Supima Design Competition Spring 2012

The official start to Fashion Week was Thursday....and for me it was the Supima Design Competition to kick off this amazing week I embarked on. Supima was SUPREME---A. I was happy to get to experience the show with my fashion partner in crime Pamala from Addikited2fashion. We sat 3 rows from the front at the opening of the runway and semi-across from Rachel Zoe (yes thee Rachel Zoe), premo seats indeed. It was interesting to get a peak of the clothes that were about to come out and even see the models get their last minute touch ups before hitting the runway. Behind the scenes is always intriguing to me. A lot goes on back there....in one huge crazy blur. And in that blur you get what tends to be an amazing 20 minute runway show...

Anyway....If you didn't read my post about Supima and this design competition (which you all should have) I'll fill you in...a bit. Supima is a cotton a promotional organization of the American Pima cotton growers that supplies companies like Brook Brothers, Uniqlo, and Land's End who host a design competition for graduating seniors from top design schools for the past 3 years. This 4th year the lucky 8 students that participated, Amy Bittner and Jusil Carroll from the Fashion Institute of Technology; MaRu Jung and Dara Rosen from Pratt Institute; Rachel Pullman and Connie Weng from the Rhode Island School of Design; and Lorena Cuevas and Marlow Larson from the Savannah College of Art and Design, got to debut their work at Lincoln Center. Previously this show was hosted off site. These students work were NOT your typical "student runway show." By far. This was much more then that. Each of their collections (they each did 5 contemporary woman looks) looked professional. If no one told me these were student designs I would have never known. Each collection was well defined and looked like they have been doing it for years.

WINNER JUSIL CARROLL, F.I.T. Her looks were inspired by the Blair Witch Project.

photos from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

AMY LYNN, F.I.T. Her looks remind me of a dark version of Little Red Riding Hood or fairy tales gone dark.

photos from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

MARU JUNG, PRATT Had beautiful printed printed pattern dresses with short hems. 

photos from Kenton Magazine

DARA ROSEN, PRATT feminine flare and also had some denim looks. 

photos from Kenton Magazine

CONNIE WENG, RISD color and prints!

photos from Kenton Magazine

RACHEL PULLMAN, RISD Glam, black, and super sexy with high low cuts and tight high splits.

photos from Kenton Magazine

LORENA CUEVAS, SCAD Futuristic with mosaic patterns.

photos from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

MARLOW LARSON, SCAD Darks and cremes and prints that look like stones.

photos from Kenton Magazine

And this is why I like emerging designers. They have to think outside the box when it comes to creating their lines. The best innovating pieces usually come from break out artist...let's be honest to make it in this industry as a designer you need to take initiative and be creative without being to out there. Even if there is only one winner in this competition, I can't imagine the exposure that this gives each participant. I hope they all continue down on their road to success.