Passion for Fashion Competition

Winners Announced in The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition 2009

Only a high school senior and already determined to have a career in fashion design, Elisabeth Acosta is one step closer to making her dream a reality.

The Miami, Florida teenager won a full-tuition scholarship to study Fashion Design at Miami International University of Art & Design in The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition held recently in New York City.

Open to high school seniors in the U.S. and Canada, The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition awarded two grand-prize winners full-tuition scholarships to study Fashion Design or Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Fashion Retail Management at one of 38 Art Institute locations with Fashion programs across North America.

In addition to her full scholarship, Acosta will attend Fashion Week in New York City in February 2009 and meet staff at Seventeen magazine. Acosta’s winning design is an off-white cocktail dress made of three different silk fabrics: organza, charmeuse, and raw silk. Acosta hand-dyed the dress using a dip-dye technique in peach. Acosta cites her main influences for the garment as artwork and architecture.

Second prize in the Fashion Design category went to Casey Cooper of Greenfield, Ohio. Casey earned a $5,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institute of Indianapolis for his war-time love story inspired cocktail dress. 

In third place, Garland, Texas teen Kim Phuong Pham won a $4,000 tuition scholarship to The Art Institute of Dallas for her "night sky-inspired" dress.

In the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Fashion Retail Management category, Ivy Holland from Fredericksburg, Texas won first prize for 'Eco-friendly' handbag retail concept utilizing car upholstery to produce a useable and trendy product.

Holland earned a full-tuition scholarship to study at The Art Institute of Austin and will join Acosta in New York City for Fashion Week.

Chelsie Dusseault of Gilbert, Arizona took second prize and a $5,000 tuition scholarship to study at The Art Institute of Tampa in the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Fashion Retail Management category.

In third place, with a $4,000 tuition scholarship to study at Miami International University of Art & Design is Honey Sampedro of Hialeah, Florida

Read About the 2008 Passion for Fashion Winners