Lasell’s Fashion Department has tapped into Nike Footwear Innovation Developer & Designer Elizabeth Brock-Jones MS, MBA. From the Off-White x Nike collaboration, partnering with Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director, Virgil Abloh (which birthed the Sneaker of the Year in 2017/18: “The Air Jordan 1 x Virgil Abloh”), to Nike Sportswear and Nike All Conditions Gear, Professor Brock-Jones has had her hands in an array of projects throughout her decorated career. In 2012, Brock-Jones was a key player in the launch of University of Oregon's Sports Project Management Program. On September 21, Professor Brock-Jones started teaching FASH 912: Production Management at Lasell University.

Professor Brock-Jones is now delivering a 3-week course where she will tie in her development expertise with her knowledge of biomechanics and marketing to dispense a wealth of footwear knowledge. This course is a great way to launch a new footwear career or continue professional development while maintaining industry standards and updating relevant skills through trade literature. After course completion, students can expect to: 

• Understand the role of the product developer and how they interact with the rest of the tribe.
• Develop mastery of key developmental skills such as tech pack and BOM creation, factory communication, and the planning of key gates and dates within the development calendar.
• Learn how to problem solve utilizing typical development inputs such as wear test reports, material and footwear testing, costing, manufacturing and sustainability.
• Demonstrate and apply effective leadership, communication, and collaboration skills in a diverse and global team environment

When it comes to embracing the complexity of the typical 18-month product creation calendar, Professor Brock-Jones uses different pedagogical methods: class discussion, hands-on application, problem solving exercises, videos, and Zoom conferences. Professor Brock-Jones explains the key dimensions of the industry perspective with an emphasis on best practices, and the product perspective, applying what the students learn in class to the development of a specific shoe.

Learn more about Lasell's Footwear Design and Development Certificate.