Baylor Student Awarded $2,000 in International Fashion Competition

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A Baylor student won $2,000 in an international fashion design competition held in San Diego, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 19.

Houston senior Lizvette Damman, a fashion design major, was one of five finalists competing in the Design Your Future Competition presented by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and Gap.

The finalists competed for scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 at HACU's 24th Annual Conference. Damman was awarded fourth place.

Competitors were fashion design students at HACU-member institutions and were asked to design an original suit appropriate to wear for a job interview. They were also asked to answer two essay questions. The finalists selected from the entries modeled their designs at a fashion show during the conference.

Damman, who went through 10 to 15 ideas before submitting her sketch, was surprised her suit was chosen.

Her suit, a tailored gray and ivory skirt and jacket over a burnt orange blouse, is a culmination of ideas that seemed to excite her friends, family and mentors.

"It's a transition suit you can wear from summer to fall," Damman said. "The burnt orange color just takes it more into fall."

Damman's interest in fashion design arose during her childhood, when she would doodle clothes in elementary school. Pursuing fashion has been her dream ever since.

The competition's selection committee included a representative from Gap, a fashion design education expert and a fashion magazine representative. This is the third year HACU has partnered with Gap for the competition.

The finalists' accomplishments will also be featured in an article in a Hispanic publication with photos from the final competition.

HACU was established in 1986 and represents nearly 450 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education in the United States, Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Baylor is an associate member institution.

by Katy McDowall, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805