Apparel faculty create special gift for President Wintersteen

President Wendy Wintersteen shared a lighthearted conundrum with more than 600 attendees – many of them wearing red in her honor – during her farewell reception on Dec. 4. 

"It's hard to imagine my 46 years at Iowa State University are coming to end on Jan. 2. And as the day gets closer, I keep thinking about one of my biggest problems –- what do you do with more than 30 red jackets?"

Little did she know, her collection was about to grow by one very special jacket.

A custom-made jacket, designed by a team in the department of apparel, events and hospitality management, was presented as a surprise gift from the university community during a farewell reception for President Wintersteen and Robert Waggoner. 

In addition to her signature color, the jacket features design elements that celebrate Wintersteen's 46-year career and her lasting contributions to Iowa State, including an embroidered butterfly motif across the shoulders and button covers embroidered with the "O" from the Innovate at Iowa State logo.   

Upon receiving the thoughtful gifts, Wintersteen said, "Robert and I are so deeply moved by these extraordinary works of art. Thank you so very much. We look forward to wearing these items, and I'll go back to my earlier comments –- you can never have too much red!"

Associate professor Ling Zhang  led the team that designed the jacket and a silk scarf of Monarch butterflies for the president, along with a coordinated pocket square, cufflinks and necktie for Waggoner, inspired by the artwork on the cover of his book, "Lucid Dreaming – Gateway to the Inner Self." The gifts were a surprise, and Zhang said that added a unique challenge to the design process.

"We did lots of research about her journey at Iowa State and it was a fascinating process," Zhang said. "Normally, as a designer when we customize something, we meet the customer and we talk with them, understand what they need and also get the body measurements."

With that in mind, Zhang said they opted for an A-line short coat -- the outer shell is 100% Merino wool -- with a loose-fitting style. Staff in the president’s office provided sizing estimates, and the team recruited a faculty member similar in size to serve as a model for the jacket. Zhang admits there was a little pressure in designing such a special gift, but as a faculty member and Iowa State alumna, she was excited to be part of the project. 

"All of the faculty who have been involved in this project, we put lots of love and appreciation to them in this gift," Zhang said. 

Other faculty members who were part of the design team include:

• Yvonne Lee, assistant teaching professor
• Chunhui Xiang, associate professor
• Jason Gagnon, assistant teaching professor of practice
• Dillon Napier, shop supervisor for the electronics, textiles and 3D printing makerspace at the Student Innovation Center
• Courtney Barbor, technician for the electronics, textiles and 3D printing makerspace at Student Innovation Center

The video (above) offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the jacket.