A KMU alumnus and student won the first and second prizes at the 21st Textile Design Contest. The contest was hosted by the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI) and arranged by the Korea Textile Design Association (KTDA). The purpose of the contest is to find, support, and develop new textile designers who will develop new designs for textile products and the textile industry.

Jo Ji-hye (28, 2010 graduate) and Lee Jae-woong (25, senior) of the Dept. of Fashion Design won the President’s Prize and the Prime Minister’s Prize respectively. Jo submitted a coat and shorts titled “Africa Beam.” The work was praised for expressing dynamic and innovative characteristics in an African traditional design. Lee submitted wallpaper titled “meeting of the classical and the modern.”

Jo said, “It’s really exciting applying the designs and patterns that I designed to products, and I want to show my ability in managing my own design company in the future.”

The awards ceremony was held at the Textile Center in Samsung Dong, Seoul, on July 19. Jo and Lee won 7 million and 5 million won prize money respectively. Their works will be displayed at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles 2010 in August and Preview in Seoul 2010 in September.