The International Design Competition for 2023/24 is underway – and there’s still plenty of time to enter!
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to make your own mark on the SDC’s annual competition.
By Clare Moore, SDC Membership Manager
Our yearly International Design Competition started back in October, and we have been welcoming this year’s global cohort of fashion and textiles undergraduates as they prepare to take on the environmentally conscious brief.
It’s not one to be missed for budding fashion, textile and colour professionals. Each year, the competition gives undergraduate students a platform to showcase their creativity and vision on an international scale, offering them a fantastic opportunity to break into the industry.
This year’s theme is “Colour for Good” – preparing our students, and future colourists and textiles professionals, for a world where sustainable materials and practices are necessary and likely mandatory. As the cry for climate action continues, it is becoming increasingly evident that the fashion and textiles industries need to take accountability for its impact on the environment, and seek production means that are kinder to the planet and its people.
Designs must exemplify and align its purpose around this key message, showing a fully climate-conscious process in the form of up to four A2 boards, supporting written commentary and a five-minute presentation or video.
The heats will be held online and are only open to students (at time of entry) who are studying with an SDC college/ university member. Tutors will preselect which of their students will enter the competition, with the judging heats starting in January 2024. For colleges/universities who are already SDC members, please contact members@sdc.org.uk to register your interest in the competition.
Clare Moore, SDC Membership Manager, said: “We’re incredibly excited to see what this year’s entrants come up with. Last year’s designs were exceptional, and judging a winner proved difficult for our judges across the board.
“This year, we’re asking students to carefully consider colour, and the relationships between its science, history and heritage should clearly inform stylistic choices.
“We understand the brief and its deliverables are technical, but creating a winning design historically has had the potential to kickstart a career. I would urge entrants to give the brief their utmost attention – it offers a lot of opportunity to dive into the context of the colour. What are the impacts of using a certain colour? How much energy does it use? How much waste is produced? With so many elements to consider, we’re looking forward to some amazing designs.
“Of course, we want the competition to be as inclusive as possible and welcome any colleges/universities who are not members of the SDC to come and chat with us if they would like us to consider one of their students for the competition.”
International Design Competition 2022/23
Winner spotlight: Verina Lie, Raffles College of Higher Education
By Clare Moore, SDC Membership Manager
“The recent International Design Competition entries were exceptionally tough for our judges to decide on. And, while all entries from our various Heats competitions were most impressive, (Gratton from Leeds Arts University, UK, and Hannah Talt from National College of Art & Design, Ireland, were awarded Highly-commended in the IDC Grand Final) Verina Lie — the winner of the Singapore Heats — came out on top with her environmentally-conscious project which focused on transforming food waste into a paste for colouring fabrics.”
Verina attended the SDC’s most recent Day of Celebration to receive her certificate alongside her tutor, Madeleine Wong who also attended to collect a plaque on behalf of Raffles College of Higher Education.
Extracts from the winning submission By Verina Lie
“The global issues of food waste and the environmental impact of leather waste have garnered increasing attention over time. Both concerns contribute significantly to environmental degradation and resource depletion. However, innovative approaches are emerging to address these challenges while simultaneously promoting sustainability and providing alternative methods for dyeing processes. This project is investigating food waste and leather waste within our environment.
To amplify sustainability, the project extends to educating through dehydrated and solidified food waste, forming an education kit to promote early awareness among people. This comprehensive approach underscores the potential for creative solutions, repurposing waste, and fostering a more environmentally conscious society.”