Faculty & Staff
Victoria Taylor
Department Chair and Professor
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Victoria Taylor has a Bachelor of Fine Art in Fashion Design from the University of North Texas with a minor in Marketing. Victoria worked in the Dallas market for several years and had various job experiences within the fashion industry including, customer service rep, sample lace cutter, designer assistant, first pattern maker, production pattern maker and Lectra Systems tech for marking and grading, to name a few. Victoria has been an instructor at ACC since 2017 and was instrumental in helping the Fashion Design Certificate program develop. Victoria became the Department Chair for the new Fashion Design program in Fall 2019 and continues her desire to create a world class program for students interested in Fashion Design.
Janie Chang
Professor
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With more than 30 years in the fashion and apparel industry, Janie Chang has honed her expertise in design, technical design, and production through leadership roles at renowned brands like Liz Claiborne, Kenneth Cole, Perry Ellis, and Fila, as well as global retailers Sears, Kmart, and C&A Europe. Janie believes strongly in furthering sustainable practices, preserving design craftsmanship and leveraging technology in the creative process. Janie graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor in Apparel & Textile Design and recently returned to Austin with her family in 2022. In her spare time, she continues to consult and mentor others in the apparel industry. She is thrilled to be part of the vibrant learning community at Austin Community College.
Janie Kang
Adjunct, Instructional Associate Professor
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Janie Kang has a Bachelor’s degree from University of Texas at Austin and 10 years of Fashion Industry experience. After graduating with a Fashion Design major from the University of Texas at Austin, she worked over 10 years in the high-end fashion industry at New York City. She has worked with the creative team of design houses such as Carolina Herrera, The Row, Oscar De La Renta, Rosie Assoulin, and Marina Moscone. Her experiences range from apparel design, technical design, atelier management, to product development. She relocated to Austin in 2021 where she works as a mentor for fashion students and recent graduates to transition into the work field.
Erica Lindy
Adjunct, Assistant Professor
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Erica K. Lindy holds a Master of Education in Student Development and Leadership in Higher Education from San Angelo State University, a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design and a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising from Texas Women’s University. Upon graduating TWU, Erica was awarded a much coveted design scholarship to the Paris Fashion Institute in France. While there, she continued her studies under the tutelage of world renowned instructors and ateliers becoming a couture trained seamstress. Her career has been in all facets of the fashion industry including retail management, production and sales management, and commercial wholesale design. She oversees a local luxury retail boutique working with high end designer labels as well as owns a bespoke design and alterations business, creating beautiful couture pieces.
Suzie Gallehugh
Adjunct Professor
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Suzie Gallehugh has over twenty years design experience. She is the owner and designer of Suzanna Dai, a collection of high end beaded and embroidered fashion jewelry. Suzie’s designs have been carried in luxury department stores and boutiques worldwide including Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie, have been worn by tastemakers such as Michelle Obama, and have been featured as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. Before starting her line, Suzie honed her skills at various companies in NYC, including: couturier Ralph Rucci, Alexander Doll Company, Jones New York Dress, Kim Seybert, and LOFT, where she collaborated on a line with Giuliana Rancic for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Suzie is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her BBA in Marketing in 1999. She also holds an associate’s degree in Fashion Design from NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology, with a specialization in Tailored Design.
Stef Atkinson
Adjunct Professor
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Stef Atkinson is a multidisciplinary designer with focuses in sustainability, textile design, and footwear and accessory design. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Design Communications from Belmont University and a Master of Science in Sustainability Studies from Texas State University. Her academic research in consumer science has been published by the Journal of Product & Brand Management. Stef has worked in the fashion industry for almost a decade, designing for small, sustainable brands as well as large fashion retailers. With over a decade of experience, she also has expertise in the field of graphic design.
Yvonne Hsi
Adjunct Professor
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Yvonne Hsi has a BFA from Pratt Institute. They have twenty years of fashion industry experience from New York & Los Angeles, including design, technical design, buying and site merchandising. The bulk of Yvonne’s career has been leading mass market apparel design teams in all categories: women, men, kids and baby. They’ve worked with direct-to-consumer, private labels, wholesale and nationwide retailers such as The Gap, Aeropostale, Kmart, Big5, Lucky Brand and Disney.
Candy Morales
Adjunct Professor
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Candy Morales is a Fashion Designer that enjoys the creative and developmental process of design. She has an Associate of Applied Science in Fashion Design and is in the process of completing an Associates degree in Dance, both from Austin Community College. She also has a Software Engineering degree from the University Alejandro of Humboldt from Venezuela. Candy shares a passion between Fashion and Dance because they create a balance in her life and she loves to blend them. She has 10 years of experience in the Fashion Design field. Candy recently was commissioned to design “The Riverbat Dress” for an executive at Austin Community College. She also has experience working with textile prints and design, pattern making, stitching, and as a sample cutter. She is currently working as a manufacturer and sample maker for a local company that works with local Fashion Designers from the Austin area. Candy has her own company and brand, Crystal Fashion Design, that is focused on custom design items for women.
Charlotte Bird
Adjunct Professor
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Charlotte is thrilled to be joining the ACC Fashion Design Faculty and brings close to 30 years of work experience from the Fashion Industry. After receiving an Associate Degree from FIDM in California, she initially entered the business as a Design & Production Assistant, wearing many hats before settling into a Product Development career. Charlotte was Head of Technical Design & QC at Cornerstone Industries and has created products for the Gap, Urban Outfitters, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Stitchfix, Revolve and QVC. As the Head Patternmaker at eco-pioneer fashion brand, Amour Vert, she worked on a Design collaboration with Hollywood actor Blake Lively. She has repaired clothing for Drew Barrymore and other garments she has developed have been featured in Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan and In-Style magazines. Martha Stewart Living magazine featured her work for Designer Jess Brown, who also utilized her Technical Pattern skills for her 4.5 star rated craft-book, that was published by Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Charlotte also teaches for the Macy’s Online Fashion Education Classes through the Austin Fashion Incubator, where she leads lessons in Brand Identity & Product Development Processes. Her Pattern Making & Tech Design skills include Gerber/Lectra Technologies Accumark Series, Gerber Yunique Solutions PLM, Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office. Charlotte considers herself a dedicated Teacher and Freelancer who focuses on nurturing the development of environmentally-friendly products that are responsibly curated with sustainable strategies.
Lisa To
Adjunct Professor
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Born and raised in The Netherlands, Lisa To earned her Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. Following her education, Lisa moved to the United States, where she continued to cultivate her design expertise, specifically within the sportswear and outdoor apparel industry. She has gained valuable experience working with global brands such as Alexander Wang, PUMA, Levi’s, HEAD, The North Face, Outdoor Voices and District Vision.
Karla Doolittle
Administrative Assistant III
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Karla Doolittle is a Pittsburgh native who currently resides in Central East Austin. She holds a degree in Interior Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Karla is a freelance music journalist who has interviewed and photographed artists such as Billy Porter, George Clinton, Peter Hook, The English Beat, Fishbone, and more. She is an activist and animal lover who collects Fiestaware.