IAN VAILLIENCOURT

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Land's End is undeniably one of the largest clothing companies that is based in Wisconsin, and even a nationwide staple. They are extremely well known for their women's swimwear, winter parkas and tote bags; however, their menswear seems to serve as an afterthought. Many men's pieces at Land's End are purchased by women as gifts for their significant others or family members, but very few men actually care to shop the brand. The goal of this project was to design and pitch an upgrade to the menswear line that would hopefully solidify the brand as not only a womenswear company, but a home for men's apparel as well.

In order to resolve this lack of emphasis on menswear, Ian and his team created a multi-step plan to analyze and improve the selection. The resolution consisted of:

1. Analysis of the state of the brand.
2. Market Analysis- Customers/ Competitors 
3. Product Line Development
4. Technical flats and Outfitting Illustrations 
5. Marketing Suggestions
6. Social Media Analysis/ Collaborations
7. Customer Buying Experience
8. Financial Analysis

They concluded with a multi-pillared brand model for Land's End Menswear that had an identity outside of nice gifts for husbands and dads. These new changes continue to be implemented gradually, and menswear sales have positively reflected these changes.

• Design - Ian Vailliencourt
• UX/CX - Tanvi Chand
• Graphic Design - Katie Lorine
• Project Engineering -Jordan Johnson
• IT Cloud Automation - Pravin Kumar
• Tanner Buttars - Inventory Planning
• Brandon Showers - Distribution 

This senior thesis collection was created throughout the spring 2024 semester.

"My final collection at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This collection contains 6 full looks with runway footage.

The mood of the collection is darker, and centered around using a combination of reclaimed tech components; mixed with classic weaving, patterning, construction and dye techniques. This collection was loosely inspired by the Apple Vision Pro, and the increasing number of tasks that have become optimized using technological enhancements. This collection will explore a future where certain garments are modified with technological upgrades, other central ideas will include armor and wiring. None of the technology featured in this collection will be usable for any purpose outside of ornamental wear, but it will encapsulate the emotion that stems from moving forward into an uncertain future where technology is capable of replacing human effort in the vast majority of fields and occupations."

• Fashion Designer: Ian Vailliencourt
• Director: Robyn George
• Photographer: Sidney Petersen
• Asst. Producer: David Simeon
• Models: Charlie Kroft, Nich Santas, Zach Orlowsky, Sofia More, Olive Bote.

The Fashion Scholarship Fund is a global organization dedicated to supporting university-level fashion students. Each year it hosts a case study competition, inviting students to create solutions to a given problem, through various disciplines including Design and Product Development, Business Strategy, Marketing and Merchandising.

The 2024 case study asked applicants to create a design solution for a publicly traded fashion company that addressed environmentally sustainable design and production. For Ian's case study he chose to work with denim brand Lee to create an assortment of products that waste as little water as possible from cotton to consumer.   

"'Undying' by Lee is collection created with one goal in mind: creating denim that is stylish, durable and undyed. While removing the dye from denim may seen to defeat the purpose of blue jeans. It eliminates the most environmentally damaging element of the process without compromising the quality of the product in any way. Blank denim is an empty canvas, perfect for the wearer to modify to their liking over years and years of wear. Denim styles and trends are constantly changing, and every year a new hue of blue is popular, rendering the previous year's shade obsolete. Lee's undyed denim will always have a purse and vibrant cream coloration, which will age and wash beautifully with no risk of the colors running or tarnishing. The clean and neat coloration of Lee's undyed denim will also keep them concurrent with the wearer's wardrobe, no matter how their style adapts and chances over the years. With timeless cuts, a classic color and the elimination of the most environmentally detrimental part of the denim process. 'Undying' will fit perfectly into any wardrobe."

• Designer: Ian Vailliencourt

"August" is a streetwear Boutique and online store located in downtown Madison, Wisconsin which stocks items from Needles, to Doc Martens and Supreme. Ian was asked to style a photo campaign promoting the store's special assortment of Maison Mihara Yasuhiro shoes.

"While popular in the United States, eccentric Japanese designer Maison Mihara Yasuhiro’s work had yet to catch on with audiences in Madison, Wisconsin. This changed when August; a local retailer, became the first store in Wisconsin to stock Yasuhiro footwear. When asked to style and present this collection, I knew that it needed to be translated to a more casual midwestern wardrobe, in order to appeal to customers of this store. The solution was to style this footwear selection in a way that it is not generally styled on the runway or in boutiques. I opted for Lee denim, heavy work pants, a vintage fleece with embellished farm animals, and a plethora of other items that made sense for both the shoes and the location. I presented these shoes in a way that felt appealing to a Wisconsin audience, without placing all of the attention on the garments. Since then, these shoes have continually sold well, and I have seen them on more Madison citizens than I ever would have expected."

• Stylist/ Model: Ian Vailliencourt
• Styling Assistant: Bennett Vailliencourt
• Photographer: Isaac Westberg
• Fashion Designer: Maison Mihara Yasuhiro