Elisabeth Acosta is grand prize winner of The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition in the Fashion Design Category. As grand prize winner, Elisabeth received a full tuition scholarship to study Fashion Design at Miami International University of Art & Design.
Elisabeth’s entry into the competition is a unique one. It is an off-white cocktail dress made of three different silk fabrics: organza, charmeuse, and raw silk. The main features of its silhouette are the organza bubble skirt and the ruffle that wraps al the way around the collar. The sash and racer back are also key features. The treatment applied to the skirt was hand-dyed using a dip-dye technique in peach. Even more unique is the blue stain dripping down from the side of the skirt. She purposely spilled blue ink dye down the side of the dress to give it what she calls a “whoops” effect.
Her inspiration came from the works of Edgar Degas, as well as artwork and architecture from the palace of Versailles. She wanted her garment to reflect her life and personality which include dancing ballet for seven years, providing a strong French influence that is present in the gown.
Elisabeth plans on earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at Miami International University of Art & Design. She explains that fashion has always been in her life from the moment she was born, and perhaps even earlier because her mother studied fashion design as well. Her mother took her to fashion group meetings when she was a toddler. She can remember sitting in her carriage eating lemon poppy seed muffins as she watched the ladies sip tea and talk fashion. However, her true interest became apparent around the age of twelve when she began sketching her own “designs” in a marble composition notebook.
She then started designing and creating her own headbands after realizing just how expensive they were to purchase. All the girls loved her creations and ultimately started buying them from her. She hopes that one day she will become as successful as her role model in the fashion industry, Coco Chanel. While she aspires to be like her, Elisabeth’s goal is a simple one: to create just one woman’s favorite dress in her lifetime. It is this sense of accomplishment that motivates Elisabeth.
Much like her role model, Elisabeth wants to be daring and try new things. She wants to follow her heart and create not only “styles,” but “fashion.” When asked what would be the most significant contribution she could make in the fashion world, she replies, “I have no idea what mark I will leave in the fashion world; only time will tell. I guess the industry will have to take a chance and see what great things I can do.”