It may take a quantum leap for most people to see past the high prices at the pump and become immersed in the elegance, style, sophistication and fine craftsmanship of an automobile. But several students at International Academy of Design & Technology wer
Fashion design majors Robin Clayborne and Renee Patton were among five IADT students who won the General Motors Student Design Competition, that saw the fashionistas craft garments that were inspired by a few of the giant automaker’s popular models. It was from watching the movie Gladiator that Clayborne, 44, was able to come up with a deep blue cocktail dress that mimicked the polished, poised look of the Saturn Astra 3-door.
A conservative mother of two, Clayborne said she had to “put myself outside the box, totally outside the box” to come up with the above-the-knee, one-shoulder dress that featured a corseted waistline and sheer skirt.
“I just wanted to do something different,” she said. Patton, who graduates from the downtown school this spring, created a two-piece champagne-colored silk ensemble with chocolate brown piping that played up the intricate detailing of the Chevy Malibu LTZ. She explained that the curvaceous lines of the Malibu inspired the overall look of the ensemble’s jacket. The color of her prize-winning creation matched the car’s interior. Patton, 44, who has been praised many times over for her student work, said the GM win was big for her.
“I was crying like a big baby,” she said of finding out that she was one of the winners of the competition. “It’s a good feeling, it’s a very good feeling.” The GM design competition has been popular since it started at the school six years ago. IADT school officials said that there were more than 90 entries in this year’s competition. Clayborne, Patton and the three other winners received $500 scholarships from GM and were featured in the schools annual fashion show.
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