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Finalist from The Art Institute of Dallas Places Third in Nationwide Fashion Design Contest

Posted: 11/06/2008

Local student Melinda “Yasmina” Johnston placed third in The Humane Society of the United States’ fourth annual Cool vs. Cruel fashion 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.

Johnston, a student at The Art Institute of Dallas pursuing an associate’s degree in Fashion Design, created a 100 percent virgin cotton full-body canvas coat with padded detailing. Her third place finish comes with a certificate and a $400 cash award.

“With her entry, Yasmina makes a strong statement that you don’t need fur to draw attention to a garment,” said Donna Sapp, Academic Director of Fashion Design at The Art Institute of Dallas. “With the right attention to detail, simple cotton can be a show stopper!”

The competition continues to grow in popularity among students at The Art Institutes. Johnston, a native of Carrollton, Texas, is among the 15 local finalists who were chosen out of more than 150 entries to compete for the top prize nationally. Their entries were judged by a star-studded panel of judges, including: Ann-Dexter Jones, Brittany Murphy, Betsey Johnson, Benjamin Cho, Charlotte Ronson, The Donnas, Lady Bunny, Loden Dager, Maggie Rizer, Maroon 5, Milla Jovovich, Mickey Boardman, Monet Mazur, Nicky Hilton, Nigel Barker, Rain Phoenix, Samantha Ronson, Steven Klein, Suede and Victoria Bartlett.

Gohar Rajabzadeh from Miami International University of Art & Design was named this year’s grand prize winner. Rajabzadeh will receive a trip to the Cool vs. Cruel awards ceremony and a five-day internship with an acclaimed fur-free fashion designer. Second place winner Tatiana Zaykovskaya from The Art Institute of California – San Diego will receive a $600 cash award.

“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.”

The awards ceremony to celebrate the student designers and their winning garments will be held in New York City on Wednesday, Nov.12 from 7-9 p.m. at the Bowery Hotel at 335 Bowery, and will be attended by many of the celebrity judges.

The fifteen finalists’ garments will be on display at the Nov.12 awards ceremony. To view the entries, and learn more about the Cool vs. Cruel Competition visit: The Art Institutes or The HSUS’ Web sites.

The public can also vote for their favorite design at humanesociety.org/cvcvote08 until Nov.11, with the winner being crowned “Cool vs. Cruel People’s Choice.”