FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2012 Contact: Ellen ... - DDI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2012 Contact: Ellen ... - DDI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 24, 2012 Contact: Ellen ... - DDI
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<strong>FOR</strong> <strong>IMMEDIATE</strong> <strong>RELEASE</strong> <br />
<strong>October</strong> <strong>24</strong>, <strong>2012</strong> <br />
<strong>Contact</strong>: <br />
<strong>Ellen</strong> Johnson, VP Business Development <br />
Fusion Specialties, Inc. <br />
303 489 5200 <br />
ellen@fusionspecialties.com <br />
www.fusionspecialties.com <br />
Fusion Specialties, Inc. Announces First Mannequin Design Competition for Students <br />
Fusion Specialties, Inc. is pleased to announce the Mannequin Design Competition for students. Design <br />
students are invited to participate in a contest exploring the world of mannequin design through the <br />
eyes of a singular brand. Winning designs will be showcased at 2013 GlobalShop in Chicago and in <strong>DDI</strong> <br />
magazine among other venues. The grand prizewinner will see his or her designs sculpted and <br />
manufactured in full size; the winning collection will be displayed in the Fusion booth at GlobalShop <br />
2013 and also highlighted at a jcpenney store in the New York City area. Cash awards will be provided to <br />
the top five designs. <br />
Background <br />
Mannequins present an opportunity to connect with the consumer on a deeply emotional level. <br />
Mannequins should be aspirational while at the same time reflecting the brand’s fit and look. In this <br />
competition, students will be challenged to explore how to meld these criteria into a mannequin <br />
collection that is innovative, exciting and reflects the designated brand appropriately. <br />
Fusion Specialties, one of the world's largest designer and manufacturer of custom mannequins, has <br />
designed multiple collections for jcpenney, Nike, Gap, Guess, Disney, Chico’s, and Armani A/X among <br />
others. Their approach is to personify a retailer's brand identity through the design of custom <br />
mannequin and this particular design challenge will ask student participants to do the same. Students <br />
will be designing for some of the most popular private label brands sold at jcpenney, and will be <br />
required to understand the history, demographic and target customer for that brand. All of this must be <br />
reflected in the proposed design for the mannequins. <br />
Participant Criteria: <br />
Participants must be actively enrolled in a collegiate level design program and must be legal residents of <br />
the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who are at least eighteen (18) <br />
years old at the time of entry. Participants must submit their full name, school, major, anticipated <br />
graduation date, and email address. Once this criteria has been verified, a full brief will be emailed to <br />
qualified participants. <br />
Timing: <br />
Students should submit initial interest and a request for detailed contest information to <br />
contest@fusionspecialties.com no later than November 2, <strong>2012</strong>. The creative brief will be sent to <br />
qualified participants by November 9, <strong>2012</strong>.
Final submissions are required by December 21, <strong>2012</strong> via PDF by email to <br />
creative@fusionspecialties.com. During the month of January 2013, a jury panel will choose the top five <br />
entries with representatives from Fusion Specialties and <strong>DDI</strong> Magazine. The top five entrants will be <br />
notified in February 2013, however, the specifics of the winning entries will not be announced until <br />
GlobalShop in April 2013. Prizes will be awarded at that time. <br />
Prizes: <br />
• $2500 in cash to be awarded to the Grand Prize winner along with publication in <strong>DDI</strong> magazine, <br />
actual development and production by Fusion of the winning mannequin design, showcase at <br />
2013 GlobalShop, feature on the Fusion website, and more. <br />
• $1000 in cash to be awarded to 2nd place winner along with designs showcased in <strong>DDI</strong> <br />
magazine, at 2013 GlobalShop, and on the Fusion website. <br />
• $500 in cash to be awarded to the 3rd, 4th and 5th place entries with designs showcased in <strong>DDI</strong> <br />
magazine, at 2013 GlobalShop, and on the Fusion website. <br />
Judges: <br />
Richard Ledbetter, VP, Visual Merchandising, jcpenney. Richard is responsible for heading the unique <br />
execution of the merchandise experience in all jcpenney stores. He has lead visual merchandising for <br />
many world class retailers including Chico’s, Border’s, Victoria’s Secret, Lane Bryant, and Liz Claiborne. <br />
Tom Stempfley, VP, Visual Display, jcpenney. Tom is responsible for ensuring the flawless execution of <br />
the in-‐store jcpenney experience across the company’s 1,100 stores. He has directed visual <br />
presentations for many world-‐class retailers including Victoria’s Secret, Club Monaco, Abercrombie & <br />
Fitch and Soma Intimates. <br />
Stacie White, Creative Director, Fusion Specialties, Inc. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of <br />
Design, Stacie has been with Fusion for 14 years. She directs the design of all mannequins and forms. <br />
She works with a team of fine art sculptors, master artists and tooling specialists to bring a client’s vision <br />
to fruition. Clients include Nike, Gap, Inc., Chico’s, jcpenney, Ann Taylor, Armani A/X and Guess. <br />
<strong>Ellen</strong> Johnson, VP, Business Development, Fusion Specialties, Inc. <strong>Ellen</strong> has been with Fusion for 4 <br />
years and in the visual merchandising industry for more than 15 years. She is passionate about <br />
developing and working with Fusion’s many clients, old and new, to understand their needs and help to <br />
realize them. <br />
Alison Embrey Medina, Executive Editor, <strong>DDI</strong> Magazine. Alison Embrey Medina is the executive editor <br />
of <strong>DDI</strong> magazine, a trade publication serving the retail design industry. Through the pages of <strong>DDI</strong>, she <br />
covers and comments on retail store design, visual merchandising, architecture, marketing and <br />
branding, from luxury and specialty to discount and dollar stores. <br />
About <strong>DDI</strong> Magazine <br />
<strong>DDI</strong> Magazine offers solutions to help retailers and designers create dynamic, effective store <br />
environments. The magazine focuses on store design, visual merchandising, architecture, and marketing <br />
and branding, with a readership of qualified high-‐level, in-‐house retail and contract design professionals. <br />
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