Cara Tuttle

Cara Tuttle is an artist, designer, educator, and innovator whose work spans fashion design, military protective systems, footwear and apparel design, costume design, and creative research.

A faculty member in MassArt’s Fashion Design program since 2012, she teaches fashion and accessory design, pattern drafting, color theory, and professional practice, helping students develop technical expertise, creative confidence, and a strong foundation for careers in the design industry.

Before joining MassArt, Tuttle worked as a clothing designer for the U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, where she designed combat uniforms, protective gear, and advanced clothing systems for soldiers operating in extreme environments. She is the primary patent holder of the Blast Debris Protective Harness, a protective system developed to help safeguard soldiers from injuries caused by improvised explosive device (IED) blasts– now incorporated into the U.S. Army’s Soldier Protection System.

Tuttle’s professional experience also includes roles as a color designer for Reebok, where she developed color palettes and trend forecasts for women’s footwear and apparel, as well as work in costume design and theatrical production. Her interdisciplinary background informs a teaching practice that emphasizes research, problem-solving, innovation, and the connection between design and human experience.

She earned a BFA in Fashion Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and an MA in Critical and Creative Thinking from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her scholarly work explores methods for cultivating creativity and critical thinking, including her research project, Designing a Toolbox to Improve Creative Output: A Guide for Cultivating Critical, Creative, and Conceptual Thinking Skills in an Increasingly Distracted Society.

Through her teaching and creative practice, Tuttle encourages students to approach design as both a tool for self-expression and a means of addressing real-world challenges.

Selected Industry Experience

• 2010 – 2017 – Clothing Designer, US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (Natick Labs), Natick, MA
• 2008 – 2010 – Color Designer, Reebok International, Ltd., Boston, MA
• 2006 – 2008 – Head Draper, The Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA
• 2005 – Costume Designer for Smoking Gun TV, Brooklyn, NY

Selected Exhibitions

• “Wearable Sculpture and Performance,” The New Currency Exhibit, Visual Arts Gallery, New York, NY
• “Charcoal Drawings,” The Cherry Show, The Shirey, New York, NY

Awards, Recognitions & Honors

• 2016 – PATENT, Blast Debris Protective Harness (BDPH), Primary Patent Holder for US Patent, and it is currently used by the US Army as part of the Soldier Protection System (SPS)
• 2016 – Department of the Army Certificate of Achievement
• 2016 – US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Tier 1 Customer Focus Team Award