Freedom to Move

Outdoor Retailer (OR) is a major trade show for the outdoor apparel and equipment industry. OR sponsored a Project Runway-like design competition for students from universities across the country. Students have 72 hours to design and produce a prototype based on a design brief that is announced at the beginning of the 72 hours. Fabrics and notions must be sourced from the trade show floor. I participated in this competition as the student representative for SFSU. I spent months before the competition learning to design and sew outdoor apparel. At the beginning of the competition, it was announced that Aventura, a women’s lifestyle clothing company, would be presenting the brief. We were tasked with designing a casual outfit for a female customer aged 30. This was not a task that any of the students were expecting, but it turned out to be an amazing experience! I won the competition and earned a contract with Aventura.