Artwork & Architecture inspire winning dress

16 Jan '09

3 min read

Only a high school senior and already determined to have a career in fashion design, Elisabeth Acosta is one step closer to making her dream a reality.

The Miami, Florida teenager won a full-tuition scholarship to study Fashion Design at Miami International University of Art & Design in The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition 2009 held recently in New York City.

Open to high school seniors in the U.S. and Canada, The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition awarded two grand-prize winners full-tuition scholarships to study (i) Fashion Design or (ii) Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Fashion Retail Management at one of 38 Art Institute locations with Fashion programs across North America.

In addition to her full scholarship, Acosta will attend Fashion Week in New York City in February 2009 and meet staff at Seventeen magazine. Acosta's winning design is an off-white cocktail dress made of three different silk fabrics with an organza bubble skirt and racer back. Acosta hand-dyed the dress' skirt in a peach color using a dip-dye technique. Acosta cites her main influences for the garment as French artwork and architecture.

Second prize in the Fashion Design category went to Casey Cooper of Greenfield, Ohio. Casey earned a $5,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institute of Indianapolis for his war-time love story inspired cocktail dress.

In third place, Garland, Texas teen Kim Phuong Pham won a $4,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institute of Dallas for her "night sky-inspired" dress.

In the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Fashion Retail Management category, Ivy Holland from Fredericksburg, Texas won first prize for her 'Eco-friendly' handbag retail concept utilizing car upholstery to produce a useable and trendy product.

Holland won a full-tuition scholarship to study at The Art Institute of Austin and will join Acosta in New York City for Fashion Week.

Chelsie Dusseault of Gilbert, Arizona took second prize and a $5,000 tuition scholarship to study at The Art Institute of Tampa in the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Fashion Retail Management category. Chelsie's entry "Spotlights!" is a marketing concept that allows fans to help design their own band t-shirt.

In third place, with a $4,000 tuition scholarship to study at Miami International University of Art & Design is Honey Sampedro of Hialeah, Florida. Honey's entry is a business plan for a clothing store, "Funk Doll."

"We were extremely impressed by this year's entries," said Bruce E. Dempsey, Vice President, Academic Affairs Specialist for The Art Institutes. "It's clear that an incredible amount of time, research and talent went into the creation of the entries into this year's competition," he said. The purpose behind the scholarship competition, Dempsey explained, is to encourage young fashion talent at the high school level.

The Art Institutes Passion

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