Outlook Magazine - Fall 2020

ALUMNI NEWS

Happiness Business in the

FUN.COM If you’ve ever worn an ugly Christmas sweater or a memorable Halloween costume, there’s a good chance it was designed by Kurt Anderson, a 2011 apparel design and development graduate. He is the lead costume and apparel designer for Fun. com. The Mankato, Minn., company is one of the world’s largest Halloween costume retailers. With the ugly sweaters craze, Fun.com now also makes eye-catching apparel for Christmas. Some of Anderson’s recent designs include a witch sweater that sold out when it hit the market; a “Sailor Moon” Christmas sweater based on the Japanese cartoon; and a gingerbread house sweater that’s more stylish than ugly. Then there’s Fun.com’s sweater with a flickering fireplace controlled by an app and one with a removable toy squirrel on the shoulder. Fun.com also licenses with famous brands such as Disney, Marvel and DC Comics to create products for Batman, Wonder Woman,

Two alumni with same name, Kurt Anderson, specialize in helping people have some fun

“Star Wars” and the “Little Mermaid.” “The whole premise of Fun. com is nerdy, goofy fun. I grew up on video games, horror movies and anime,” he said. His duties also go beyond designing. He also travels to China to work with pattern- makers and to purchase fabric. He remembers finding the Fun.com job in 2015 on Craig’s list. “I love the job,” he said. “Pretty much, I draw all day. That’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was little.”

Anderson works on his Fun.com designs. Below and right: Witch and Wonder Woman sweaters he designed.

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