Amazon Fashion launches 'Studio Sessions' for students

Four participating schools – Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons The New School for Design, Pratt Institute, and The School of Visual Arts – will each send two teams of five students (one focused on womenswear, and the other on menswear) to compete in the day-long contest that challenges the selected students to conceptualize, style, and shoot a compelling editorial image in line with the Amazon Fashion brand.

The cross-functional teams are composed of students with experience in graphic design, fashion photography, styling, editing, and art direction. Each team will work in its own dedicated photography bay and will be granted access to the studio’s state-of-the-art equipment, wardrobe, props, models, and hair and make-up services. The Amazon Fashion creative in-house team will be on hand to provide guidance throughout the day as the students work to complete their image.

A panel of industry experts will vote to select two winning teams – one for the best womenswear image, and one for the best menswear image – based on criteria including creativity, wardrobe styling, layout and composition, photography, art direction and set design, and editing.

The judging panel includes ready-to-wear designer Steven Alan; editor-in-chief of Lucky Magazine, Eva Chen; fashion industry consultant Julie Gilhart; Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) chief executive officer, Steven Kolb; womenswear designer Derek Lam; creative director of VICE Magazine, Annette Lamothe-Ramos; chief creative officer of Amazon Fashion, Dennis Leggett; co-founder of Art + Commerce, Jim Moffat; men’s fashion director of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Bruce Pask; co-founder and creative director of Milk, Mazdack Rassi; womenswear designer Tracy Reese; photography director of Vogue, Ivan Shaw; and model Elettra Wiedemann.

The winning teams’ images will be featured on Amazon.com/Fashion. A total of $100,000 will be awarded: each winning team will receive $25,000 for their work and an additional $25,000 for their school. The winning teams will also receive a mentoring session with Cathy Beaudoin, President of Amazon Fashion; Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA; and Andrew Rosen, founder and president of Theory.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the opening of our Williamsburg fashion photography studio with an exciting challenge that gives these exceptional students a chance to demonstrate their creativity and technical skills in front of leaders in the field. Through Amazon Fashion Studio Sessions, our hope is that the students’ work will inspire other aspiring creative professionals and our millions of fashion customers across the country,” said Cathy Beaudoin, president of Amazon Fashion.

“As the fashion industry continues to grow, so too does the need for professional experience for students pursuing careers in the field. I think Amazon Fashion Studio Sessions is an incredible opportunity for young talent to understand the creative challenges fashion businesses face every day, demonstrate their skills and ingenuity, and receive first-hand feedback from accomplished industry authorities. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this initiative,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA.

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