It seems the glitz and glamour of Hollywood were only one great dress design away for
Michigan State University (MSU) senior Jillian Granz.
MSU
Apparel and Textile Design students were recently invited to compete in a worldwide competition to design a sustainable and environmentally friendly grown for Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of red-hot movie producer and director,
James Cameron. The
Red Carpet, Green Dress competition is both a contest and fundraiser to promote sustainable design.
From among the many international submissions, Granz's beautiful and innovative design was selected. Cameron will debut the gown March 7 at the
2010 Academy Awards.
“Choosing from sketches and designs worldwide, it was a tough decision,” says Suzy Amis Cameron. “Jillian’s design was stunning and that is something special. It’s a beautiful combination of sustainability and style. I’m excited to promote the talent of this young designer.”
Sustainability and StyleFor Granz, a 21-year-old Canton, Mich. native, it was a challenge to design a gown that combined style and sustainability, but also incorporated Cameron’s design aesthetic and her own.
“It’s difficult finding the right resources to design and create a sustainable gown,” says Granz. “I think I achieved the right balance.”
Granz researched Cameron’s past dress selections and was able to create a design that reflected her personality and style. The garment is a classic, minimalist silhouette favored by Cameron.
Granz’s design includes a no-waste pattern in which every part of the fabric is used in the final garment. The gown is made of
peace silk, which allows silk worms to live out their lifecycle. Traditionally, silkworm cocoons are boiled.
The innovative techniques suggested to construct the garment and both the design and materials set her design apart, according to Theresa Winge, MSU apparel and textile design professor.
Granz will be flown to Los Angeles to meet James and Suzy Amis Cameron and will participate in the private fitting sessions.
Deb Scott, an Academy Award winning designer, will construct the dress and Cameron will debut it during a pre-Oscar party hosted by the Camerons. Granz will accompany Cameron to the party, where she will be recognized for her design.
She will also receive a private tour of
MUSE Elementary School, a progressive elementary school in L.A. that Cameron co-founded with her sister.
Local SupportOriginally, the Red Carpet, Green Dress contest was open to students only at select universities. Since the competition is also a fundraiser for MUSE, the competition was later opened to any aspiring or established designer who wished to submit a design worldwide, allowing the event to increase the number of entries and raise more funds.
“I told my students, 'Let’s be realistic; we’ll have a great experience with this competition,” says Winge, who thought the chance of a student beating more experienced designers was slim.
“I’m thrilled [Amis Cameron] chose one of our students. Jillian is an amazing designer, and it’s an amazing dress,” says Winge. “She embraced the techniques she learned from class and embraced the competition.”
The students’ participation in the contest can be attributed to Winge’s enthusiastic approach. Winge incorporated the competition into her special topics course, Innovative Approaches in Apparel Design, in order for the apparel and textile design students to learn about sustainable design and gain experience designing for clients.
“I hoped the students would take this innovative approach and place this creative limitation on themselves,” says Winge. “My students were able to incorporate innovative materials and designs without impacting aesthetic.”
The 16 students in the class not only submitted these designs, but brought the designs to life as a second phase of the class project. The designs featured various innovative techniques, from using teas and berries to dye fabrics to using recycled fabrics.
Cameron hopes to use these MSU student dress designs for perhaps another event to continue to promote sustainable design.
Winge credits MSU’s
College of Arts and Letters for supporting the special topics course. With the help of the college, each student was able to submit a dress design and compete in a-once-in-a-lifetime competition. The college fully supported Winge’s interest in integrating the competition into the class and funded the students’ entry fees.
“I don’t think the class would have had the resources to submit the designs if it wasn’t for the college,” says Winge. “It’s amazing how we’ve been supported and this competition says that.”
The designs submitted will be on display at the
MSU Kresge Museum from Feb. 22 through March 11 with the exception of Granz’ design. You’ll have to wait for the red carpet to see the winning design on March 7.
“I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what this means for me in the future,” says Granz.
You can see more of Granz's trip to the Academy Awards at a special MSU website devoted to her journey by clicking
here.
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Andrea Kerbuski is a writer, photographer and fashion enthusiast. Check out her personal style and fashion blog
here.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
Jillian Granz, sketching for a future dress, and Theresa Winge teaching a textile and design class
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie