Lululemon Texprint Award winners selected
Deanne Schweitzer, senior vice-president of design and creation at Lululemon Athletica, has selected two successful candidates to receive the Lululemon Texprint Award.
Cherica Haye and Florence Angelica Colson have each been given a three-month paid internship at the brand’s headquarters in Vancouver, Canada, and a prize of £1,000.
The two winners were chosen from 24 Texprint finalists and showcased their award-winning work at Indigo, Première Vision from September 17-19.
Ms Haye, who studied at Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art, has created a range of fabrics that mix the sensibilities of traditional menswear suiting with performance fabrics using dobby and industrial jacquard looms. The collection focuses on geometric weaves, blending a variety of yarns and heat-press finishes to achieve sophisticated, dark and bold patterns. Materials used include a polyurethane, cotton and viscose mix with a leather-like feel, wool and silk as well as yarns with a metallic and plastic look.
Ms Schweitzer says: “Cherica’s weaves were dark and rich and I could immediately imagine them looking amazing in Lululemon's quest to make athletic apparel gorgeous. I believe what she showed was modern and timeless 'woven' together.
“When I look at her work the first word that comes to mind is gorgeous and that is exactly what I want someone to say when they see a Lululemon garment.”
Ms Colson is a Leeds College of Art graduate specialising in printed textiles and surface pattern design. Her collection combines traditional and cutting-edge pattern production techniques. Printing onto luxury silks such as silk crêpe de chine and silk wool twills, her work is perfectly suited for fashion garments.
Ms Schweitzer comments: “Florence’s dedication to black and white in new ways is beautiful. Besides being a sucker for black and white together I believe that, done right, black and white is highly commercial and is the foundation of a well-rounded-out wardrobe.
“All of Florence's designs have playful energy and at the same time could be taken very seriously. Black and white is very important to Lululemon, so this will be a very fun collaboration.”
