Faculty

American & Efird Retail Solutions Manager Salinda Wong Visits FIDM as Guest Speaker

Salinda Wong visited FIDM last week as a guest speaker for the Trend & Design Application class (MPDV 2300) taught by Loretta Green. Salinda Wong is the Pacific Coast Global Retail Solutions Manager at American & Efird (A&E), the foremost manufacturer and distributor of premium quality industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread, and technical textiles. Through its global network, A&E’s products are manufactured in 22 countries, distributed in 50 countries and sold in over 100 countries.

Salinda is an expert in her field, managing retail and brand accounts as she provides technical solutions to improve sewn products while also sharing innovative ideas to designers, technical developers, material developers, and the supply chain to give a new look or help reduce cost of new developing products.

Producers of apparel, automotive components, home furnishings, medical supplies, footwear, aerospace, and other specialty sectors rely on A&E industrial sewing thread to manufacture their products. 

The Trend & Design Application class is an introduction to the creative process involved in developing fashion apparel for both retail and manufacturing companies. Students learn how to conduct trend research and translate their ideas into products for a specific market and category of merchandise.

FIDM Instructor Loretta Green holds a B.A. in Fashion from California State University, Long Beach, a M.A. in Education Leadership from Argosy University, and a M.F.A. in Fashion Design from Academy of Art University. Green has more than 30 years of experience in the fashion industry working with top brands such as Bebe, Guess, and Joie. Since 2006, she’s been a Production Patternmaker and Technical Designer at Citizens of Humanity, and shares her extensive experience with students at FIDM, where she’s been teaching since 2014.

Categories:  Merchandise Product Development Faculty Industry Partnerships