COMPETITION AWARD CATEGORIES & ENTRY GUIDELINES
APPAREL DESIGN CATEGORIES
PLEASE NOTE: Students may enter a total of 3 garments in the apparel design
competition categories, and up to 2 garments in one category. All Apparel
Categories require an entry fee of $10 per apparel entry. There is no entry fee
for the Merchandising Boards Competition Categories.
Active Sports Wear/Performance Apparel Design (UPDATED)
The designs for this competition can include active sports apparel worn for swimming, golf, running, skiing and
snowboarding, working out, Pilates, yoga, etc. Because these garments are designed for active pursuits, they
should be constructed with mobility, performance (such as wicking away body moisture), comfort, as well as
attractiveness.
Garments can be in any fiber content including natural fibers and must contain at least 8% spandex, elastane or
Lycra to provide mobility and comfort. For inspiration, refer to brands like Lululemon for Pilates, yoga, and running
wear, or Adidas, Nike, Athletica, Columbia Sportswear, etc. This apparel category is one of the fastest growing
areas in the apparel industry where some of the newest fabrications and fabric technology are being used.
Winners will be selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place scholarship awards.
This competition is sponsored by Xen-Tan, the premier sunless tanning product, sold in fine specialty stores like
Neiman Marcus.
Bridal/Special Occasion Long Gowns Design (UPDATED)
Designs for this competition can include traditional and contemporary wedding dresses and bridal gowns, as well
as special occasion long gowns, ball gowns, and long dresses appropriate for bridal party members. Designs may
contain any fiber content. Winners will be selected for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place scholarship awards.
This competition is sponsored by Watters, a nationally recognized bridal and special occasion wear company.
Representatives from Watters will make the final winning selections.
Career Apparel Design
Designs for this competition can include a range of garments appropriate for wearing in a professional work
environment. This category is a little more serious; perhaps more structured than casual attire, and includes pant
suits, skirt suits, coats, ensembles, daytime dresses, and office-appropriate knitwear. Winners will be selected for
1st, 2nd and 3rd place scholarship awards. This category is being sponsored by Dallas-based sportswear
manufacturer, Sharon Young.
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COMPETITION AWARD CATEGORIES & ENTRY GUIDELINES
Cotton Casual Wear Design (UPDATED)
The designs for this competition can include casual sportswear, weekend-wear, denim, and casual Friday office
clothing. They should be fun, playful, relaxed and informal. Active and sports outfits, yoga clothing and swimwear
are NOT part of the casual wear category. (See Active Sports/Performance Apparel Category.) Entry must contain
at least 50% cotton.
Winners will be selected for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place scholarship awards.
Cocktail Design (UPDATED)
Designs for this competition can include cocktail dresses, evening suits with a skirt or pant suitable for wearing
after-five for cocktail and special events. Any fiber content may be used for this design. NOTE: long gowns are NOT
included in this category. Please refer to Bridal/Special Occasion Long Gown Category. Winners will be selected for
1st, 2nd and 3rd place scholarship awards.
The Cocktail Design scholarship award is being newly sponsored this year by Shemara Couture, a designer and
custom special occasion wear company based in Dallas.
DMC Little Red Dress
“You Can’t Miss Red” is the mantra of the Dallas Market Center. And indeed you can’t! But you can compete for
cash scholarships in the “Little Red Dress” competition sponsored by the DMC.
Entries must be a completely red dress in a short daytime or cocktail style, long gown suitable for the Red Carpet,
or an ensemble consisting of a dress and jacket or dress and coat. Entries must be in a TRUE RED color—fire engine
red, Stop Sign red, candy apple red, lipstick red, etc. Dallas Market Center representatives will choose the top
candidates that exemplify the brand that is DMC, and winners will be selected for 1 st, 2nd and 3rd place scholarship
awards.
Theater/Artwear Design
Designs for this competition can include costumes, period dressing, theatrical attire, artistic dress, unusual or
innovative materials and findings. Garments can be in any fiber content and appropriate for the design. These
garments should be imaginative but must be wearable with an intended end-use!
Winners will be selected for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place scholarship awards.
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COMPETITION AWARD CATEGORIES & ENTRY GUIDELINES
MERCHANDISING BOARD COMPETITIONS
PLEASE NOTE: Students may enter up to two (2) merchandising categories.
There is NO ENTRY fee for Merchandising Board Competitions.
NEW! 2014 Fashion Trends Board
This competition gives the student the opportunity to act in the capacity of a retail fashion director, apparel
merchandising director, fashion director or creative director for an apparel manufacturing company. Entries
should reflect a thorough research of global design, textile and color trends for the 2014 year, and may focus on
women’s apparel or menswear, and may include accessories, footwear, and beauty as part of the overall
presentation of the trends. All boards should reflect a theme, or point of view, and may incorporate a variety of
materials to illustrate the 2014 Trends. Students may select Spring/Summer 2014 Fashion Trends or Fall/Winter
Fashion Trends as the focus of their presentation.
The Fashion Trends Merchandising competition is being sponsored by Elements, one of Dallas’ most well-known
contemporary boutiques. Winners will be selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place scholarship award prizes.
Entries must be pre-approved by school instructors for quality of research and execution of the trend concepts
represented in the board. Students are limited to one entry in this category. There is no entry fee for this
competition.
Fashion Illustration
Submit your fashion illustrations for a chance to win a cash scholarship award from Neiman Marcus Willow Bend,
plus the opportunity to showcase your talent by having your work utilized on FGI Dallas promotional materials and
event invitations.
This competition focuses on the students’ superior fashion illustration abilities.
All illustrations MUST be HAND DRAWN—NOT created by using CAD or similar software. Judging will be based on
originality, artistic visual appeal, professional representation, the principles and elements of design, and innovative
use of line and color. Entries must be pre-approved by a design instructor to verify authenticity of hand-drawn
illustrations.
Judges will select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners.
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COMPETITION AWARD CATEGORIES & ENTRY GUIDELINES
DAVACO Excellence In Merchandising
This competition is a multi-faceted project that provides the student with the opportunity to act as a merchandise
coordinator and brand ambassador for a brand that DAVACO specifies. At this time, the brand has not been
selected.
Students entering the competition are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the company and reviewing
company information provided by the brand. The student will need to identify opportunities for improving brand
awareness in an in-store environment, within the student’s home market.
To ensure the success of the brand’s product line, the brand utilizes dedicated representatives to execute the
merchandising program and to provide visibility at the store level.
The merchandising team’s primary responsibility is to maximize the brand’s in-store presence to help drive sales.
These responsibilities include:
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

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Visual Presentation of Merchandise
Training/Support for Store Personnel
Inventory Assessments
Competitive Research
Branch Visit Recaps & Online Reporting
All entries will be judged by a panel of merchandising experts including representatives from DAVACO, Inc.
Scholarship awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
NEW! DMC “Alden Clanahan” Excellence in Visual Merchandising Design
This merchandising category focuses on creating an experience at retail. Students entering this competition should
consider creating a concept for a window display, OR a shop-within-a-shop, OR a full retail store visual display. We
highly encourage students to take their concept as far as they can to formulate a BRAND’S IDENTITY through its
Visual Merchandising.
Choose ONE of the following BRAND THEMES:
1.
2.
3.
A small or emerging brand with little or no prior recognition in the marketplace
A product you personally love
A celebrity clothing line
Create a single board, or series of boards that can easily be displayed on a grid in Career Day’s Exhibits Area.
Incorporate the following elements within the concept:

INSPIRATION
a. Show us what inspired the creation of the visual merchandising concept
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COMPETITION AWARD CATEGORIES & ENTRY GUIDELINES


b. Who is the customer, their lifestyle that reflects the brand’s identity
MATERIALS
a. Incorporate a variety of materials for illustrating your concept, i.e. photos, materials from
nature, textiles, etc. that can be applied to the flat boards. (Securely attach materials as the
boards will be handled by many people for judging and for display.)
ELEMENTS
a.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
a.

Consider what is needed to complete the look for the display, how product would be merchandised
such as folded, hanging or stacked if the concept is for a shop-in-a-shop or full store display.
Show how the display would look when all the elements are incorporated into the display.
WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
a. Include a one-page type-written brief describing your concept, the inspiration for the concept and how
the concept relates to the BRAND’S IDENTITY.
GRAND PRIZE AWARDS
Best of Sewing Award
The winner of the “Best of Sewing Award” is selected from the top scoring entries in the apparel design
competition categories. Special attention is paid to the quality of construction, with the highest scores in
construction considered for the grand prize. The winner, chosen by judges from the local design and
manufacturing community, receives a professional industrial sewing machine and stand from City Sewing Machine
Company.
Paris American Academy “Couture Award”
The winner of the Paris American Academy (PAA) “Couture Award” receives an unparalleled opportunity to study
at the famed Paris American Academy in Paris, France the summer months following Career Day in April. Students
often are given the chance to see an actual haute couture collection shown in Paris during the Couture Collections
which take place every July in Paris. The Couture Award consists of tuition for the summer semester at PAA,
accommodations in Paris, round-trip airfare and a spending allowance.
Candidates for this award are selected from the highest scoring apparel design competition entrants. Only Junior
and Senior year students from four-year colleges and universities, and second-year Associates Degree students are
eligible for the PAA “Couture Award.” Representatives from PAA and industry judges pay particular attention to
the student’s quality of construction and high fashion design creativity in selecting candidates for the PAA Award.
The winner is chosen by the Director of the Paris American Academy or his designated representative, and the
winner is announced on stage at the Awards Presentation.
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COMPETITION AWARD CATEGORIES & ENTRY GUIDELINES
“Best of Show” Musselman Fashion Design Award and FGI Dallas President’s Award
All first place winners in the Career Day 2014 apparel design competitions, including the Paris American Academy
“Couture Award” winner, will be eligible for the $10,000 Shelly Musselman Fashion Design Award.
The $2000 FGI Dallas President’s Award will be given to the first runner-up to the Shelly Musselman Fashion Design
Award.
Representatives from the Musselman family and Brian Bolke, co-owner of Forty Five Ten, will interview eligible
contenders for the Musselman Award during Career Day. Winners of both the Musselman Fashion Design Award
and the FGI Dallas President’s Award will be announced on stage during the 2014 Career Day Runway Fashion
Show and Awards Presentation.
The Musselman Award winner will be required to design a small collection reflecting their viewpoint over the next
six months using a design fund of $1000 provided by Forty Five Ten and Brian Bolke to offset the expense of
designing their collection. In addition, the winner will be mentored by Mr. Bolke during the design process of
creating their collection, which will be shown in a runway presentation at FGI Dallas’ Fashion & Lifestyle Awards
“Night of Stars” gala in November.
Rev 11-25-13
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