Founder, Director -

JAson E.C. Wright, BRS

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Jason E.C. Wright is a design researcher, photographer, educator, and artbook enthusiast.

As a design researcher and educator, Wright applies over twenty years of experience in boutique retail, product development and fashion production into teaching at FIDM in downtown Los Angeles.

As a photographer, he documents spaces and places through Burntsienna Field Research excursions and photo-journals. Wright also contributes as a thought leader and writer in various spaces and publications.

As founder and director at Burntsienna Research Society, Wright leads the building of reading rooms and programming around art and design books (Burntsienna Reading Rooms, Burntsienna Artbook Review), and the teaching of principles on responsible research and design thinking (The Burntsienna Standards).

Operating since 2018, Burntsienna Research Society is based in Los Angeles, on the unceded lands of the Tongva people.

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CV

1980 | born, East Chicago, IN; age six moves from Gary to Nashville TN, then on through Corona CA, Inglewood CA, Indianapolis IN, Grapevine TX, Washington DC then back to Indianapolis IN for middle and high school

2003 | graduates from Indiana Business College (AAS in Fashion Merchandising); continues working in retail management (urban mens), evolves to buying

2005 | signs group recording contract with JIVE/Zomba; works peripherally in Indianapolis urban radio

2007 | leaves recording group, develops ‘Music Industry 101’ panel with Indiana Black Expo; begins substitute teaching (high school), mentoring through non-profits

2009 | begins freelance consulting with local fashion boutiques, teaching operations, product buys and product development; shifts in-house with Bloomington-based streetwear brand Dope Couture (later DOPE)

2011 | moves to Los Angeles to open DOPE flagship in Fairfax District; helms operations, buying, product development

2013 | launches The Vanishing Gallerie consultancy; helps introduce and develop emerging designer brands through product research & immersive art installations. begins five-year tenure of LIBERTY Fairs appearances, consulting for various streetwear and menswear brands

2014 | expands briefly into art and experience curation; produces ‘TURBULENCE’ photography exhibition (Taj Stansberry)

2015 | pivots back to fashion, founding TRIFECTA pre-production studio with two partners; company folds. returns to freelance consulting and development for various menswear and new-designer brands

2016 | shifts in-house with menswear brand Pocket Square Clothing; helps open first retail flagship, helms inaugural two-year operations

2018 | founds Burntsienna Research Society as a design research agency using art books for research & product development. conducts first Burntsienna Reading Room

2020 | pivots to offeirng clarity & SWOT analysis classes to founders during pandemic; delivers ‘The Burntsienna Standards’ lecture for LA Design Fest

2021 | Burntsienna Research Society formally restructured as Institute of Design Research and Critical Thought

2022 | contributes as researcher/Field Correspondent for Rodeo Drive The Podcast, Season 3, with lead host Pari Ehsan

2023 | begins tenure as FIDM Instructor, teaching ‘The Business of Fashion’, mentor at-large

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