Is Winning Everything?

Satin Stitches | May 13, 2008 | there are 0 comments

Are we only the best if we get the trophy?

I got to be a fashion show judge last week! I was chosen, along with three other fashion professionals, to judge the Silhouettes Fashion Show at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. This show is a very big deal, every spring, and is put on by the Apparel Design department. This collegiate program has been referred to as the best kept secret in fashion design instruction, in the country. I was honored to be given the task to encourage fashion design students to strive for excellence with their work.

I have a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree, with a major in fashion design, along with years of honing by design skills in the real world. Satin Stitches is a small, custom company, but we are very strong on creativity, with THREE fashion designers on staff! Pao and Michael both have Bachelor of Arts apparel design degrees from UW-Stout. Our customer service representative, Sarah, also has her BA degree from UW-Stout, with fashion marketing-merchandising as her major. Now do you see my connection to UW-Stout Fashion Design? I have known for years, that the apparel design program at this college, grooms wonderfully talented fashion designers, who are also very good at patternmaking.

Can your custom costume design company compare? Ask!

It was fun and inspiring to see what these college students came up with, for their collections. As in the real world, and with the finals on Project Runway, the studio fashion class seniors were tasked with creating an entire themed collection. They researched and illustrated their line and then created four pieces for the big show. Other seniors and underclassmen submitted styles for inclusion in the show, which was preliminarily judged by their teachers.

All of us judges did not agree on everything, and every one, but we did have a consensus of most of the best designs. There was a lot of creativity, and most designs fit their models well, and appeared well made. All students in this program must do all the patternmaking and sewing of each and every garment. This way, students are able to learn just what it takes to create FASHION.

A few designers really stood out. Many designers did really well. We awarded best of various categories and best collection of the show. We could not give every deserving designer an award, but we did try and include as many deserving students as possible.

The entire process made me think back to my own senior show, way back! After months of very hard week, and a few weeks of very little sleep, to complete the finishing touches, it was a thrill to see our final pieces in the spotlight, on the runway! I will share a secret with you! I did not win the most prestigious awards at my show. How did I feel? Yes, I was disappointed, but I knew that my classmates were also talented and hardworking. I made a promise to myself, that I would make it, that I would be noticed, as a designer, in my career. And I have done that. What are my fashion classmates doing today? I have to say that I do not know. I hope that they are doing as well as I am, but I really do not know. None are big name designers, as I have not heard or seen their names in print.

So what is the lesson here? In my opinion, the process and the effort that we put into something is what is important. This is true for everything in life, whether it is entering fashion design contests or dance competitions, or whatever! If you know that you have done your very best, worked hard, and given your ALL, then you are a winner. You do not need to take home the biggest trophy to know that you are a winner. And be gracious. Maybe the judges saw something in your competitor that they did not see in you. Remember that we are all allowed our perspectives. You are not a lesser person if someone else is chosen for the biggest prize.