WARP & WEFT ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF FIT STUDENT RUG DESIGN COMPETITION
Exceptional Work Evokes Elements from Nature, Kaleidoscope Shapes and Childhood Memories
(New York, NY – November 2011) Premier rug manufacturer Warp & Weft is thrilled to announce the five winners of Contemporary Creations: A Rug Design Competition for upper division Textile/Surface Design Program students at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The competition, which was sponsored by the company, was the students’ first assignment for the Fall 2011 semester in their “Custom Rug and Carpet Design” class. The winning designs were selected from a group of 24 entries.
According to Michael Mandapati, president and creative director of Warp & Weft, “To say these students are talented is an understatement. The competition was very tough and our jury had an incredibly difficult time making their choices. The results are so impressive, in fact, that even though we had originally committed to producing one top design and showing it at ICFF 2012, we will now be producing the two top designs.”
Not only will both designs be on exhibit at Warp & Weft’s ICFF booth, they will also become a part of the company’s Designers’ Studio Collection. The rugs in the Designers’ Studio are the result of collaboration between various artists and designers and Mandapati. Distinctive artwork is masterfully translated from the original medium into a rug.
The Winners Are:
First Place
Denize Sofia Maaloe
The Project Name is Full Circle. The student’s idea was to bring healing and peaceful energy into the home. She grows healing herbs and plants, which inspired her to make a sun-print of sage, an herb known for it’s home blessing properties. The sun-print creates a vintage and crafty feel. It was important to her that the rug is grounding so she chose the Van Dyke Brown printing process to achieve this effect. She envisions the rug to be tactile with each color having a different texture. This design will be made into a hand-knotted 6’x9’ rug.
Second Place
Charlotte Rodiere
Strong geometric shapes and kaleidoscope affects largely inspired this design. The rug features a bold pattern made of angular shapes and strong colors on a neutral ground.
Will be made into a 6’x9’ hand-tufted rug.
First Runner Up
Carolina Mandia
This student took inspiration from personal childhood memories particularly those of making macaroni necklaces with her mother. She used threaded pasta toasted at varying heats to achieve a color gradation and the desired Ikat effect.
Second Runner Up
Stephanie Gales
Soft, billowy undulating shapes like those found in avant-garde clothing design and home décor pieces are reflected in the overlapping shapes that cover the surface of this sophisticated rug design.
Third Runner Up
Michelle Parascandolo
Growing ripples in a pond inspire this highly textured woven design. The idea was to evoke a feeling of calm and peace. This is also expressed in the neutral color palette – beige like sand at the bottom of the pond, pops of green like algae or moss.
The first place winner received $500 and will receive 6’x9’ rug of her design. Second place was also awarded $500, and three runner-ups received $250 each.
Photographs of all the winners and runners-up will run in the December issue of Rug News andDesign.
