VCU students named finalists in international design contest

By Joe Kuttenkuler

Two students from Virginia Commonwealth University were named finalists in international design competition Chic Chinois. The contest recognizes young artists whose 21^st century fashion and home designs integrate today’s materials and tomorrow’s global vision with a fresh interpretation of Chinese culture, its aesthetics and respect for the environment.

Chic Chinois is sponsored by renowned fashion company Felissimo Corporation and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in cooperation with the Government of China. Finalists were chosen in four categories: Fashion; Fashion Accessories; Furniture; and Home Accessories.

The qualifying VCU design was created by VCU juniors Kristin Biddle, a fashion design major, and Kevin Kitun Fung, a double major in computer science and art, and later produced by Biddle. A silk Chinese dress symbolizing grace and authority, the VCU design was one of two entries from the United States to qualify for the final round in the competition’s fashion category.

Biddle says she envisioned a garment that was feminine but that commanded strength and authority. Fung, originally from Hong Kong, says he envisioned the beauty and serenity of a lily pond recreated in an Asian-style garment. The two combined their ideas to create a unique style.

The pattern of the dress blends hues of green and blue with images of delicate flowers – a reflection of Fung’s vision of a lily pond. Biddle chose soft and fluid silk douppioni as the fabric for the dress along with a chiffon overlay to create an illusion of iridescence. Gold trim accentuates the garment’s princess lines, while symbolizing strength. In addition, the back of the dress is cut in the shape of a symbol of fertility.

"The garment appeals to the Asian sense of meaning, elegance and interaction with both nature and technology," said Christina Lindholm, chair of the VCU Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising.

The VCU creation was chosen from nearly 1,200 designs. Finalists were awarded $500 to produce their designs within two month’s time, as the dress was required to arrive in Beijing by Nov. 15 for judging.

"There was a lot of pressure because the turn-around time was relatively short when you consider having to actually create the cloth," Lindholm said.

The pattern was hand painted on the silk by Mandy Scott, a recent graduate of VCU’s Crafts Department. And as the dress is motif oriented, pieces then had to be carefully placed so they would be in the correct position when the garment was sewn together.

The work is now in Beijing where it will be judged Nov. 30 alongside student designs from more than 30 countries. Winners will be announced on Dec. 1 and the prize ceremony will be held in March. A grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the most outstanding designer in all four categories and four prizes of $3,000 each will be given to one designer in each category. Finalists’ work will be on exhibition in Beijing at the Chinese Nationalities Palace from Dec. 2-Jan. 9, and at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, March 15-31. The student creations then will be housed in Felissimo’s permanent collection in Japan.

"I was really surprised to make it this far. I wasn’t expecting it to go anywhere," Biddle said. "I guess now we’ll just have to wait and see what happens."