Article by Jenny DuBois. Photos by DuBois and Christian Milan
Awards for Goodwill’s “Trunk to Funk” re-design contest were announced at a special luncheon yesterday in the Nordic Lounge on the campus of Long Beach City College. All 17 of the fashion design entrants consisted of students attending local community colleges, 15 of whom are enrolled in the Fashion Design and Merchandising Program at LBCC.
Students were challenged to re-design a new couture and original outfit using only pieces purchased from a Goodwill store. They received a $25 dollar voucher to purchase items from any Los Angeles area Goodwill store and were also allowed to spend an additional $50 dollars of their own money to complete their design with accessories.
Brenda Carillo, fashion student at LBCC, received the first place scholarship of $500. Carillo’s creation was a beautifully constructed dress that was made from two men’s shirts.
“The scholarship will help me pursue fashion more by taking more risks and experimenting more,” said Carillo. “I love fashion because it’s the first thing a person notices about you. Your clothes tell the world who you are or who you want to be.”
In second place was LBCC fashion student Melissa Botten who received a $250 dollar scholarship. She created a deep blue maternity dress and her inspiration came from a number of items including a belt, necklace, eyeglass, and a cell phone case.
“I have a passion for fashion,” Botten said. “I went back to design school for a future in fashion industry. It is good to be at school because of the eco-field of fashion, and it’s good opportunity for design students.”
The third place winner was Robert Gamlowski who received $100 and entered the competition at another school.
The judging criteria used for the winning designs were based on the inspiration piece chosen, reusable ability, creativity, and originality. The students went through several rounds of judging and Judges say they were blown away by the talent at the participating schools.
The contest was sponsored by Goodwill of Southern Los Angeles County (SOLAC) and the CSULB College of Continuing and Professional Education.
The competition was previously scheduled for Oct. 8 at the Aquarium of the Pacific but was cancelled by organizers. Richard Guiss, Director of Public Relations and Development at Goodwill was determined to honor the hardworking students despite the setback of the event.
“Please know that it was with great thought and much disappointment that we cancelled our Eco Couture event at the Aquarium of the Pacific,” Guiss said.
“Today we continue to honor our commitment to all the incredible students who entered our Trunk-To-Funk redesign contest with the three scholarship awards.”
