Angela Medlin: Founder, FAAS
Medlin’s design career extends across several iconic brands along the west coast and has accumulated an impressive portfolio as she re-imagined apparel for athletes and lifestyle apparel consumers over the course of three decades. Her passion for innovative, functional design has significantly contributed to the cumulative $300 billion success of the global active and outdoor industry that includes Nike/Jordan, Adidas, The North Face, Levi Strauss & Co., Eddie Bauer, Cross Colours, and others.
Early on in her career, Medlin realized she represented less than 1% of people of color work- ing as professional designers in the global apparel industry. In 2017, she effectively began to change this statistical reality by replacing discouragement with encouragement. Medlin decided to create what was missing - a professional certificate program, FAAS (aka Functional Apparel & Accessories Studio), that would serve to prepare creatives in ‘true to industry’ practices, elevate professional development, and emphasize the importance of diversity in design. As a result, the program has proven to be a much needed bridge between traditional design education and corporate design career opportunities. In just five years, the FAAS program has supported close to one hundred creatives into their first professional roles in the product creation industry.
“Developing diverse creatives to become confident in who they are and in their industry readiness is fulfilling and natural to me. Giving brands visibility to these (usually) unseen talents, opens opportunity on both sides. Seeing a talented individual do the thing they love professionally is the icing on top”. - Angela Medlin
Through FAAS, Medlin partners with prominent product brands, professional thought leaders, and educational institutions, to close the gap between under-represented talents and profes- sional opportunities in the product creation industry. This includes partnerships with Pensole Lewis Design & Business School, REI- Co-op, NCSU College of Design, Adidas SEED School, and a host of DEI advocates in the global apparel and footwear industry. Her ongoing goal is to open doors and solve problems innovatively through diverse collaboration.
Medlin is, also, the founder of House Dogge, a modern pet product brand focused on non- toxic sustainable goods for dogs and their people. Proving again, design intelligence crosses all product boundaries.
Visit WWW.ANGELAMEDLIN.COM to learn more and share your interest in contributing to the growth of the next generation of diverse innovators.
