District Workforce Development Newsletter - October 2025

Bridging the gap between classroom theory and industry practice, first-year students in the Apparel Design & Development Program received an inside look at the design process during a visit to Nordstrom HQ on October 24, hosted by two successful alumni of their own program. 

What does it take to succeed as a designer at a major retailer? First-year Apparel Design & Development (AD&D) students explored this question firsthand during an inspiring visit to Nordstrom Corporate on Friday, October 24, guided by two Senior Designers who started their own journeys right here at Seattle Central College. The visit, part of Tanya Knannlein's Apparel Manufacturing (APPRL 130) course, provided an invaluable glimpse into the fast-paced world of corporate apparel design.

Students were hosted first by Quynh Phan, a Senior Designer for Women's Woven Apparel and an SCC AD&D alumna from the early 2000s. Phan shared her career trajectory, starting as a technical designer at Nordstrom in 2010 before moving into her current role. Surrounded by fabric samples, tech pack pages, and garments from upcoming collections—including intricate "origami pockets"—Phan detailed the complex process behind each piece. She emphasized that design is "creative in a bit, but largely analytical," involving deep collaboration with technical designers, material sourcing teams, and cost analysts, all while keeping a meticulously defined customer profile and budget in mind. Phan stressed that success isn't just about individual skill but also "how you work together to get the best team." Designing multiple collections simultaneously, often with only weeks from concept to sample and involving overseas factories, requires a constant cycle of research (from trend services like WGSN to social media), sketching (up to 60+ designs in a development cycle), and refinement. Phan contrasted her focus on creating quality, timeless "investment pieces" with fast fashion, underscoring the importance of understanding fabric behavior alongside design aesthetics.

The second part of the visit was led by Jacob Sutton, Designer for Men's Suiting, who graduated from the AD&D program about seven years ago and has been with Nordstrom for five. Focusing on elevating the Nordstrom brand entry-level price point suits, Sutton showcased fabric swatches from Italian mills, button books, and organized binders mirroring the students' own processes. He discussed the nuances of menswear design, where innovation often lies in subtle details of fit and style—like combining lapel shapes from different suit types or working within Nordstrom's brand DNA while exploring new silhouettes. Sutton powerfully reinforced the need for soft skills, noting that portfolios should demonstrate adaptability over personal aesthetic (drawing parallels between his professional work and his personal interests). He shared a key insight on collaboration: "Design means collaborating and turning into a 'mayor.' People don't report to you, but you do need everybody's resources and knowledge."

Both alumni hosts stressed the importance of designing pieces people genuinely want to wear and expressed pride in the rigorous, detail-oriented nature of the Seattle Central AD&D program. They noted that while much industry knowledge is gained on the job, SCC graduates are exceptionally well-prepared and often "outwork almost anybody" from other backgrounds. This visit provided first-year students with a powerful, real-world connection to their studies and inspiring examples of the diverse career paths their education can unlock. 

Located deep in a business park in South Park, Lunar Tides, one of Seattle Colleges Corporate Training Job Skills Program (JSP) grant recipients, is a small, but dynamic company. Woman owned and operated since 2013, Lunar Tides is an indie brand manufacturer and online retailer specializing in semi-permanent hair dyes, offering over 40 unique shades that are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The company emphasizes quality and accessibility, formulating dyes that are ready to use without the need for blending or additional products. Their formulas incorporate natural ingredients, and all products are manufactured with a commitment to ethical practices, aligning with the company’s core values.

Our Corporate Training team visited Lunar Tides for a check-in on how the JSP training was going and to see if they had questions or concerns. What we found is that this small company clearly values employees and their input and ideas and strives to support them in creating a healthy and engaging work environment. All employees are involved in the JSP training and contribute ideas to process improvement. Each employee is an integral part of the success of the company and Lunar Tides has recently hired 6 new employees, nearly doubling their workforce. As a part of the expansion, Lunar Tides has added warehouse space and the founder, Cassie McNeil, is creating employee training manuals. With her employees’ optimal learning in mind, she incorporates learning styles and features into the manuals to help each employee understand their work and the company in a way that works for them.

At Lunar Tides the implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is being undertaken as an "all hands-on deck" approach. Instead of just having leaders in training sessions the entire company is in each training session. This helps every employee understand their role within the new system, as well as the importance of their role in that system. Unlike many other companies who only train a few select employees, and count on the "trickle down" of knowledge to all employees, Lunar Tides is actively involving every team member. During the most recent training class employees demonstrated a knowledge of how their actions every day can lead to accurate and timely information allowing the best possible outcomes throughout the entire manufacturing cycle. Employees engaged at this level bode well for the future growth and expansion of this dynamic company!

Seattle Colleges Corporate and Customized Training team is proud to partner with such a great, local, small business. We look forward to seeing Lunar Tides utilize the JSP training to continue to grow the company and provide a unique and fulfilling place to work.   

Academic Credit for Prior Learning is a critical tool for promoting equity and access, allowing students to receive formal credit for knowledge gained outside the traditional classroom. This includes skills acquired through work experience, military service, professional training, and other life experiences. By valuing the skills students already possess, ACPL helps them avoid redundant courses, saving them significant time and money and accelerating their path to a degree or certificate.

This new grant will directly support the district-wide ACPL workgroup, which you may recall from our previous call for participants. North Seattle College will serve as the lead college, working in partnership with the District Office to enhance collaboration, share best practices, and develop standardized tools such as portfolio assessments and crosswalks between work-based learning and college courses.

This $20,000 grant is a strong validation of this essential work. It provides the necessary support to build a more robust ACPL system that honors the skills our students bring with them and empowers them to reach their educational and career goals more efficiently.