Nicole BreslinDynamic digital prints; sustainably sourced base materials; zero-waste patterning & multi-functional garments– these are only some of the aspects that make the Thomas Jefferson University x Mimaki Design Competition so cutting-edge. For a second year, Mimaki USA hosted a design competition for Thomas Jefferson University junior- graduate level fashion design students, complete with a $1000 prize for the winning design.
Inspiration for this competition focuses on the Mimaki microfactory concept. This concept looks to increase sustainability and decrease production time by allowing all garment and textile production processes to happen under one roof. In this competition, students design engineered prints and custom repeats using Procreate and Adobe software. Using the industry-leading Mimaki textile printers, students are able to print these digital files directly onto fabric, including photo-realistic imagery. This year, sustainable and recycled fabric bases for printing were provided by Greentex America. After printing, the fabrics are washed and processed according to industry-standard, and students can begin to create their designs.
Industry guest judging for this competition was provided by:
- Victoria Harris- Mimaki USA
- Mark Sunderland- Designer, Hemp Black
- Tessa Zwizanski- Visual Web Team, Urban Outfitters
- Myrna Guttierez- Print Designer, Maen Studios
- Coral Heffron-Heuhold- Print Designer, Anthropolgie
Check out all of this year’s project below:
Diana Cornejo- 2023 Mimaki Design Competition Winner
“Motomami” by Diana Cornejo takes inspiration from vintage motorcycles and the powerful women who ride them.
Narmada Manojna Peri
“Energy Within” by Narmada Manojna Peri takes inspiration from celestial energies and the chakras. Hand-drawn elements are incorporated into engineered prints to create modern, Western-influenced takes on a traditional sari and kaftan.
Lauren Schuler
“Devastation to the Reefs” by Lauren Schuler takes inspiration from the designer’s personal witness to coral bleaching while scuba diving with her family. Photos from their diving expeditions were virtually manipulated to create hyper-saturated and mono-chromatic versions of the same print, speaking to the process of coral bleaching due to ocean pollution.
Emily Fitzgerald
“Heart of the Cape” by Emily Fitzgerald features resortwear pieces inspired by Cape May, New Jersey. Emily used photographs of wooden beach fencing, wind-blown sand, and seashells to create a reversible coverup and bikini.
Hailey Nicchi
“The Unveiled Mind” by Hailey Nicchi takes inspiration from art therapy and her own experience exploring it. Utilizing a collaged repeat and an over-sized engineered print, Hailey explores the capabilities of digital printing with these pieces.
Lena Blumberg
“Bottled in Blue” by Lena Blumberg brings awareness to plastic pollution in an artful way. Watercolor-like prints feature abstracted water bottle shapes to create interesting, swirling textures.
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