Drexel Student Wins Top International Fashion Prize

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Drexel University fashion student has won the grand prize at the Arts of Fashion Symposium and Competition. This is the second time in four years that a Drexel student has won the coveted title. Milka Osoro, a third-year graduate student at Drexel's Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, will receive a year's tuition to study at Paris's Les Ecoles de la Chambre Syndicale de la Mode, the top couture design school run by the French government that includes all the top French design houses as members.

The theme of this year's competition was illusion. Osoro looked to numerous influences in architectural structures. "I wanted to explore the idea of creating illusion by using hues from the color wheel and creating secondary and complementary colors," said Osoro. Her designs aimed to allow the body to be a part of the garment by utilizing negative and positive spaces, such as how unique cutouts emphasize the body.

Osoro was one of 50 students from more than 20 countries to submit garments in the annual competition. Osoro spent the last month working 12-to-14-hour days in Drexel's fashion studios completing her designs. Westphal College fashion professors Renee Weiss-Chase and Lisa Hayes advised Osoro on her garments.

"This whole experience has been unreal," said Osoro. "It still hasn't quite hit me, but I can imagine the different opportunities it will give me in the future. It encourages me to continue to follow my dreams and never stop being passionate."

For five days Drexel's campus was transformed into a veritable fashion epicenter as lectures, exhibition, showrooms and master classes were held throughout the main campus. Designers like Anthony Vaccarello who worked under Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi and Mathew Ames, Christian Wijnants and Aurore Thibout, who were just back from debuting their spring/summer collections at Paris Fashion Week, were among many emerging designers to teach master classes, lecture and exhibit work during the event.

In 2005, Drexel fashion student Megan Stein became the first American to win this top honor. Additionally, Drexel fashion student Jaeyoon Yeong won the Jean-Charles de Castelbajac Award and recently opened his own boutique, carrying his collection in New York City.