Connecticut Fashion Designer Challenge
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...and the winner is Theresa Santopolo! Stay tuned for next year's event. We will be making updates in the near future.
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29 years old
United States
Last Login: 9/7/2007
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Connecticut Fashion Designer Challenge's Interests
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| General | A Call for All Fashion Designers! Last Saturday June 9, 2007 from noon to 5 PM, fashion designers from all over Connecticut competed in the Connecticut Fashion Designer Challenge held during the Audubon Arts on the Edge Festival in New Haven.
Each designer that enters the Challenge was required to have one finished garment in order to participate. A panel of local celebrity judges determined the winner on three basic components: presentation, promotion, and design. In addition to public, family, friends, and fans voting, the judges considered merchandising displays, marketing materials, ready-to-sell product, creative table dressings, presentation boards, fabric swatches, and portfolios when scoring points. Craftsmanship and attention to detail of the finished apparel piece received the highest scoring points. The group of fashion designers was chosen to present their looks on models at 4 PM. The final winner will be announced at 5 PM...and it was Theresa Santopolo!
What did the winner receive?
• 1 year contract with Sogno, Boutique of Dreams
• 1 year media and Internet hype
• Applause, accolades and admiration
• And finally, a congratulatory award
Krista Camputaro, owner of Sogno, Boutique of Dreams, is the mastermind behind the Connecticut Fashion Designer Challenge. “I see Connecticut as having an abundance of artisans within the fashion industry. There is a huge opportunity for these raw talent designers to display their wares to the public. I am proud to support and sponsor these designers in their efforts to promote themselves throughout the Award-Winning Arts District on Audubon Street.”
The Challenge showcased the talents of designers throughout Connecticut. Community members involved with making the challenge possible include Cynthia Clair, Executive Director, and Jose Monteiro, Director of Community Cultural Development of The Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Corrine Thomas, Founder of IMANI/Fashion Models Institute and finally, Julie Braun, the Marketing Guru behind Julie Braun Design.
Cynthia Clair, the Executive Director said “The Arts Council of Greater New Haven is pleased to support the Connecticut Fashion Designer Challenge. It's a terrific way to acknowledge and showcase the talent of artists working in fashion design.” The future goal is to create and develop a Connecticut Fashion Week, where fashion seminars, shows, and networking events, can turn fashion designer concepts into obtainable goals for these fresh talents to reach the marketplace.
For more information about the event, check back in January 2008.
Press contact: Julie Braun Design; julie.braun.design@gmail.com; 203.887.1824; www.juliebraundesign.com
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About me:
Fashion Face Off at CT Fashion Designer Challenge
It was more than a fashion feud when the CT Fashion Designer Challenge took place on Saturday, June 9 at the Audubon Arts on the Edge festival. First place winner, Theresa Santopolo, blew the competition away not only by winning the popular audience vote, but also with the local celebrity judges.
This was Santopolo’s second year to enter the CFDC. She was a major contender in 2006 and came back this year ready to take the title. “Everything fell into place this year. I felt my collection really came together in the end. It was a great mix of jackets, coats and dresses. My model, Kim Small, did a beautiful job and she looked amazing in her dress. I learned so much from being part of the CFDC last year. I took the advice I was given about what to improve upon and put it into play this year,” stated Santopolo, a fashion designer and image consultant with a background in fine art. Her determination to master color and form was taken up at Bard College with a focus on fine art and modern dance. With an ambition to “paint the truth” in the form of life as it was in front of her, she was successful in her methods yet somehow unsatisfied, she began to work with fabric and has since put all of her knowledge together to create exclusive and unique contemporary women’s fashion.
Not to be bullied by stormy weather, the designers featured their work outside on Audubon Street. The street was closed to driving traffic and through the occasional rain drops, the designers stayed positive and displayed good attitudes. At 2:30 pm, the flood gates opened and with a torrential down pore, the designers grabbed their designs and ran for cover. 15 minutes later, the event was moved inside to ACES/ECA Educational Center for the Arts. Local celebrity judges Jeannie Thomma, fiber artist, CherylAnn Fernandes, makeup artist, and Janet Kemp, elegant fiberist and owner of Janet Kemp Fine Yarns and Needlework, reviewed each designer’s wares. “I saw so much talent from all of the participants and I believe these young designers showed true spirit, passion and enthusiasm for their work,” stated Fernandes.
After a very technical grading scale and a final tally of the audience votes, the winner was announced. “The winner, Theresa Santopolo, presented a strong, visionary collection of work. Her designs were exciting, well thought out, and meticulously crafted!” exclaimed Thomma. “It’s true, Theresa showed great panache, style, advanced planning and grace. Under the tutelage of Sogno, I look forward to seeing Theresa’s line develop as customer’s purchases show her fashion worth,” Kemp embellished.
What did Santopolo win? She won a year long contract with the shopping sanctuary of Sogno (pronounced “so-nyo”), Boutique of Dreams, a year of media hype, applause, admiration, accolades and an award. Santopolo beamed, “It is such an exciting, scary experience whenever I put any of my work out to be publicly viewed. Everything I make takes thought, time and energy that hearing negative reactions can be devastating. However, when you hear people telling you how much they love what you've created and they want to own it, that's a very different experience, that's what makes it worth putting yourself out there. The reward at the end of a long and rainy day was more than I anticipated. The support of my friends and family was overwhelming. I feel that winning the CFDC is a huge turning point in my career as a designer and working with Sogno, will only lead to great things.”
“Theresa is a talent with a top notch level of sophistication, and a collection that will add a unique mix to Sogno. As we build a partnership over the next year, I believe that this will be just the beginning of her exciting career.” said Krista Camputaro, owner of Sogno, and the mastermind behind the CT Fashion Designer Challenge.
Camputaro didn’t have to look any further than her own city to realize the need for a venue for emerging designers. “I was quite excited with the turn out, as we doubled our applicants from last year. And as far as the quality of the designers' work, I was extremely impressed. From the youngest at age 14, to our oldest, a senior citizen, each and every one of the creations were driven by passion, creativity, and true fashion style.” said Camputaro.
Community members involved with making the challenge possible include Julie Braun, the Marketing Guru of Julie Braun Design, and Jose Monteiro, Director of Community Cultural Development of The Arts Council of Greater New Haven.
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Photography credits:
Aaron Coehlo, Aaron Rabbit Photography; 203.415.2781; rabbitphoto@gmail.com
Press contact:
Julie Braun, Julie Braun Design; 203.887.1824; julie.braun.design@gmail.com
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Who I'd like to meet:
We are hoping to meet creative Designers with craftsmanship and attention to detail.
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