SUPIMA DESIGN COMPETITION.....Final Designs from FIDM SUPIMA Finalist Sakura Mizutani, 2020 SUPIMA Design Competition

    FASHION SEASONS--Designs from FIDM SUPIMA Finalist Sakura Mizutani, 2020 SUPIMA                                                                        Design Competition

This past September was the Final of the 2020 SUPIMA Design Competition. The competition brings together fashion design students from the top design schools in the nation, to design and create five looks using Supima cotton. It is a way to show what up-and-coming design talent can do with Supima cotton...

For some background, Supima is a superior type of cotton that is American grown, representing only 1% of cotton grown in the world. What makes Supima cotton unique is its extra-long staple fiber giving it strength (twice as strong as regular cotton), softness, and color retention. The Supima Design Competition was created to introduce the next generation of designers to the fashion industry. This year was the 13th Annual Competition, showcasing the best and most creative designs from around the country. The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchiandising/FIDM is on of the top U.S. coolleges to participate in the Supima Design Competition and as Co-Chairs of  the FIDM Fashion Design Department, David Paul and I are always very honored to take part...

Sakura Mizutani--FIDM Finalist for the 134th Annual Supima Design Competition

FIDM Fashion Design Co-Chairs David Paul and Nick Verreos, with Sakura Mizutani, FIDM 2020 Supima Finalist, FIDM Los Angeles

The finalist from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM was a Japan-born Fashion design student Sakura Mizutani, who went through the A.A. in Advanced Fashion Design program as well as the Advanced Fashion Design program at FIDM. David and I, as Co-Chairs of The Fashion Design Program, chose her as our SUPIMA Finalist because of her thinking-out-of-the-box design sensibility and talent. 

Sakura Mizutani "One Shot"--The "One Shot" snapshot capturing the Designs, Muslins, Inspiration, special details of the Supima Design Compeition Finalist's collection

David and I--along with Supima's Mentors--spent 5+ months in guiding and mentoring Sakura to achieve the most outstanding designs she could for this year's competition. We ZOOM'ed for every week's meetings, long-distance fittings, and much, much more. Many wondered how we would ever do the Supima Design Competition with the COVID-19 restrictions...but we got it done! 

Check out Sakura's designs, inspiration, fabric manipulations and final runway designs:

Sakura's Inspiration: The Japanese Seasons "Shiki", including Spring, Summer, Mid-Summer,  Fall and Winter

Sketches--Sakura Mizutani sketches of the five Supima cotton designs: (L to R) velveteen, Shirting, Twill, Denim and Jersey

Virtual Fittings--The "New Normal" when it comes to fashion and fittings--FIDM Fashion Design Departnment Co-Chairs Nick Verreos and David Paul, along with Supima 2020 Design Compeition Finalist Sakura Mizutani, during ZOOOM fittings--13th Annual Supima Design Compeition

The Toiles--Model in muslin sample designs from FIDM 2020 Supima Design Compeition Finalist Sakura Mizutani

Final Designs before shipping to NY for the 13th Annual Supima Design Compeition:

"Spring" Velveteen Supima Cotton--Design in Velveteen Supima cotton of black "apron dress" with padded pink and white arm details, as well as pink and white thread applique--with white Supima cotton shirting shirt--Sakura Mizutani, FIDM Finalist, 2020 Supima Design Competition

"Summer" Shirting Supima Cotton--Design in Supima Shirting Cotton of white dress shirt, tiered skirt and framed applique detail--Sakura Mizutani FIDM Finalist 2020 Supima Design Compeition 

"Mid-Summer" Twill Supima Cotton--Blue colored twill ruffled waist peplum, black pencil-shape skirt with blue-and-white twill applique--Sakura Mizutani FIDM Finalist 2020 Supima Design Compeition

"Fall" Denim Supima Cotton--Design in denim featuring a black-and-white pleated skirt, bib with circle framed thread applique, and white Supima Cotton shirting shirt--Sakura Mizutani FIDM Finalist 2020 Supima Design Compeition

"Winter" Jersey Supima Cotton--Gown in Supima cotton jersey featuring a black "apron/bib" dress with spherical "balls" hand-sewed onto the skirt in variations of black, gray and white--Sakura Mizutani FIDM Finalist 2020 Supima Design Compeition

Details of the Jersey Spherical details, which David was happy to help hand-finish

The RUNWAY Final design-13th Annual Supima Design Competition:

Designs from Sakura Mizutani--FIDM Finalist, 2020 Supima Design Competition

My Sketch of Sakura's designs--In honor of her designs, I sketched her 2020 Supima Design Compeition designs

Check out Sakura Mizutani's 2020 Supima Design Competition Runway Show: