People Behind the Product Series: Al Holmes
“Opportunity, inviting, happy”: ISAIC in a Nutshell
Sewing is one of those talents that can be passed through families and ingrained in the lives of the creators. This is especially true for this month’s People Behind the Product series spotlight: Al Holmes. She has been sewing for about 45 years and learned from teaching herself and watching her older sister sew—who worked as a frontline finisher for Ford.
Al found her way to ISAIC after taking an industrial sewing class at Henry Ford where she met Jennifer Guarino and Deborah Vandermar as they promoted the national institute for the sewn trades (ISAIC). After learning about the mission of the organization, Al reflects “I said to myself; I want to get on that train right there.” This is exactly what she did a few years later (2020), after teaching the class at Henry Ford and being recruited by Deborah Vandermar, the developer of the Fundamentals of Industrial Sewing and Production program.
Al didn’t begin working for ISAIC immediately after teaching at Henry Ford, instead she was employed at DO Apparel. When the virus hit in 2020, Al got laid off from DO Apparel, put in an application at ISAIC and was hired as a sewing specialist.
She explains her linear journey of progressing at ISAIC by stating, “when I first started I was a sewing specialist then Deborah wanted me to be a journey worker here, and I became the first. I helped train the others that came through the class to teach them to improve, especially with doing production on the floor. At the same time, I had the opportunity to go to the College of Creative Studies to take a fundamental designing class which I loved; it was a bonus. ISAIC invested in me. And I don’t take it lightly. I can take what I know and give it back to someone else who is coming along.”
When asked what Al hopes to achieve while at ISAIC, Al describes her yearning to improve her sewing skills and “get more knowledge in the field of sewing to put my brand out there.” In addition to improving her skills, Al wants to diversify her technical abilities to upskill in digital technology, like the Pathfinder, Tukatech, and embroidery machine. Furthermore, Al wants to help change the perception of sewing because “people don’t value it like they should. I want to bring sewing alive to show that it is a skilled trade, not just a hobby.”
According to Al, the best part of her job is “ISAIC is a happy place for me—I come in and I like what I do. I like the people." She has witnessed her own personal growth as a leader as she challenges herself to be more outspoken to deliver constructive feedback to other sewists as a line lead.
She encourages those interested in working at ISAIC to “Be serious about it. It's not like you're sewing at home. You have production to do. Pay attention and be invested. Put your best foot forward and you'll get to the next level. You have to be patient to learn the skill. Be confident that you can do this.”
Finally, Al describes ISAIC as having a “closeness” ... “like your second family. It is a place that will give you the opportunity, but you have to also want it yourself.”