Fashion design and production student Nicolas Brown ’22 created pillows for hospice patients at the Elizabeth Seton Nursing Home in Wellesley, Massachusetts. 

“Everything I have learned has been through Lasell,” he says. “I had the sewing skills to execute the project and the support to raise funds for the materials.” 

Assistant Professor of Fashion Gail Jauregui supported Brown throughout the project. 

“Using threads from our on-campus fabric closet, Nicolas single handedly completed this community service effort,” said Jauregui. He used a variety of techniques, including painting, embroidering, and embellishing to create custom pillows for the recipients. Since patient mobility is often limited in hospice, body temperatures can drop. The pillows help stimulate circulation and add much needed warmth, in addition to alleviating muscle and joint soreness. 

“I believe you make someone happy in any stage of their life, even in their final days,” says Brown. “I hope that as a result of this effort the patients feel comfortable and respected.” 

This was Brown’s second fashion community service project completed at Lasell. Last year, he worked on a collaborative initiative to raise funds for a children’s hospital by creating tailored dog costumes alongside professors Jill Carey, Maritza Farrell, and Jauregui.