The design dust has settled and a total of 53 finalists were selected across eleven categories for the 2017 GRAY magazine awards. Designers and manufacturers submitted their work to be evaluated by an esteemed panel of judges including Olivia Kim, Vice President of Creative Projects at Nordstrom.
Finalists for the fashion category include Suk Chai of SCHAI for her Legion Collection, Deborah Roberts of SILVAE for her Re-Entrance collection, and Khadijah Fulton for her Linea Collection of WHITE/SPACE jewelry.
I met Suk Chai of SCHAI several years ago through her friend and fellow designer Karen Guh of Paychi Guh. Like most people who meet her, I was instantly drawn to her warmth and creative energy. Suk is a big proponent of doing production in the U.S. and shared her perspective as a designer doing domestic manufacturing back in June at the Seattle Sewn fundraiser I helped produce. Suk is a true creative who thoroughly enjoys the entire creative process and is well respected in the fashion community for her leadership on urban manufacturing and integrity to the craft.
It was at that same Seattle Sewn fundraiser that I had the chance to finally connect with Deborah Roberts of SILVAE in person. I followed her journey back in 2014 when she competed in the Independent Designer Runway Show as part of Bellevue Fashion Week and was thrilled when she won the grand prize for her "In the Woods" collection. Deborah is talented, community-oriented and strategic with her brand growth. You can catch her for a limited time at Rizom in Belltown alongside FARIS jewelry and Pacific Standard books.
Khadijah Fulton of White/Space is a refreshing dose of creativity and cool. We met back in 2013 when she was first launching White Space jewelry and needed PR support. Her designs are versatile, sophisticated, and beautifully crafted by hand using traditional metalsmithing techniques. Since our time together Khadijah has expanded her line and continues to enjoy recognition in the media for her chic and timeless jewelry.
GRAY Award winners will be revealed on November 29th at The Sanctuary in Seattle. Tickets to the award show go on sale to the public on Tuesday, October 31st. 50% of ticket sale proceeds will be donated to the BLOCK project, a non-profit started by architects dedicated to alleviating homelessness in Seattle.
There are very few opportunities for local designers to get the recognition they deserve. I am so thrilled to be partnering with GRAY magazine as a fashion sponsor to support this design competition. Good luck to all the finalists. I'll see you on November 29th as we celebrate the epic design community in the Pacific Northwest. For a full list of finalists in all categories and to learn more, visit grayawards.com.
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