Cool vs. Cruel 2008 Awards Sparkle With a Constellation of Talent |
 |
November 13, 2008
| |
 |
| |
©Wire Images |
| |
Supermodel Agyness Deyne deejayed at the ceremony alongside her fiancé, Albert Hammond, Jr. |
By Heather Sullivan
Hundreds of guests gathered at the trendy Bowery Hotel in New York City last night for the fourth annual Cool vs. Cruel award ceremony. Representatives of fashion and entertainment industries were on hand to honor the winning fur-free designs from students from The Art Institutes.
Designer Marc Bouwer and several corporations received The HSUS's inaugural Compassion in Fashion award, as well.
High Fashion Can Be Cruelty Free
The Cool vs. Cruel Competition educates a future generation of designers enrolled in The Art Institutes fashion programs about the cruelty of the fur industry, and encourages these designers to explore fur-free, animal-friendly fashions as a great alternative.
 |
|
| ©Erin Gleeson |
|
| These were just a few of the contest entries. |
|
The garments created by the fifteen finalists were on display throughout the event, giving guests the chance to experience firsthand the beauty of cruelty-free design. See them for yourself in our slideshow of all the designs in the contest.
Attendees also enjoyed vegan hors d'oeuvres and beverages supplied by Red Bull and Hint Water.
The room teemed with famous faces from the fashion world. Some of the industry insiders in attendance included:
Nigel Barker, world-renowned photographer and judge on "America's Next Top Model"
Suede, "Project Runway" season five contestant
Charlotte Ronson, designer
Marc Bouwer, renowned designer and recipient of the 2008 Compassion in Fashion award
Ronnie Kroell, finalist from "Make me a Supermodel"
Richie Rich, designer
Tim Morehouse and Jason Rogers, Olympic silver medalists in fencing
And the Winners Are...
| |
 |
| |
©Erin Gleeson |
| |
Grand prize winner Gohar Rajabzadeh posed with her hooded wrap coat in acrylic yarn. |
But the brightest stars of the night were The Art Institute students who had winning entries in the Cool vs. Cruel competition. In a short break from the entertainment provided by DJs Agyness Deyn and Albert Hammond Jr., Kyle Quandel from The HSUS's fur-free campaign and Bruce E. Dempsey, vice president and academic affairs specialist for The Art Institutes, presented Gohar Rajabzadeh from Miami International University of Art & Design with this year's grand prize.
Rajabzadeh's winning design is a blue faux-fur coat. In place of what might have been animal fur, she used acrylic yarns to give a luxurious look to a wrap coat with a full hood that frames the face.
Rajabzadeh received an all-expenses-paid trip to the Cool vs. Cruel awards ceremony and a five-day internship during New York Fashion Week with an acclaimed fur-free fashion designer.
 |
|
|
©Patrick McMullan |
|
| The HSUS's Kyle Quandel spoke with Nigel Barker about superior alternatives to animal fur. |
|
After graduation Rajabzadeh plans to return to Europe to earn her master's degree in fashion and to one day have her own ready-to-wear line for young and edgy girls.
Second place winner Tatiana Zaykovskaya from The Art Institute of California – San Diego will receive a $600 cash award. Third place winner Melinda Johnston from The Art Institute of Dallas will receive a $400 cash award.
Compassion in Fashion
The Humane Society of the United States also presented Marc Bouwer; Calvin Klein, Inc.; Overstock.com; and Urban Outfitters with the first Compassion in Fashion Awards to celebrate their commitments to fur-free fashion.
People's Choice
| |
 |
| |
©Patrick McMullan |
| |
Ronnie Kroell, Marc Bouwer and Suede rubbed shoulders at the ceremony. |
Online voters chose Sarah Hunter from The Art Institute of California - Hollywood the "People's Choice" winner.
Hunter described her garment as, "[A] true learning experience of ethics, technique and perhaps, most of all, patience: a piece of who I am, a little of what I learned and a little of who I want to be. My gown has a single shoulder; form fitting bodice with an exaggerated dropped waist made of an almost iridescent stretch taffeta, a two tiered flared skirt with a single layer of organza overlaying the top of the two tiers and trimmed with a black and gray marbled, high quality, mod-acrylic faux fur."
See a slideshow of all the Cool vs. Cruel 2008 entries.
Making Compassion Your Fashion
The trend towards cruelty-free design is rapidly growing, and the Cool vs. Cruel competition is just one way The HSUS is spreading the word. Check out our list of more than 100 fur-free companies and a guide to telling animal fur from fake [PDF].
|
|
|
|
 |
Related Links
Cool vs. Cruel 2008 People's Choice
Cool Vs. Cruel 2007
Cool vs. Cruel 2006 Awards Dazzle
And the Winner Is...The Animals!
Fur-Free Designers and Retailers
Fashion
