Fashion Forward FIT Students Show Off Their Scottish Style

NEW YORK, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Mismatched plaids, tweeds with layered ruffles and delicate chiffons were just a few of the elements featured at "City Meets Country, Scotland Means Style," a competition held by Scottish Development International (SDI) for Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) fashion and interior design students. Yoko Okuda, a fashion design major, and Kecia Mortensen, an interior design major, received top honors for their innovative use of fabric, colors and textures inspired by Scotland's rich history, landscapes and textiles.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100405/NY81149 )

The winners were announced at a reception held today at The Norwood Club in New York City. At the reception were Scotland's Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Designer to Royalty Sandra Murray MBE, and FIT student designers. Garments and interiors illustrations were on display throughout the venue for guests to view.

The competition recognized a new generation of designers who tackled the challenge of creating fashion forward garments and interior designs by marrying traditional and contemporary Scottish style. Fashion design students were asked to create garments for evening, day and sports. Interior design students were asked to create a penthouse suite for an Edinburgh luxury hotel.

"Scottish textiles have been the foundation for fashion and apparel for decades," said Marilyn Hefferen, contest coordinator and assistant professor in FIT's Department of Fashion Design. "This was an opportunity for our students to work with some of the finest textiles in the world from Scotland's most prestigious brands."  

Using textiles from Reid & Taylor, Johnstons, Lochcarron of Scotland, Calzeat & Co., Harris Tweed and Holland & Sherry, FIT students vied to win a $1,000 grand prize; a trip to Scotland for the fashion design winner; work placement at a New York City design firm for the interior design winner; and a spot on the Dress to Kilt runway. Runners-up and the recipient of the creativity award received prizes ranging from $500-$750. All designs will be on display in Scottish parliament this summer.  

Winners of the fashion and interior design competitions are below. View the winning designs at www.fitnyc.edu.

Fashion Design

1. Yoko Okuda, Evening Wear
2. Jusil Carroll, Evening Wear
3. Carlynne Cutler, City Wear

Interior Design

1. Kecia Mortensen, "King Robert the Bruce" Penthouse
2. John Feger, "The Engle Suite"
3. Tammy Lee, "The Penthouse at Carnegie"

Creativity Award: Heajin Myung, Evening Wear

"Scotland Week gives us the chance to celebrate the cultural connections that unite Scotland and the US, past and present," said Fiona Hyslop, Scotland's Minister for Culture and External Affairs.  "The modern cultural connection is about new design and it is wonderful to see students embrace the challenge, using Scotland's unique and high-quality textiles to create fresh and inspired pieces.  I am thrilled with the final creations and looking forward to seeing what is in store for these talented young designers.  I very much hope this experience inspires them to continue working with Scottish textiles."

Designs were evaluated for creativity, innovation, and use of fabric and color by a panel of judges including Sandra Murray MBE, designer; Brian Rennie, creative director, Gant; Lauren Milligan, fashion news editor, Vogue.com U.K.; and Malcolm Burkinshaw, head of fashion, Edinburgh College of Art, among others.  

"The entries were clearly inspired by Scottish tweeds giving their designs a beautiful subtlety of color that reflected the Scottish landscape," said Sandra Murray, Scottish designer and competition judge. "We chose the most original and creative garments with a strong, contemporary twist to a traditional theme that would look great on any global platform.  It was interesting for us to see what designers outside the UK perceived to be Scottish, and we were impressed by their ambitious designs."

To learn more about the contest or Scottish textiles, visit www.fitnyc.edu or www.sdi.co.uk.

About Scottish Development International

Scottish Development International seeks to broaden Scotland's international appeal as a first choice source of knowledge, and to assist the growth of the Scottish economy by encouraging inward investment and helping Scottish-based companies develop international trade. For more information, visit http://www.sdi.co.uk.

About FIT

FIT, a leader in professional career-oriented education, is a selective college of art and design, business and technology of the State University of New York (SUNY), with 44 majors leading to the AAS, BFA, BS, MA, and MPS degrees. The college serves more than 10,000 students and offers courses in a wide range of fields, among them jewelry design, fashion design, advertising and marketing communications, toy design, home products development, and fashion merchandising management.  

SOURCE Fashion Institute of Technology