A Competition To Dye For

Is this guy responsible for changing the face of color as we know it?

If you lived back in 1856 the answer would be “why yes my good chap, for sure!  You see the man pictured above– proudly displaying his freshly ‘maulvine’ dyed wool– is non other than Henry William Perkins.  Perkins is known throughout the world of textile dyeing as “The Man Who Rocked It”.

You see, he discovered the first ever synthetic dye. Prior to Perkins, things were always done “au natural”.

And though this pix depicts the scientist as being a bit long in the beard- the actual discovery of his mauve colored dye from coal tar came when Perkins was 18 years old, home goofing around over Spring Break from college (apparently in 1856, Fort Lauderdale and Cancun had yet to be discovered).

source

Since then the technology behind color making-has certainly come a long way baby!  One of the coolest and most prestige sources to learn all about the process and history of textile coloring is The Society Of Dyers And Colourist in Bradford, England.

The society which celebrated its 125th Anniversary last year is a cornucopia of color knowledge and happenings.  Always on the lookout for the next great ‘dyer and designer”, the society holds a rather colorful competition each year.  I recently received this info and thought I would share it with LIFC readers:

Countdown continues as Society of Dyers and Colourists’ search for UK’s next top designer

The search is well underway to find the globe’s most creative young talent as the deadline nears for entries to the Society of Dyers and Colourists’ (SDC) annual International Design Competition.

As the leading educational charity dedicated to advancing the science of colour worldwide, the Bradford-based SDC, which celebrated its 125th anniversary last year, encourages the creative use of colour in fashion and textile design and is a committed supporter of the next generation of young designers.

The competition, which is sponsored by Clariant, the Clothworkers’ Company and the Dyers Company, is open to undergraduates registered on fashion/textile design courses and asks students to submit a piece which demonstrates the creative, imaginative and original use of colour in either fashion or textiles.

This year, the students have been asked to demonstrate socially responsible thinking in their approach to their original design or written statement which accompanies the submission and explains the designer’s inspiration or theme behind their piece.

The 2010 International Design Competition is expected to draw around 100 entries from 30 colleges and universities across the UK. The UK finalist will be announced on 7th May and will go on to compete against winners from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore and South Africa, at the grand final which will be held in London on 5th October 2010 at the historical Clothworkers’ hall.

Each of the finalists’ work will be exhibited at the event and judged by an industry panel including leading retail investor, entrepreneur and chair of the British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman.  The global winner will receive the SDC Colour Design Award 2010, with a cash prize of £1000, plus the Veronica Bell Trophy.

winner of the award in 2008- how cool is that trophy!

Comments Susie Hargreaves, Chief Executive of the SDC: “The Society has more than a century’s worth of knowledge and experience working within the fashion and textile industry and we are especially proud of our role working with young people on the science of colour. There have been huge changes in the industry during this time but the science and beauty of colour remains fascinating. This competition is a good way to explore the innovative ideas and new techniques used by some of the best student designers who really embrace the use of colour in their designs.

The Society has a long-standing relationship with educational institutions across the world and in addition to the International Design Competition; it awards bursaries and grants and sponsors various industry awards including the new CSI Colour Award 2010.  To introduce students to the technical world of colour and, in particular, to the practical issues involved in putting their creative skills to best use, the SDC runs a College Membership Scheme providing knowledge, information and insights to help students convert colour creativity into colour application.

A full design competition brief is available from the Society with a list of regional contacts to whom enquiries regarding country-specific briefs should be sent. Alternatively, the competition briefs and various related document can be downloaded from the SDC website.

Let the dyeing begin!!!!