Christine Sepulveda Wins 2nd Place in Keen Footwear Design Competition
Currently working on her Professional Designation Degree in Footwear Design & Development and serving as a Marine in the U.S. Military, Christine Sepulveda was awarded Second Place in the Keen Uneek Footwear Design Competition. Keen challenged students to think about how they would design products using their Uneekbot, a dual-arm robot that manufactures a pair of Uneek sandals in eight minutes by knitting paracord through a rubber sole. We caught up with Christine to find out more.
Tell us about your winning Keen design: I designed a mid-top women’s running casual sneaker that had side panels constructed from two cords and a removable heel counter. My design also features a special material called Zoa which is an animal cruelty-free leather biologically made in a lab out of protein and collagen. Please check out my design on YouTube: youtu.be/RDj1JtrrCwY
I was given the opportunity to spend a week at the Keen headquarters in Portland, Oregon. It was an amazing experience because I was able to meet the design team and learn how they view design from their perspective and current design position. Very important information because it helps you understand everyone involved, from design and development to the marketing and selling of a shoe. Overall, it helped me get a better understanding of how to be a better designer.
Tell us a little about yourself and your path to FIDM: I am originally from Miami, Florida, where I studied Fashion Design at Design and Architecture Sr High. From there I moved to New York City and continued my studies in Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). I graduated with an Associates Degree but did not have the finances to continue my education. I interned at Dolce Vita in New York and I remember thinking I needed to find a way to get money for school (and two jobs was not the answer). So with the help of a former Marine, I mentally prepared myself to join the United States Marine Corps. During my four years tour at Camp Pendleton, California, my best friend who is a Footwear Designer would tell me all about her job as a designer. I spent a lot of time planning and daydreaming about a career in footwear design and fashion. I also got into running a lot and working out which got me interested in performance footwear.
Do you have an internship? I recently interned at Halston with their Footwear Design Team in DTLA for a couple months. I found out about it through the FIDM Career Center and our Program Director who is very involved in informing our small class with all the footwear opportunities available. Some of my responsibilities were to assist the design team with CADs, material selection, technical sketches, trend research and maintaining their sample room.
How did you hear about FIDM and what made you decide to go here? I remember hearing about FIDM in high school. An alumna (who was attending FIDM) came back to visit us in our fashion design class and brought some informational brochures about FIDM. Fast forward to today, I ended up getting stationed in California and living here which was a major factor in my decision to attend FIDM. I also knew FIDM offered a Footwear Design major which is another reason why I needed to come here.
You are a Marine. What connections have you made with other students at FIDM who are also veterans? I have made several connections with other student veterans at FIDM through the Student Veteran Affairs (SVA) and Mrs. Patty Martinez. I love how FIDM has a Veterans Study Room on the second floor because although I have plenty of other student connections there is always a special connection amongst veterans. Being able to connect on a creative level as well as a military level feels awesome. A lot of times we end up telling jokes and being competitive with each other and it’s a great feeling that we understand one another on so many levels without really knowing each other.
Any advice for someone in the military who is considering going to FIDM? My advice is to stay motivated, positive, and apply all the principals/core values the military has taught you. It helps put you in the right mindset to be successful in any FIDM program. Utilize all the resources that the school has to offer, network, always work hard and you will prosper. Lastly, remember when times feel challenging remind yourself that you have already endured challenges in your military career and this may seem impossible, but you can absolutely do it as long as you remain determined.
What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? My career goal is to get hired in a design position at a small footwear company, preferably in performance footwear. The reason why I would like it to be a smaller company is because I would have more responsibilities versus going to a bigger company where I would most likely be responsible for fewer things. I’d rather work hard in the beginning, gain more experience, and then work at a larger company where I would pursue a leadership position and be able to successfully lead the design team.
Categories: Footwear Design & Development Military Veteran
