Local student Tatiana Zaykovskaya will represent The Art Institute of California – San Diego in The Humane Society of the United States’ fourth annual Cool vs. Cruel design competition. The Cool vs. Cruel competition inspires students enrolled in The Art Institutes’ fashion programs in its schools across North America to produce fur-free, animal-friendly fashions by using their own creativity to replace animal fur.
Sheena Gao, director of fashion design and fashion marketing management said, “Tatiana’s work is exceptionally executed, sophisticated, and is a solid representation of cruelty-free creativity. We are privileged to have such a student of natural talent and poise in the fashion department.”
Zaykovskaya chose black polyester taffeta as an iridescent canvas for fabric manipulation techniques which were used to create gold-centered flowers and embellishments. The animal print-inspired gold coloring was painted to resemble the look of a mysterious animal. The manipulation of the fabric highlights the unique textures that add dimension to the natural fibers of the fabric.
The competition continues to grow in popularity among students at The Art Institutes. Zaykovskaya is among the 15 local finalists who were chosen out of more than 150 entries to compete for the top prize nationally. Their entries will be judged by a star-studded panel of judges, including celebrities and top designers. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to New York City for the Nov. 13 award presentation and an all-expense paid, week-long internship during New York Fashion Week with a celebrated fur-free designer. The HSUS is co-hosting the award presentation with Nigel Barker, world-renowned fashion photographer and judge on “America’s Next Top Model.”
"This contest gives young designers the opportunity to showcase their compassion and talent through cruelty-free, fashion-forward design,” said Kristin Leppert, director of the Fur-Free Campaign for The Humane Society of the United States. “Today’s consumers don’t want to buy a garment that might have been ripped off the back of a conscious animal. These students join an ever-growing list of designers and retailers who reject the cruelty of fur production. We applaud their pledge to make compassion their fashion.”
Learn more at www.humanesociety.org/coolvscruel or www.artinstitutes.edu/coolvcruel.
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Media contact: The HSUS – Heather Sullivan: 301.548.7778; hsullivan@humanesociety.org
The Art Institute of California – San Diego – Niki Dominguez: 858.589.1216; ndominguez@aii.edu
About The Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at http://www.humanesociety.org/.
About The Art Institutes
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of more than 40 locations throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.