It is time to announce the winners of the 2023 AATCC Concept 2 Consumers Student Design Competition!

The theme of the 2023 competition was Sustainability – Proof is in the Product.

Students chose to focus their design on one sustainability feature: preferred fibers, manufacturing, or end of life/reusability. They then proved their designs were sustainable using 2-3 AATCC Test Methods (such as, but not limited to, coloration, laundering, odor, fiber fragments, etc.).

First Place

First place was awarded to Pretty Deadly by Mary Nease, who is pursuing an MA in Textiles at North Carolina State University. She was awarded US$1,000 from AATCC, a US$300 Spoonflower Gift Certificate and Spoonflower DIY Book Bundle, a Datacolor Spyder and a one-year AATCC student membership. She says, “This competition pushed me as a print designer and inspired me to think creatively about the ways clothing can be adjustable to different body shapes. With how well this project was received, I think I will try my hand at more print designs in the future.”  

Second Place

Second place was awarded to Summer Glow by Rita DeNicuolo, who is pursuing an MS in Fashion Design at Drexel University. She was awarded US$750 from AATCC, a US$150 Spoonflower Gift Certificate and Spoonflower DIY Book Bundle, a Datacolor Spyder and a one-year AATCC student membership. DeNicuolo says, “This competition taught me to thoroughly consider sustainability at each step in the design process, and that no detail is too small. In the future, I am considering a career in knitwear design, and I am open to any possibility discovered throughout my course of study at Drexel.”  

Third Place

Third place was awarded to Sustaina-Cation by Aubrey Frey, who is pursuing a degree in Apparel Design and Manufacturing at Texas Tech University. She was awarded US$200 from AATCC, a US$75 Spoonflower Gift Certificate and Spoonflower DIY Book Bundle, a Datacolor Spyder and a one-year AATCC student membership. She says, “I learned more about what goes into sustainable practices within the fashion industry and that I will want to implement as many of them as I can when I develop my own products one day. After graduation, I hope to gain some field experience to further my knowledge in both design and business while working on starting my own brand and eventually opening a storefront.”    

AATCC would like to extend thanks and appreciation to the developers, judges, and sponsors. Without their expertise and assistance, the competition would not have been possible.

Developers

Sandra Johnson, Senior Account Manager at Color Solutions International Kerry King, Vice President, R&D at Spoonflower Inc. Muditha Senanayake, Professor at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Alyssa McNamara, R&D Engineer II at Spoonflower Inc.  

Judges

Lisa Beck, Product Manager at Datacolor Caroline Cockerham, Chief Product Officer at CICIL Josh Golden, Apparel Technical Designer II Yvonne Johnson, Senior Director, Product Development at Cotton Incorporated Julie Katzenberger, Director at QA Management Lauren Koury, Online Sales & Marketing Manager at Carolina Hosiery Mills, Inc Denise Silva, Director, Material Development & Sourcing at The Squad Nation Danielle Thome, Product Manager at Datacolor Basto Wong, Service Product Manager/Head of Assessments at Datacolor Carrie Yates, Associate Director, Knit Product Development at Cotton Incorporated  

 Sponsors