Finalists Announced in Cool vs. Cruel Fur-Free Design Contest
Eighteen students from The Art Institutes have been chosen to represent their school in the seventh annual Cool vs. Cruel fashion design competition sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States and The Art Institutes.
The competition challenges Art Institutes students in fashion design programs throughout the United States and in Vancouver to creatively reinterpret and replace animal fur on runway designs by Fendi, Alexander McQueen, Gucci or Oscar de la Renta:
This year’s finalists were chosen from among more than 200 entries. “This competition gives the next generation of designers the opportunity to learn about why many people are opposed to animal fur, as well as try their hand at alternatives,” said Michelle McDonald, fashion outreach manager of the fur-free campaign for The HSUS.
As a finalist, each student has been awarded a cash prize in addition to being entered into the national competition. The national grand-prize winner will receive an expense-paid, week-long internship in New York City with a celebrated designer from the panel of judges.
The judging panel consists of professionals from the fashion industry, including designers John Bartlett; Victoria Bartlett; Marc Bouwer; Ally Chomer; Leanne Hilgart; Elizabeth Olsen; fashion photographer Nigel Barker; magazine editors Mickey Boardman and Shelly Vella; and The Discerning Brute blog founder Joshua Katcher.
The finalists are:
- Monique Araujo, The Art Institute of Charleston
- Gahee Bae, The Art Institute of Seattle
- Jessica Beck, The Art Institute of Indianapolis
- Daniel Bolt, The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire
- Christine Coleman, The Illinois Institute of Art
- Magdalena Cornett, The Art Institute of Las Vegas
- Frances Abigail Dizon, The Art Institute of California-San Diego
- Anna Grinfeder, Miami International University of Art & Design
- Efrain Guerrero, The Art Institute of Denver
- Sara Hathaway, The Art Institute of Houston
- Melissa Hoffman, The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles
- Michelle Huynh, The Art Institute of California-Orange County
- Keisha Kirkland-Smith, The Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg
- Jean-Baptiste Riviere, The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale
- Golden Skyy, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
- Jeremy Stewart, The Art Institute of New York City
- Matthew Vice, The Art Institute of Dallas
- Johana Zara, The Art Institute of Vancouver
Photos of the finalists and their designs are available upon request or can be viewed on the Facebook page of the Fur-Free campaign: http://on.fb.me/HSUSFur-Free.
Learn more about the contest and see the original runway looks at www.CoolvsCruel.org.
