Embroidery Specialist, Hermès Paris
Knitwear and Design Research Consultant, Adjunct Professor, Drexel University

Nicole Feller Johnson is a digital knitwear designer, design researcher, product and UX designer. Nicole’s multidisciplinary work spans haute couture, digital fabrication,embellishment, full-fashioned hand and machine knitting, surface development, innovation and new technologies, user experience and interaction, and 3D printing. She specializes in soft goods and wearables, utilizing advanced techniques in 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC routing, Shima Seiki knitting, and tambour embroidery.

Drawings and 3D Models, Nicole Feller-Johnson, Rendering Padyuman Kodivatiganti

Nicole's graduate thesis,"Knit Evolution in Digital Couture", was recognized as the "Most Original and Creative Graduate Research" at Drexel University. Nicole was also named a CFDA+ Design Graduate for 2018, in the Futurists category, with the statement "I AM a Fashion Disrupter”. Nicole placed First Runner Up in the Vogue Knitting/Zealana Runway Competition and was a Student Technologist at “2 x 4, An Innovation Forum” at The Barnes Foundation.

Model: Inna Knyazkova
Photo courtesy of Musecube

Nicole’s debut collection, which features the world’s first dress made of 3D printed yarn, walked Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia, SS 2019. Nicole has garnered international experience with some of the most influential names in design, including Hermès of Paris, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Wings Team, CD Greene, Prabal Gurung, Vogue Knitting, Jessica Min Ahn, and Free People.

Model:Alena Alekhina
Photo Courtesy of Tonya Matyu

Currently, Nicole is the Manhattan-based Embroidery Specialist for Hermès of Paris focusing on soft surface customization development, UX/UI for personalization services, market competition and product viability. Nicole also teaches Disruptive Design and Making, Research and Fabrication, and Prototyping for Innovation in Drexel’s Design Research Masters Program. She has collaborated with and worked for the PennDesign Fabrication Laboratory, Drexel’s ExCite Center and Hybrid Making Lab, The Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection, URBN SteamLab, Emergency Information Systems, The National Liberty Museum, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation, Inliquid, Design Within Reach, Terrible People Clothing Co., Universal Yarns, The Clay Studio,Hot Soup Glass, Dance to the Music and the Horsham Dance Ensemble. Her writings, patternwork, and published designs have been featured on numerous websites and e-magazines, in selected design books, magazines, serial blogs and feautured in a wide variety of social media and podcasts including Fashionating World, Vogue Knitting, and The Telegraph UK.