When the International Textile Market Association launched the student design competition, Virginia Jackson was very instrumental in establishing the core fundamentals, which continue to play a major role in the program.

Submitted designs are to be created for residential upholstery applications in Dobby, Jacquard and Print categories.

For Guidelines information on the Design Competition please click here.
For furniture layouts please click here.

HIGH POINT, N.C., April 25, 2011 — Winners have been named in the annual
Virginia Jackson Design Competition, sponsored by the Educational Foundation of the
International Textile Market Association, producer of the semi-annual Showtime™ fabric show.

The Virginia Jackson Design Awards recognize outstanding textile design students in three categories – jacquard, dobby and print.

This year, the 63 entries from eleven schools, were judged on aesthetic form, ability to
be manufactured and applicability to furniture products, with nine designs selected as
winners. The top designs will be displayed in Suites at Market Square throughout Summer Showtime™ June 5-8.

"A big part of the mission of ITMA's Educational Foundation is to encourage creative
individuals to enter the home furnishings textile field, and we are always thrilled by the
excellence of the entries we receive," says Catherine Morsell, Executive Director.

The winners in each category are:

JACQUARD
1st Place –Leigh Hawkins, North Carolina State University
2nd Place – Natasha Rosenberg, Rhode Island School of Design
Honorable Mention -Katherine Labate, Philadelphia University

DOBBY
1st Place –Mary Armacost, Philadelphia University
2nd Place – Marissa Haback, Rhode Island School of Design
Honorable Mention - Julia Frisch, Rhode Island School of Design

PRINT
1st Place – Aubrey Owada, Michigan State University
2nd Place – Jessica Cates Miller, University of Georgia
Honorable Mention – Elizabeth Weissert, Philadelphia University

Each winner receives a monetary prize, and each first-place winner’s school also receives $1,000 donated to its textile design department.

In addition, the first-place winners in each category are flown expenses-paid to Showtime™ to be honored and meet with members of the industry during an evening social event. The students are encouraged to bring their portfolios with them.

The seven schools that participated in the competition included North Carolina State University, Michigan State University, Savannah School of Art and Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Syracuse University, Philadelphia University, and Kansas City Art Institute.

Judges for this year's competition were Wesley Mancini, Wesley Mancini Ltd.; Kim Grimsley, Circa 1801; Sara Gray, Sara Gray Design; David Petrusch, Marlatex; Laura Levinson, Valdese Weavers; Charly Roper, Textile Design Consultant; Erica Youngels, American Decorative Fabric; Todd Bowles and Roxy Ulmsten, both of Convergence; and Denise Gutierrez, Craftex by Victor.

BACKGROUND
Founded in 1990, ITMA is a non-profit trade association, consisting of mills, converters, tanneries and trimming manufacturers that supply decorative coverings for the home furnishings industry, whose main objective is to stimulate growth and development within the home furnishings industry.

Showtime™ boasts the most extensive presentation of fabric, leather and trimmings in the Western Hemisphere and welcomes buyers from more than 800 companies in such markets as apparel, decorative accessories, furniture manufacturers, interior design, jobbers, department stores, fabric retail stores, mail order catalogs, handbag and fashion accessories, marine outfitters, outdoor and casual furnishings, top-of-the-bed and soft goods, hospitality and transportation.

The next Showtime™ will be June 6-9, 2010.

Further information about ITMA and Showtime™ is available at www.itmashowtime.com or via email to info@itmashowtime.com or calling (336) 885-6842.

Jacquard
1st Place – Leigh Hawkins
2nd Place – Natasha Rosenberg
Honorable Mention -Katherine Labate

The design competition is named for the late Virginia Jackson, a longtime industry veteran who was instrumental in launching the contest in 1995.

Founded in 1990, the ITMA is a non-profit trade association that produces Showtime for its member companies, mostly home furnishings textile manufacturers. Held twice a year, Showtime is recognized as the largest textile show in the Western Hemisphere.

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