Rucht D’ Oleo, director of the Fashion Institute of South Florida, has been invited to be one of nine judges for the international contest,  ŁÓDŹ YOUNG FASHION 2017. The event will be held in Łódź, Poland from October 17th to the 21st.

The contest is organized by the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts and the Łódź Event Centre. This is an artistic and educational event, dedicated to the environment of young fashion designers.

Ms. D’Oleo has been selected to evaluate, advise, and judge the participants that submit their designs to the contest. The theme for this year’s contest is EMOTIONS.

The International Contest is aimed at young fashion designers (up to the age of 30 years old) from all over the world – especially students and graduates of art schools and fashion design schools – and all those for whom design is a passion. Participation in the event is a chance to realize their design dreams. Presenting their collection in front of a jury of well-recognized designers and fashion industry representatives marks the first step to creating their brand,

The winner will receive a MANEQUINE 2017 statuette and prize money 30,000 Euro, funded by the City of Łódź

ABOUT RUCHT D’OLEO

Rucht D’Oleo is a fashion designer, author, and director of the Fashion Institute of South Florida. She has over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. To read more about Rucht D’Oleo click here.

ABOUT STRZEMIŃSKI ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS IN ŁÓDŹ

The Strzemiński Academy of Art Łódź (ASP Łódź) was established in 1945 as the Łódź State Art School (PWSSP Łódź). The school was based on the achievements of the city’s pre-war avant-garde and home to well-renowned artists such as Władysław Strzemiński, Stefan Wegner, Katarzyna Kobro, Karol Hiller and Samuel Szczekacz. This resulted in the school’s unique character, directly inspired by the artist’s and didactic output of the Bauhaus movement and Kasimir Malevich. Design practice was meant to be as important as the study of nature. A lot of attention was paid development of visual perception conforming with the newest art trends.

Władysław Strzemiński, an outstanding constructivist artist, theoretician, and educator organized the school from its very beginnings and deeply influenced the initial stage of its history. His innovative art and didactic ideas formed the character of the academy.

However, the totalitarian Stalinist regime installed in Poland after the war began pursued a highly ideologized aesthetic program and did not tolerate Strzemiński’s avant-garde concepts.

In 1950, the school was forced to dismiss the artist, who would die forgotten soon afterwards. Numerous experimental studios and facilities were closed and the school had to focus on cooperation with the textile industry only.

It took many years and important political changes to re-establish the wide, universal range of education as envisioned by the founders of the school.

In recognition of Strzemiński’s merits, the school assumed his name in 1988. In 1996, it was officially recognized as one of Poland’s seven state art academies. A new, modern headquarters for the school was erected in 1976. Its architecture is now one of the Academy’s symbols and an important city landmark. To read more about the school, please go to http://int.asp.lodz.pl/academy. 

For more information about the contest, please visit the website http://www.lodzyoungfashion.com.