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Kent, Ohio -  The Kent State University Museum is pleased to display designs by Lizzy Truitt, a 2024 Kent State University graduate, who was selected to represent the Kent State School of Fashion in the 2024 Supima Design Competition during New York Fashion Week in September. The 2024 design competition featured collections by six finalists, each representing a leading U.S. fashion school, who were invited to create capsule collections made entirely from Supima cotton fabrics. 

“We are excited to display two of the vibrant looks that Lizzy designed for the competition and to center student creativity at the heart of our work here at the Kent State University Museum,” said Sarah Spinner Liska, Ph.D., J.D., director of the museum.  

Truitt’s collection, “Life Lines,” which emerged from her senior thesis, was deeply personal, connecting her to the women in her life, her family’s cotton farm in Alabama and her fashion education at Kent State. “Both looks explore time and the impact of the women in my life inspired by quilting through topographic maps and line art,” Truitt said. “The use of reverse applique represents how the women of my life have shaped me into the women I am today. The topographic inspired print was chosen to represent not only the generations of women in my life, but also displayed the element of time in the maps and in quilts.” 

Spinner Liska said the Kent State University Museum provides unparalleled experiential opportunities for students across campus and is especially proud of its partnership with the Kent State School of Fashion, a global leader in fashion education.  

“We are very proud of Lizzy’s achievement as a finalist in the prestigious Supima Design Competition,” said Kent State School of Fashion Director Mourad Krifa, Ph.D. “We look forward to seeing her continue to shine in the world of fashion.”  

Krifa added that the synergy between the Kent State University Museum and the School of Fashion offers unique opportunities to highlight student work and inspire the next generation of fashion designers. 

The Supima Design Competition nurtures emerging talent by supporting the outstanding Bachelor of Fine Arts graduates nominated by the top design universities across the country. These finalists engage in a monthslong mentorship program through Supima, culminating in a showcase of eveningwear capsule collections crafted with Supima cotton fabrics. The 17th annual competition, hosted by Phillip Lim, creative director and co-Founder of 3.1 Phillip Lim, and mentored by Bibhu Mohapatra, a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award-winning eveningwear designer, provided these students with both visibility and a chance to win a $10,000 prize, helping to kick-start their careers in the fashion industry.  

“Supima is proud to partner with Kent State and the leading Design Schools in America. It was a pleasure to work with Lizzy and see her bring her collection to life on the runway.  We are really proud that Lizzy's collection will be exhibited at the Kent State University Museum so all her fabric manipulations and details can be fully appreciated up close.” says Buxton Midyette, VP of Marketing and Promotions at Supima. 

The installation is on view in the museum lobby and will run through Nov. 22, 2024.  

ABOUT THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM 

The Kent State University Museum holds one of the world’s most important collections of fashion, textile and decorative arts, spanning the mid-1700s through the present day. With a historic collection of over 30,000 objects, the museum offers invaluable firsthand experiences for both the university community and the broader public. 

The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children ages 5 to 18. The museum is free for children under 5 and for those with a Kent State ID. Sunday admission is free for all ages. Parking is free for all museum attendees. For more information, please call 330-672-3450 or visit  www.kent.edu/museum.

ABOUT SUPIMA 

SUPIMA is America’s luxury cotton: founded in 1954, the SUPIMA brand, short for “Superior Pima”, designates an elite variety of Pima cotton sustainably grown only in the West and the Southwest U.S. It is prized the world over by designers and discerning consumers who value its resilient strength, lasting color, and indulgent softness. Supima.com.   

ABOUT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF FASHION

Established in 1983 as Kent State University’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, the school is a research-led teaching institution that fosters industry excellence and is grounded in real-world industry experience. Through its programs and initiatives, it is developing the next generation of fashion thinkers to build a sustainable and fruitful industry that supports creative employment for years to come. 

Kent State is in the top 25 fashion programs in the world and No. 1 in the Midwest. Additionally, the graduate program for fashion is No. 5 in the United States. Kent State’s School of Fashion boasts three undergraduate degrees in fashion design and merchandising, and a variety of programs for all students to grow creatively. Located in Kent, Ohio, the school offers several education-away programs, including New York City; Florence, Italy; Paris, France; and Hong Kong, China. From the school’s location in the Garment District, students studying in New York have a unique opportunity to work with industry leaders, explore the marketplace and gain experience with internships.

For more information about Kent State’s School of Fashion, visit www.kent.edu/fashion. 

Banner image caption: Installation view at the Kent State University Museum