Mad for plaid: Help choose IU's official plaid by voting online
Want to help select IU's signature plaid? Vote now for one of four patterns at college.indiana.edu/iuplaid.
The search for a special Indiana University cream-and-crimson tartan began in late 2011, when Students in Free Enterprise sought design proposals from undergraduate students.
SIFE narrowed the 25 submissions it received down to six finalists and sent those to a panel of judges:
- Michael Ping, product manager for men's and boy's accessories with Kohl's Department Stores and an IU Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design alumnus.
- Amy Levin, founder/creative director of College Fashionista and an AMID alumna.
- Jessica Quirk, personal style blogger at What I Wore and an AMID alumna.
- Judith Rose, owner of Bloomington-based Textillery Weavers.
- Kirstine Lindemann, senior assistant dean and director of IU College of Arts and Sciences.
- Jean Robinson, executive assistant dean of IU College of Arts and Sciences.
- JT Forbes, executive director of the IU Alumni Association
Those judges further narrowed submissions down to the top four, and the College of Arts and Sciences is hosting online voting through Feb. 21 at college.indiana.edu/iuplaid. The pattern that receives the most votes will be licensed and trademarked through Indiana University as the university's official plaid.
The name of the student who designed the winning pattern will be revealed after voting is complete, according to apparel merchandising lecturer and project organizer Ashley Hasty. Once the official plaid is selected, Apparel Merchandising students will use it to design new products each year.
"The sky is the limit on how this plaid could be used," Hasty said. "I would love to see coaches wearing an IU plaid tie at games, and I imagine silk scarves and ties with the IU plaid could be given as gifts by the alumni association. I would love to see all incoming freshman carrying an IU plaid planner and, personally, I'd like to have an IU plaid iPhone case. But most of all, I look forward to seeing what the Apparel Merchandising students design in their product development classes."
Students in Free Enterprise
SIFE is an international nonprofit organization that brings together the leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. Founded in 1975, SIFE has active programs on more than 1,500 college and university campuses in 40 countries.
The SIFE team at Indiana University Bloomington is a national-award-winning student group that participates in projects with the intent to improve the quality of life and standard of living of communities. SIFE is housed in the Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design in IU's College of Arts and Sciences.
For more information about SIFE, visit iub.edu/~sifeiub.
For more information about AMID, visit http://design.iub.edu.
