Fashion Research Foundation is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization located in New York. Founded by FRI CEO Shenlei Winkler in 2007, FRF is engaged in educational research using virtual worlds for education. Winkler continues to serves as Executive Director of the Foundation.
Fashion Research Foundation Press
In addition to its research efforts, the Foundation includes a publishing arm, the Fashion Research Foundation Press, which publishes non-fiction and textbooks for the fashion design, apparel industry, and the emerging niche market of virtua design and development.
OpenSim Legal Steering Committee
As well as publishing books, the Foundation serves as the parent organization for several programs, which include an OpenSim Legal Steering Committee, comprised of Legal Fellows who meet biweekly to examine legal aspects of intellectual property and licensing in OpenSim-based virtual worlds. This Committee is currently tasked with developing a lexicography that will serve as the basis of standardized legal contracts, and will be made freely available through the Foundation according to a standardized agreement.
Fellowships in Technology and Design
The Foundation also offers Fellowships in Technology and Design. These Fellowships are intended to enable those interested individuals to work with the Foundation in various roles.
Society of Professional Virtua Designers
Finally, the Foundation also provides an umbrella for the Society of Professional Virtua Designers. This professional organization provides a comprehensive suite of benefits and professional development tools to its members. The Society has developed professional standards by which avatar apparel and other virtual goods may be critiqued and judged, and offers courses and seminars intended to help its members further develop their career in a professional environment. |
