Two Textile Students Take Top Honors in AATCC Merchandising Competition

Two Wilson College of Textiles students took first place in the 2016 AATCC C2C® Student Merchandising Competition which challenged students to re-imagine existing clothing and accessories. The students were part of a seminar class taught by instructor Fay Gibson that prepared them for the competition throughout the spring semester.

Jose Gonzalez and Yuxin Zhu, both master’s students in the College’s department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, won first place for their line One Wear. They were one of five group entries and one individual student entry submitted form the from the Wilson College of Textiles class. AATCC received 43 entries across eight colleges and universities. In all, 114 students participated. Gonzalez and Zhu won $1,000.

Students had to showcase their skills in business, marketing, and merchandising by creating a business concept of a hypothetical new apparel or accessories line (hats, bags, and scarves) that transformed products already in the market. Examples of transformations could include changing color, serving multiple purposes, or changing through the actual design of the fabric. The course not only emphasized creativity for the application of color and innovative color treatments, but it also encouraged the exploration of technical processes to manipulate the design process and fabric design, including fabric surface treatments. The class featured industry speakers and unique lectures exploring innovative merchandising topics.

“One Wear represents a celebration of fashion without definition: the reformed brand mainly targets stylish young men but also stimulates women’s fashion spirit. The line is a gender transition of Madewell’s feminine  aesthetic into a men’s collection, highlighting the usage of recyclable materials and digital printing technology. One Wear aims to embrace freedom of expression by combining traditional female silhouettes with masculine functional constructions.”

The competition was supported by developers and judges who provided industry expertise and assistance.

Developers

Jiangning Che, Assistant Professor at California State Polytechnic University Pomona

Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, Assistant Professor, Design, Housing and Merchandising Oklahoma State University

Sandy Johnson, Director of Sales at Color Solutions International/Dystar

Heidi Carvalho, Textile Technology Consultant at TTACC

Kerry King, Vice President, R&D at Spoonflower, Inc.

Mary Brannon, Apparel Technology Coordinator at Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Judges

Alan Biggerstaff, Sr. Mgr. Quality/Textile/Color: Team Sports & Adult Apparel at Walmart

Scott Wagner, Fabric Manager, Innovation & Supply Chain Technical Services at Levi Strauss & Co.

Jennifer Maloney, Product Development Specialist at Cintas

Sarah Simmons, Color Analyst at The North Face

Lauren Dalton, Product Integrity Manager at Zulily