Capital Formation
Barry Ross
Barry Ross Intimate Connections
V.P., Communications
Karen Bromley
The Bromley Group LLC
V.P., Education
Victor Vega
Wacoal America, Inc..
Treasurer
Deborah L. Eaton
Chantelle, Inc.
Secretary
Rosa M. Chamides
Madison's Best LLC
Suzanne Beck
Tianhai Lace USA
Camille J. Block
Gelmart LLC
Melissa Campana
Ariela-Alpha International, LLC
Dianne M. Casey
Steve Chernoff
Rago Foundations LLC
Marie Dekens
Sourcing Solutions International, LLC
Terri Fisher
Soma Intimates
Michael G. Floru
Deborah Long Gedney
Biflex Intimates Group, LLC
Berna J. Goldstein
Soma Intimates
Roslyn Harte
Lances Harte Inc.
Gary E. Hughes
Laces International, Inc.
David Komar
Charles Komar & Sons, Inc.
Barbara Lipton
Macy's
Seth J. Morris
Carole Hochman Design Group
Martha Olson
Warnaco, Inc.
Megan L. Rossi
Ariela-Alpha International, LLC
Mark Sandler
Cuddl Duds
Lance T. Whitaker
Fairlane/Veratex
Janet J. Peters
Norma C. Reinhardt
Donald LaTorre
Ronald A. Ross
James P. Zendman