On September 16, 2021, the YKK USA visited Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to announce its Fashion Design Sponsorship, an initiative that supported the next generation of designers during the 2021-2022 academic year.
SCAD students were asked to design an original collection featuring YKK® fastening products based on what they learned from the YKK Zipper 101 seminar delivered to them by the sales promotion team. A micro site was created to provide participating students with relevant information to spur inspiration, namely our product line and photos from the YKK Japan Fastening Awards website. One senior undergraduate student and one graduate student will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Gordon Palhegyi was selected as the undergraduate recipient for his stunning fencing-themed collection (pictured below), which includes red hearts as a central motif. The designs utilize custom EXCELLA® Light zippers, which are comprised of lightweight aluminum alloy elements that can be easily dyed to create a wide variety of single- or multi-color chains. Gordon’s pieces were so inventive that they were featured at SCAD Fashion 2022, an event showcasing the work of exceptional SCAD School of Fashion senior and graduate students.
Graduate student Evaristo Pereira’s collection is still undergoing the design process, but his “Expedited Future” concept explores utopic possibilities for fashion over the next 200 years, namely sustainable solutions to address environmental challenges. Evaristo plans to employ YKK zippers and TAPECRAFT® webbing to seal and adjoin bags, pockets, and other functional elements of the designs’ different articles of clothing.
YKK enjoyed assisting these budding young designers and we cannot wait to see where their careers take them!
