Cotton Incorporated has announced the winners of the 3D design contest, held in collaboration with Arts Threads, which invited future industry professionals to create innovative and sustainable cotton-centric fashion designs emphasizing 3D technology incorporations.
The not-for-profit’s inaugural “Cotton Forward: 3D Fashion Design Challenge” competition received entries from 27 design schools across the United States. Themes of travel, versatility and contemporary forms “resonated” across the collections, the Lucky Brand partner said.
“The judges were astonished by the talent, creativity and technical capabilities of the participants, their collections and extensive resources available through the CottonWorks platform,” Megan Peterson, director of marketing and industry programs for Cotton Incorporated, said. “These talented professionals truly demonstrated how cotton and digital design is an integral part of fashion’s future and the ability for cotton to be a key element in travel and outdoor apparel.”
Jacob Frothingham of Buffalo State University took home the first-place title and accompanying $5,000 prize. Frothingham defined his collection, dubbed “True Delusion,” as a “captivating exploration of modern identity and self-expression through looks tailored for both men and women.” Each piece was “meticulously crafted” with CottonWorks digital fabrics, selected for their “superior quality, versatility and sustainability to embody the ethos of contemporary fashion,” per his designer statement.
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Britney Spangenberg of Missouri State University was named the second-place winner, taking home the $3,500 prize. Her 3D mini collection, “Making Outwear a Statement,” focused on fabric volume and featured ruched design elements, an original chain print and a “contemporary” color palette. Made exclusively from digital fabrics downloaded from the CottonWorks Digital Fabric Library, Spangenberg’s collection was produced in Browzwear VStitcher and features fabrics treated with Storm Cotton, designed with “longevity in mind.”
Kailey Itri of Texas Tech University was named the third-place winner and recipient of the $1,500 prize. She called her “Urban Cotton Essentials Collection” a “contemporary fusion of streetwear and commuter wear, designed for today’s modern explorer.” Also utilizing modular designs and fabrics from CottonWorks, each piece “blends style, functionality and versatility to meet the demands of today’s active lifestyles. Itri said she was inspired by the natural world and urban environments, hoping her collection “empowers individuals to navigate their daily journeys with ease and confidence.”
Open to students and recent graduates in the United States, the competition challenged participants to make use of CottonWork’s collection of over 400 free-to-download digital cotton fabric files, compatible with 3D design software Clo3D and Browzwear. The contest’s judging panel consisted of apparel design and 3D technology leaders, including Digital Fashion Week’s Clare Tattersall, Parsons School of Design’s Soojin Kang and Cotton Incorporated’s Katherine Absher.
And the competition was an “inspiring vision for the future,” according to Tattersall, and created a path for young designers to flex their creative muscles.
“Drawing on the value of digital fashion design and the use of cotton fabrics, the Cotton Forward competition opened up the potential for the digitalization of the fashion industry,” Tattersall said. “The level of skill, imagination and technical knowledge was remarkable; we now have a new slate of designers to watch out for.”