Students from Top State Universities Make the Cut for Project OR – Cycle 10
OutdoorHub 11.20.12
Outdoor Retailer celebrates tenth cycle of design competition with an impressive group of student competitors
Outdoor Retailer will bring together five talented student designers from state universities across the country to participate in Project OR – Cycle 10, an event that promises to be the tradeshow’s most historic and vibrant student design competition to date.
The outdoor industry’s original 48-hour concept-to-prototype design competition, Project OR – Cycle 10, will be held concurrently with Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, January 23-26, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“These five students join an exclusive group of top level product designers invited to go head-to-head in front of the entire outdoor industry,” said Kenji Haroutunian, vice president at Nielsen Expositions and OR show director. “Five years after the inception of our signature design competition, the industry continues to be inspired by and actively employ the young designers who have braved the gauntlet of Project OR.”
The five Winter Market 2013 student competitors are:
- Alycia Gillaspie – Senior at Middle Tennessee State University. Her passion for biking, hiking, hunting and paddlesports provides inspiration for versatile garments with convertible design features.
- Jillian Miranda – Senior at Kent State University. Former competitive aerial skier with a passion for outerwear and travel. Recently completed a summer internship with 686 outerwear.
- Terresa TK Pritchett – Senior at California State University Long Beach. Strives to bring a feminine flair and creative practicality to her athletic designs. Hopes to design footwear or clothing under her own brand name in future.
- Brynn Williams – Senior at University of Delaware. A year-round skier who recently gained a love and appreciation for global design and technical textiles during an extended student exchange trip to China.
- Allea Zimmerman – Senior at Missouri State University. Seattle native with a love of long runs, camping and hiking. Puts high personal priority on sustainable design and production, and dreams of a job with an outdoor lifestyle company.
On the opening morning of the show, these students will be given a design brief from which they’ll make initial sketches, source materials from the fabric and garment component manufacturers on the show floor, and race the clock to build a prototype before the 48-hour time limit expires.
The final prototypes will be judged by a panel of Outdoor Retailer-selected design, supplier and manufacturer industry professionals that will carefully review each stage of the contestants’ work. The winner of Project OR Cycle 10 will be declared the afternoon of day three after each designer has given a final presentation.
Project OR is possible through support from the outdoor and textile industries. Past sponsors include Hyperbola, Cordura, GE/eVent, Invista, Rogers Corp, Schoeller, YKK and media partners, Textile Insight and WGSN. Project OR is directed by Eric Steele of Steele Media and guided by academic liaison Kathlyn Swantko of Fabriclink.
For more information about Project OR sponsorship opportunities or becoming a Project OR supplier, please contact Marisa Nicholson at marisa.nicholson@nielsen.com or 949.226.5760.
Webisodes of past Project OR competitions can be found on www.outdoorretailer.com. Extended student biographies are also available here.
