Winner of Design Competition Helps Consumers Uncover the Story Behind Their Denim

March 31, 2015

ARTS THREAD and Avery Dennison Apparel Solutions Congratulate Stefanie Tschirky on Winning Entry

WESTBOROUGH, MA – Selected from a shortlist of 11 talented design students from around the world, ARTS THREAD and Avery Dennison Apparel Solutions announced today that Stefanie Tschirky from Royal College of Art UK is the winner of the Future of Denim Branding Competition—a contest designed to challenge the way the industry thinks about denim branding. Tschirky’s winning innovative design transforms the story of denim from a textile that is manufactured and mass-produced to one that is crafted with care.

Tschirky’s winning project, entitled “Your Story – Your Denim,” examines the origin story of denim before it reaches the hands of the consumer. The once-upon-a-time of Tschirky’s denim design begins with custom details like the name of the seamstress who fashioned the textile. Other details include the distance the denim travels from creation to display in-store. Taking the story concept even further, the garment also comes affixed with a sealed test glass containing fiber of the cotton used to produce the denim jeans. The rest of the story is for the wearer to tell.

An expert panel of judges including the ‘godfather of denim ’Adriano Goldschmied; Kristina Szasz, denim design director of Karl by Karl Lagerfeld; Jonathan Cheung, senior vice president, Levi’s; Matt Abbott, vice president, Men’s Denim, Calvin Klein; Bob Rijnders, founder, Butcher of Blue; Donna Ida Thornton, founder, Donna Ida; and Amy Leverton, director, Denim & Youth, WGSN scored the entries by creativity, aesthetic and innovation.

“Building a brand is one of the most challenging and satisfying things a designer will do in their career,” said Jonathan Cheung. “The ability to portray the brand’s character at a glance is a fundamental skill. It was great to see how all the entrants endeavored to tie emotional content to their branding and to see sustainability and social responsibility play an increasing role in defining a brand’s values. I’m delighted for Stefanie’s win and congratulate all the entrants for their work.”

As the winner of the competition, Tschirky will have the opportunity to bring her design and branding to life through an internship with the Avery Dennison Apparel Solutions creative team in London as well as Los Angeles, where the company houses its 15,000 square-foot state-of-the-art Customer Design and Innovation Center (CDIC). During the internship, Stefanie will develop and witness her designs travel through the production process - from artwork to sampling to the finished product on a pair of jeans, supported by our manufacturing partner, Hirdaramani Group. “I'm excited to win this competition for a number of reasons,” said Stefanie. “From the internship, to developing my denim branding concept even further, to gaining the opportunity to learn more about the innovation at Avery Dennison Apparel Solutions, to an exciting  trip to LA! It's an amazing chance and I still can't believe the panel of judges selected my denim branding concept.”

“Apparel Solutions strives to empower young designers to think about meaningful customer connections and branding in innovative ways, and we were impressed by the talent and creativity put forth by all of the emerging designers,” said Deon Stander, vice president and general manager, Apparel Solutions at Avery Dennison Apparel Solutions.

Katie Dominy, co-founder of ARTS THREAD, also applauded the young designers for successfully expanding their horizons in the field of design. “The competition pushed the up-and-coming designers into new territory past the basics of textile and apparel design, and each approached the challenge with a unique design perspective. We were amazed by the level of originality that these students expressed when looking at denim through a branding lens.”

Launched in October 2014, the Future of Denim Branding competition was created as a partnership between Avery Dennison Apparel Solutions, a global leader in apparel, footwear and industry solutions, and ARTS THREAD, a digital platform designed to connect students, graduates, institutions and industry exclusively in the field of design. Stefanie’s designs will be showcased at an exclusive industry event at the LA CDIC in July.

For more information about the competition and to view all of the entries, visit ARTS THREAD and follow the conversation on Twitter and Instagram at #BeyondthePatch.