About Me
My name is Alias Vanvelkinburgh I am an aspiring footwear & CMF designer. Recently, I have had the tremendous opportunity to be apart of Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design certificate program powered by VF Corporation where I was able to be mentored by industry professionals and specifically the Timberland team, focusing on Vizcom workflows and 3D Blender modeling during this 8 week masterclass to help solve for the product brief we were given.
I am also a recent graduate inspired by all aspects of life with a focus point in human movement leading into my undergraduate studies were I studied biomechanics partnered with my creative thinking to solve consumer needs relating to footwear design and innovation. I am open to work within this evolving idustry to meet the demands I observe everyday wether that being local or relocation.
Education
January 20th 2026 - March 13th 2026
Master Class Certification in Footwear Design
Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design Detroit, MI
Program partner - VF Corporation
I have been given the tremendous opportunity to be of my third masterclass at PLC Detroit and this one was for the VF Corporation! This program consisted of 8 weeks of rigorous learning from industry professionals while creating a silhouette and project for our personal consumer. During this program I was part of the Timberland Team focusing on the energy category since this related most to my consumer and have had the privilege to gain industry knowledge from the Timberland mentors throughout the program. Also learning Blender, Adobe Substance Painter, and Vizcom were an important part of this program and helped me to gain more tools which I would use throughout my future footwear design projects.
August 18th 2025 - September 19th 2025
Master Class Certification in Footwear Design
Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design Detroit, MI
Program partner - Capri Holdings
I am extremely grateful to have been accepted into Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design and participate in the Capri Holdings Foundation program! This program taught me a lot about being a well rounded designer because throughout this brief I was given the task to create a collection with Jimmy Choo and a non fashion entity where I also completed coursed in Color and Materials and Finishes. Throughout the program I was taught and lead by Industry professionals which helped me to produce an excellent collection, where i presented it to the Capri team and fellow designers in attendance as well.
July 16th 2024 - August 16th 2024
Master Class Certification In Footwear Design
Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design Detroit, MI
Program partner - Nike
I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design and participate in the Future Sole Program Powered By Nike! An amazing opportunity to showcase my creativity, design skills, and adaptability. I have also had the ability to meet so many young innovators and learn from design leaders with industry experience just further growing and establishing life long connections. I used this opportunity to be a sponge regarding all elements of design from color and materials, apparel and footwear design acknowledging that each subject holds immense importance that I will utilize with me wherever I go.
2019 - 2023
Bachelors of science in Health and Exercise Science Concentration in Sports Medicine
Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO
Through my time at Colorado State University I have been thankful to call this place my home for the last 4 years. The Health and Exercise Science programs has made me proficient in many skills such as critical thinking, human anatomy, biomechanics and public speaking. I was able to understand how the human body works and the necessary components which influence human performance.
Employment
June 2023
Kindred Hospital
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Assist with rehabilitation exercises and functional movements to optimize health and longevity of patients post rehab
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Provide restorative therapy targeting functional gait patterns to increase strength for those with limited range of motion
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Support patient care with physical and occupational therapists when additional assistance is required
Jan 2023 - July 2025
Desires & Fears
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Analyzed market trends to design fresh and unique footwear silhouettes
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Created technical packages for apparel samples for seasonal collections
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Organized sample shoots for apparel focused social media images
Skills
Adobe Suite – Illustrator | Photoshop
Microsoft Office – Excel | Word | PowerPoint
Vizcom AI
Adobe Substance Painter
3D Design – Gravity Sketch | Blender
Prototyping – Pattern-making | Screen Printing | Embroidery | 3D Printing