Pierce concurred.
"This is such an honor," Pierce said. "But as excited as I am, I can't accept the honor without recognizing all my peers who competed in this project. It was a tough competition, and I'm truly overwhelmed."
With smiles from ear to ear, both winning students were humble in the acceptance of the award as the first winners of Denim Runway's month-long competition.
"Creating an assignment that students like is very attractive," said Cherif Amor, Ph.D., Texas Tech's Chairman of the Department of Design. "I have seen much energy and enthusiasm from the students who were involved in this project, and it helps them all attain the target goals they have set for themselves. It is an outstanding pedagogic experience that bridges the gap between academia and industry."
PCCA, a farmer-owned cotton marketing, warehousing, denim and jeans manufacturing cooperative headquartered in Lubbock, is America's largest cotton supplier. Additionally, the cooperative's textile and apparel division is renowned for innovative, high-fashion denim fabrics and jeans. All students who participated in the Denim Runway competition used denim fabric from American Cotton Growers in Littlefield, Texas, just 34 miles from Lubbock.
"This has been a great partnership with Texas Tech," Darneille said. "The response has exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to future projects that support Texas Tech and the West Texas cotton and textile industries."
Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA)