04 January 2010

Spartans Compete In 'Red Carpet Green Design'

Mercury News

Design students at Michigan State University will be part of a national "Red Carpet Green Dress" competition to develop a high-fashion Hollywood runway outfit that also promotes sustainability.


The contest is sponsored by actress Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of "Avatar" director James Cameron. She'll pick the winning dress design and wear it "at one of Hollywood's largest film award celebrations, between February and March 2010," according to the contest Web site.

The event is a fundraiser for Muse, an educational organization in Topanga Canyon, Calif., founded by Suzy Amis Cameron and her sister Rebecca Amis.

"Dresses or gowns must only be made of sustainable material, such as natural, organic or recycled fabric," Michigan State spokeswoman Kristen Parker wrote on the school's Web site.

Michigan State's participants are enrolled in the spring class "Special Topics: Innovative Approaches in Apparel Design."

The competition offers "an excellent opportunity to revisit sustainable design and explore current options and opportunities in apparel design," said assistant professor Theresa Winge, the course's instructor.

"This competition is also an exceptional way to motivate students to think about design in ways that challenge the status quo," Winge said.

While working on the designs, students will examine the differences among various ideas of environmentally friendly design and investigate ways of measuring their carbon footprints.

Karin Wurst, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, said the contest participation complements Michigan State's new film studies major, which has gotten a boost from the state's movie business growth, a result of Michigan's generous tax credits for that industry.

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