Program awards $16,000 in grants to students and $6000 in school awards
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The Planning and Visual Education Partnership (PAVE) handed out 12 awards in its 2009 Student Design Competition. The annual event, geared toward college-level students involved in retail planning, visual merchandising, interior design and branding programs, challenged contestants to develop concepts in line with Macy’s branding, product lines and retail stores. Macy’s executives developed the design challenges along with PAVE's education chair and VMSD New York editor Eric Feigenbaum, of LIM College (New York), and PAVE’s education committee members.
"It is PAVE's mission to encourage students to study in the field of retail design, planning and visual merchandising,” says James Bellante, group vp, visual merchandising, Macy's, and a judge in this year’s competition. “The interaction and support of design students is critical to our industry's future.’
For 2009, students could submit entries in the visual merchandising category focusing on jewelry or a store design category focusing on women’s shoes. More than 370 entries were submitted.
Winners in the store design category included: 1st place, Yoon Jung Claire Cho, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York; 2nd place, Airida Turner, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York; 3rd place, Fernando Djohan, San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif.; and Honorable Mentions, Laura Heekin, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Chao-Chen Kao, San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif., Christina Maroni, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, Lindsey Richards, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
In the visual merchandising category, awards went to: 1st place, Cassandra Reed, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati; 2nd place, Marisa Carter, Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta; 3rd place, Hayeon Choi, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York; and Honorable Mentions, Genna Fellhauer, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, and Lindsay Rodabaugh, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.
Judging took place Nov. 11, 2009, at Macy’s executive offices in New York. This year’s judges panel included: James Bellante, group vp, visual merchandising, Macy’s; Joe Feczko, senior vp, innovation, integration and broadcast, Macy’s; Kathleen Jordan, principal, Gensler; Laura Kirkpatrick, vp, creative planning, visual merchandising, Macy’s; Victor A. Lewis, vp, visual merchandising, Macy’s; Karen Meskey, senior vp, store design and planning, Macy’s; Christine Nakaoka, partner, nakaoka/roberts; Ken Nisch, chairman, JGA; Jim Sloss, vp, design, Macy’s; and Alec Zaballero, principal, TPG Architecture.
I am happy to hear there are so many students interested in PAVE, I would also like to attend the next time, this year I could not participate because I had an exam the same day as the contest. Even if I am making master in curriculum and instruction I am very fond of design and branding programs, my mother works as an interior designer and since my childhood I liked everything related to this field.
A friend of mine won the third prize and we celebrated this with all our friends, he deserved this prize because his talent is extraordinary. Unfortunately I don`t have this gift, now I am making criminal justice degree online and hope to find a job in this domain, but when it comes to design and arranging things I will never hesitate to call my friend because I am sure he will give the best ideas.
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I absolutely admired PAVE's sincerity to mold the students' skills in different areas relating to this business. Their continuous attainment towards their mission to encourage students to study in the field of retail design, planning and visual merchandising with the help of Macy's and other staffs will lead the students to a right path that someday will become experts and known on this field. Thank you so much! Jonathan Berkowitz