IIDA Couture Competition - Winner of Best Craftsmanship

Well, I'm SO HAPPY to announce that my team won the 2010 IIDA Couture Best Craftsmanship award!!! This award honors the team for executing their assigned material (paint) in the most innovative, creative and flawless way. We won one of six award categories, and had major competition with a total of 35 teams competing. 650 people attended the event last night too! It was insane! Our dress will be featured in Neiman Marcus during the month of March. I will keep all of you posted on when you can go visit our design. In the meantime, check out some AMAZING photos of the dress taken by Promise Tangeman. =)

Here's our concept statement for our look...

"Chaparral"

Sarah is wearing an asymmetrical sheath dress that embodies the clash of hard and soft elements of the southwest landscape. Tailored tinted cheese cloth and dried zero-VOC paint create a pliable, minimal interlayer, which is captured and protected by an outer shell of organic shaped paint chips reminiscent of a saguaro cactus skeleton. The paint chips are interconnected by metallic brads and chains. Resting on Sarah’s shoulder is a voluminous desert blossom made of wire, cheese cloth and paint chips.

IIDA Couture Competition

Well, I've entered my very own Project Runway challenge along with seven other Arizona architecture professionals - the Southwest Chapter of  the International Interior Design Association's 2010 Couture Competition!!! I'm SO excited for this opportunity to work alongside creative professionals that are passionate about fashion and design. Keep reading for details and video of last year's runway show... The challenge is to use interior design materials from your assigned sponsor, ours is Sherwin Williams, to create a couture look within the given theme and color palette. The theme this year is southwest and our color palette consists of earth tones such as sage green, tans, golds and pale blues...every team has a different sponsor and different color palettes.

Most other teams were matched with sponsors that manufacture carpet and other textiles, but we got paint. We already have some cool ideas though! I can't post about our ideas or the process until we're finished, but we're all pumped.

Each team gets to send their winning look down the runway at the Phoenix Art Museum this February. Below, is video from last year's competition. Over 600 people attended! Wish us luck!