Senior Instructor I
Design

Marianne Dickson

Overview
Overview
Background
Publications

Overview

Credentials

Master of Science, Title of Thesis: Culture as an Inspiration for Couture and Ready to Wear Apparel Oregon State University, December 2005 Major: Apparel Design Minor: Merchandising Management

Career Interests

Research Interests

  • Natural Dyes
  • Spinning, natural fibers
  • Digital Illustration 2D & 3D
  • Surface Pattern Design

Employment:

Senior Instructor Oregon State University 2011-present

Pattern Designer and Graphic Designer, Sudara, 2018-2019

Freelance Surface Pattern Designer, 2018-Present

Marianne Egan Custom Bridal 2006-2018

Assistant Designer Intern 2001-2002: Schuessler Knitting Mills, Inc., Chicago, IL

 

Service:

  • Vicki Liang’s honors thesis committee member (2020-2021)
  • Mentor, Philomath High School Thesis work for a Senior’s thesis project. (2009).
  • Judge, Oregon State Recycle Fashion Show sponsored by OSUFO, Oregon State University Student Organization (2008 & 2009).
  • Speaker, Corvallis High School Advance Photography Class, Corvallis, OR (2008).
  • Instructor, Outside the Box, Pre-college program for gifted junior high students, Corvallis, OR (2006 & 2007).
  • Judge for the 1st round of the Arts of Fashion, Annual Global Student Fashion Design Competition, San Francisco. (2007).
  • Portland Fashion Week Oregon State Night (2006). I organized a partnership with Portland’s first Fashion Week and OSU alumni and students showed their collections.
  • Speaker, Oregon State University Women’s Giving Circle, Portland, OR (2006).

 

 

 

 

Background

Proceedings and Conference Presentations

Arnold, L., & Egan, M. (2012). Fashion Drawing For Dummies. For Dummies.

Honors & Awards

Honors and Awards:

  • Newton Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, 2021
  • DHE Faculty. (2007). Student Learning and Success Teamwork Award, OSU
  • Egan, M. (2004). Dorothy Schilling Memorial Award Scholarship. $1000.
  • Egan, M. (2004). Arts of Fashion Competition. Sustainability and Fashion National Finalist. Oklahoma State, OK.
  • Egan, M. (2003 & 2004). Richard Dreihause Award for Fashion Excellence, Chicago, IL.

Publications

Exhibition
DSGN - Apparel Design

“Flow Pants [Garment]”

For my design, I wanted to create a wearable piece of art. In class, we had learned about hempfabrics, but had not used it for any projects. Therefore, I felt this project was a perfect opportunity to gain a better understanding of hemp. I patterned these pants on my own, using my skill set from school and practical experience. Using junk mail, I taped everything down and started patterning. With the rough idea of a pant pattern, I drew the pants and then created the patches down the leg as a tribute to my love for abstract art. I let my pencil guide me around the paper to create my pattern. Creating a muslin prototype to start off, I learned how hard this patched look was going to be. Sewing some of the tighter curves was a struggle due to the number of times the fabric caught under the needle, and I had to rip it out and redo it. The prototype pants fit, and I was confident that I had the look I desired, so I cut the final fabric. For the final design, I used a 50% hemp, 50% cotton blend fabric. I prewashed the fabric to minimize shrinkage and for better movement when sewing. From there, the process should have beensimple. I’ve made pants in the past, but due to a severe storm, I lost power. To finish the process, I had to hand crank most of the top stitching and waist band. This process taught me that clothing be more than function; it can be a fun way explore creativity.
Details
Exhibition
DSGN - Apparel Design

“Mülch [Garment]”

mülch is redefining outdoor wear that prioritizes sport and competition driven activities.
Reconnecting people with nature through simple, stylish, and function-driven clothing. Nature is a captivating medium for humans due to its necessity for self-sufficiency as well as propensity to inspire confidence and joy. We hope to inspire individuals of all abilities to go out and appreciate nature as everyone should be able to. To recapture the childlike carefreeness and innocence that the outdoors elicits. Through end-use driven design principles our products connect people with nature like no other outdoor brand.

The garden acted as inspiration for our design decisions, from the fiber content to the natural dyes, to the functional details. The look features a crossover top, and skirt made
from hand dyed 55% hemp/45% cotton blend fabric. The top was dyed with marigolds and iron-shifted. The skirt was dyed with a natural logwood dye. The skirt is an adjustable, full-length skirt with a tie/flap closure at the waist and adjustable cinch-ties at the bottom that allow the wearer to customize the coverage of the hemline. We designed the look with the end-use of harvesting in mind. The wide, open sleeves of the top provide sun coverage and allow for airflow. The top features a hidden interior pocket for storage. The skirt’s large panel pockets maximize storage capacity for harvested fruits and vegetables. The adjustable full-length skirt provides protection when farmers are on their knees and can be cinched up for ease of walking.

The nature of the dyes and coloration methods of the garments used invites stains, dirt, and sun-bleaching. Our garments are meant to be imperfect and to us, wear and tear is promoted.
Details
Exhibition
DSGN - Apparel Design

“Alice: Reimagining Suffragette Dress in the Modern Fight for Women’s Equality”

This design reimagines suffragette dress through a contemporary feminist lens, using upcycled bedsheets to symbolize unpaid labor while prioritizing size adjustability, sustainability, and historical continuity. Inspired by Alice Paul, the look merges aesthetic strategies of early 20th-century activism with modern design practices to advocate for gender equity today.
Details