What do seaweed, corn and bamboo have in common? They all are materials Linda Loudermilk, a designer from California, uses in her eco-luxury couture line.
Loudermilk trademarked the phrase “luxury eco” and created a clothing line using natural products to make sleek, put-together looks, according to her Web site.
Loudermilk has dressed celebrities, such as Jane Fonda, and has been featured on the Sundance television channel.
Loudermilk’s designs have appeared in Vogue, InStyle, Rolling Stone, Lucky, Elle and The Wall Street Journal — just to name a few.
Next, Loudermilk will appear right here at Auburn University.
Loudermilk will speak to Auburn University students at 11 a.m. April 17 at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
Loudermilk was chosen as this year’s guest speaker in the Grisham Trentham Lecture series, sponsored by the College of Human Sciences.
Fran Pfrimmer, a junior in apparel merchandising and vice president of the Auburn chapter of the International Textiles and Apparel Association, said she is looking forward to hearing from Loudermilk because she deals with an area that is becoming more popular in the fashion industry: organic clothing.
“(Loudermilk’s clothing line) shows us that there is a possibility to have clothes that are nature friendly,” Pfrimmer said. “It doesn’t have to harm the environment to look good.”
Although Pfrimmer is not going to be designing clothes in her future, she said she thought hearing Loudermilk speak could still be helpful in her future career as a buyer.
“Even though I am not going to be designing the clothes, as a buyer you can still buy all organic fabrics or choose to sell them in your department store,” Pfrimmer said. “(The lecture series) is just about making people aware that organic clothes are available.”
Organic clothing might be a new concept for the nation, but students at Auburn were already catching on to this new trend last year, Pfrimmer said.
“Some girls make their dresses out of completely recycled products,” Pfrimmer said of the apparel design students at Auburn. “I know, last year, one girl made a dress out of old money and another made a dress out of coke cans. (The College of Human Sciences tries) to incorporate aspects of sustainability.”
Katie Gray, a junior in apparel merchandising, said she would be attending the lecture given by Loudermilk.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity for ITAA members to get a look into the apparel industry,” Gray said. “This (speaker) is interesting because she uses all organic materials, and that is a rising trend in the apparel industry.”
Gray said she was expecting a lot of her peers who were members of the International Textiles and Apparel Association to attend the lecture.
“There are many members in ITAA, and I think many of them are going because I think it is a good opportunity to hear her speak,” Gray said.
Pfrimmer said she is also expecting a big crowd for the lecture series.
“Last year, (the lecture for this series) was packed,” Pfrimmer said. “It was standing room only.”
Loudermilk will also be attending a reception in her honor at Creekwood Castle.
The reception for Loudermilk will be open to students in the College of Human Sciences who are showcasing their work at the event.
“The reception will showcase student designs,” Pfrimmer said. “Kind of like a jury exhibition show for their work.”
Pfrimmer said she thinks Loudermilk will be an appealing speaker because of the new trend to seek products that are environmentally friendly.
“Everybody is all about going green,” Pfrimmer said.
For more information about Loudermilk and her clothing line, students can visit her Web site, www.lindaloudermilk.com.
