FabricLink's Technical Center

04/27/2010
Outdoor Retailer Selects Students From Top Design Schools to Compete in Project OR at Summer Market 2010
Outdoor Retailer announced today the students selected to participate in the fifth edition of "Project OR" during Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 3-6. 
 
Summer Market 2010 Project OR participants are Kaitlyn Doherty, Philadelphia University; Virginia Gibbons, Washington State University; Teresa Hernandez, California State University, Northridge; Christina A. Hill, University of Alabama and Shannon Smith, University of Minnesota.
 
Project OR  is a 48-hour concept-to-prototype student design competition that provides a forum for exhibiting suppliers and future designers to collaborate and showcase creative summer outdoor apparel designs using the market's most innovative materials. 
 
"The students in Project OR's fifth edition come to the competition with a variety of interests and backgrounds," said Kenji Haroutunian, Outdoor Retailer show director. "In reading the competitor bios, I was struck by the diversity and talent that will be coming to inspire the outdoor world at this Summer Market. These designers already have some major accomplishments and recognition under their belt, so the competition, as they say, will be Fierce.'
 
Project OR provides five of the nation's top design schools with an invitation for one design student to participate in each edition of the competition. While each school has its own vetting process, Washington State University evaluated its students based on pattern making and construction skills along with strong academic performance. 
 
"Project OR gives students an opportunity to learn about a market they might not otherwise consider, and to learn about technical fabrics they haven't had a chance to use in the classroom," said Karen K. Leonas, academic coordinator at Washington State University. "Our design program at Washington State hasn't yet offered a design project in the outdoor market because of the specialty fabrics involved."
 
Project OR is a prime opportunity for raw material providers to highlight their innovative stories, and for the aspiring designers to apply the innovative fabrics to a new discipline -outdoor products.   
 
"I love the outdoors and athletics, but I haven't been exposed to outdoor apparel design in my schooling," said Shannon Smith. "I'm excited to see new textile technology, network with people in the industry and work under pressure."
 
Summer Market 2010 Project OR competitors bring a breadth of skills and experience to the fifth edition: 

Kaitlyn Doherty- Senior at Philadelphia University, formerly an intern with the Macy's Merchandising Group in the children's design department 
Virginia Gibbons- Washington State University junior with a great love for camping, rock climbing, hiking, cycling and kayaking, and experience as the head costumer for a summer camp 
Teresa Hernandez- Junior majoring in apparel design and production at CSU Northridge with a natural and simple design philosophy   
Christina A. Hill- Apparel and textiles major at the University of Alabama with a passion for scuba diving and lacrosse, and intern for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival 
Shannon Smith- Design student at the University of Minnesota and past Juicy Couture intern motivated by sports like snowboarding, hockey and golf.
The participants' expanded biographies are available on the Summer Market Project OR Web page. 
 
Past sponsors and contributing suppliers of Project OR have included 3M, CORDURA® Brand Fabrics, Concept III Textiles, Coville, ITW Nexus, JRC Reflex, Lenzing, Lunabrite Inc., Nüwa Textiles, Outlast, Polartec, PrimaLoft, Proctor & Gamble, Schoeller Textil AG, Sympatex Technologies, United Knitting, Vermont Organic Fiber Company and YKK.
 
For more information about Project OR sponsorship opportunities or becoming a Project OR supplier, please contact Felicia Hill at felicia.hill@nielsen.com or 415.881.7195.