Sweet 16
December 17, 2010 Sweet 16 written by Ayoka Lucas
In our fashion-focused era, it seems that design competitions rule the day and the search for the next great rising talent is endless. Charleston Fashion Week (CFW) is no exception. In 2008, we launched the Emerging Designer Competition, which helped six locals realize their dream of debuting their collections on the runway. And every year since, this opportunity has expanded to create a springboard for undiscovered talent, many of whom have since been cast on Lifetime’s hit show Project Runway; had their designs featured in the pages of Vogue, Marie Claire, and WWD; or their clothes sold in notable stores such as Anthropologie and Barneys. This fall, the Emerging Designer Competition expanded once again to incorporate the entire East Coast, attracting more than 130 applicants from 20 states—each eager to become one of the 16 CFW 2011 semifinalists. The two-month selection process wasn’t easy, and I can personally attest to the incredible caliber of the submissions. However, thanks to our Fashion Panel—including designer Mychael Knight, Army Wives costume shopper Andrea Serrano, designer and former EDC winner Marysia Reeves, Social Primer menswear blogger K. Cooper Ray, and Gilt Groupe cofounder Alexis Maybank—our “Top 16” have been selected. These talented aspiring designers will show their fall collections in groups of four each night during CFW 2011 in March with the hopes of moving on to Saturday’s finale. That’s when a grand prizewinner will be chosen by a special panel of judges, which is made up of some of the industry’s leading experts and influencers of fashion. As we enter the biggest CFW Emerging Designer Competition to date, the anticipation is high and full production is underway to reveal the next design star! So who made it to the semifinals? Here are Charleston Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer Competition: East Top 16: Cody Sai Adler-McAllister (New York), Thea Canlas (Maryland), Maria Cordella (North Carolina), Isabel Crosby (New York), Sasha Gil (Georgia), Charlotte Hess (Pennsylvania), Veritee Hill (South Carolina), Van Hoang (Tennessee), Eleanor Morgan Hoffman (North Carolina), Anjelika Krishna (New Jersey), Mary Labberton (South Carolina), Stephanie Mejia (North Carolina), Sarah Parrott (Georgia), La’Daska Powell (Florida), Julie Wheat (South Carolina), Michael Wiernicki (South Carolina) For more information on the semifinalists and the Emerging Designer Competition: East, click here. For tickets to Charleston Fashion Week 2011, click here.
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