Supima Cotton Fashion Design Competition Set for 15-Year Milestone – Sourcing Journal

The 15th installment of the annual Supima Design Competition is scheduled for Sept. 10 during New York Fashion Week.

As in years past, the 2022 Supima Design Competition will see eight finalists from leading design schools across the country showcasing their one-of-kind collections all crafted using American-grown Pima cotton. They’ll be vying for a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize.

Hosting duties for this year’s event will be shared by designer Christian Siriano and model and entrepreneur Coco Rocha. Siriano and Rocha will be joined by a panel of judges including Ann Caruso, Avril Graham, Cipriana Quann, Claire Thomson-Jonville, Edward Barsamian, Fern Mallis, Freya Drohan, Godfrey Deeney, Jeffrey Taylor, Jerome Lamaar, Kelly Augustine, Lisa Lockwood, Luke Meagher, Mickey Boardman, Shibon Kennedy and Tyler McCall.

Since May, the young designers have immersed themselves in learning about the premium properties that make Supima the top 1 percent of the world’s cotton. From their initial point of inspiration to the countless sketches, Zoom calls and one-on-one mentoring sessions, each finalist has crafted collections showcasing the versatility of America’s luxury cotton featuring looks from day to eveningwear.

This year’s finalists are Candice Tianyu of the Academy of Art University in San Fransisco, Chan Kyoo Hwang from Philadelphia’s Drexel University, Fabian Renteria of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Bryan Barrientos from New York’s City’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Antonia Bruno of Kent State University in Ohio, Hu Jun Yi from the Rhode Island School of Design, Michelle Sumin Suh of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Taku Yhim from NYC’s Parsons School of Design, The New School.

Returning for his eighth year as a mentor to the finalists is eveningwear designer Bibhu Mohapatra, who has played an instrumental role in the competition, providing insight and advice throughout the design and fitting process to each contestant.

“It is truly exciting to be celebrating 15 years of the Supima Design Competition,” Buxton Midyette, vice president of marketing and promotions for Supima, said. “That 15 years has passed so quickly is a testament to the partnerships Supima has developed with the leading design schools and their top graduates. Each year, these talented finalists capture so perfectly the moment we are living in their collections. I can’t wait to share the 2022 collections and look forward to future years to come.”

This year’s competition will feature a full runway presentation held at The Gallery at Spring Studios in Manhattan and livestreamed on Supima’s Instagram page, @supima.