Outdoor Retailer is exctied to bring Project OR to Winter Market 2009, after its sucssessful debut at Summer Market. A Celebration of functionality, originality and design. This cycle of Project OR is sponsored by fabric supplier Concept III.
Project OR commissions five hand-picked design students from top design programs around the country to produce a garment prototype that is original, an innovative use of performance and eco-friendly materials, and has a practical application for the outdoor market
Once initial garment designs are complete, contestants turn their drawings into product using the latest fabrics, zippers and other clothing components provided by participating supplier exhibitors. With sourcing complete, contestants spend the remainder of the 48-hour deadline at their work station (equipped with sewing machines, cutting tables, pressing equipment and tools) building their final prototypes.
Project OR's panel of judges, comprised of OR-selected designers and industry trend-setters, review each contestant's final prototype and presentation on the last day of the show (Jan. 25). The winning student receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Outdoor Retailer Summer Market '09 and a profile in Textile Intelligence.
Project OR Winter Market competitors are filmed in a reality-competition type format that begins with an initial Design Brief and follows them through the conception, sourcing, production and final presentation stages of the competition.