Stefanie Tschirky from Royal College of Art UK has won the Future of Denim Branding Competition, a contest designed to challenge the way the industry thinks about denim branding. Tschirky’s winning innovative design transforms the story of denim from a textile that is manufactured and mass¬ produced to one that is crafted with care. Tschirky was selected from 11 talented design students from around the world. ARTS THREAD and Avery Dennison Retail Branding & Information Solutions (RBIS) announced Stefanie as winner of the competition.
The winning project, titled 'Your Story – Your Denim’, examines the origin story of denim before it reaches the consumer. Tschirky’s denim design begins with details like the name of the seamstress who fashioned the textile. Other details include the distance the denim travels from creation to display in¬ store. Taking the story concept even further, the garment also comes affixed with a sealed test glass containing fibre of the cotton used to produce the denim jeans. The rest of the story is for the wearer to tell. An expert panel of judges including the ‘godfather of denim’ Adriano Goldschmied; Kristina Szasz, denim design director of Karl by Karl Lagerfeld; Jonathan Cheung, Senior VPt, Levi’s; Matt Abbott, vice president, Men’s Denim, Calvin Klein; Bob Rinjders, founder, Butcher of Blue; Donna Ida Thornton, founder, Donna Ida; and Amy Leverton, director, Denim & Youth, WGSN scored the entries by creativity, aesthetic and innovation.
"Building a brand is one of the most challenging and satisfying things a designer will do in their career," said Cheung. "The ability to portray the brand's character at a glance is a fundamental skill. It was great to see how all the entrants endeavored to tie emotional content to their branding and to see sustainability and social responsibility play an increasing role in defining a brand's values. I'm delighted for Stefanie's win and congratulate all the entrants for their work."
As the winner, Tschirky will have the opportunity to bring her design and branding to life through an internship with the Avery Dennison RBIS creative team in London as well as Los Angeles.
Launched in October 2014, the Future of Denim Branding competition was created as a partnership between Avery Dennison RBIS, a global leader in apparel, footwear and industry solutions, and ARTS THREAD, a digital platform designed to connect students, graduates, institutions and industry exclusively in the field of design.
