Drexel Student Wins Top International Fashion Prize

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Drexel University fashion
student has won the grand prize at the Arts of Fashion Symposium and
Competition. This is the second time in four years that a Drexel student has
won the coveted title. Milka Osoro, a third-year graduate student at Drexel's
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, will receive a year's
tuition to study at Paris's Les Ecoles de la Chambre Syndicale de la Mode, the
top couture design school run by the French government that includes all the
top French design houses as members.

The theme of this year's competition was illusion. Osoro looked to numerous
influences in architectural structures. "I wanted to explore the idea of
creating illusion by using hues from the color wheel and creating secondary
and complementary colors," said Osoro. Her designs aimed to allow the body to
be a part of the garment by utilizing negative and positive spaces, such as
how unique cutouts emphasize the body.

Osoro was one of 50 students from more than 20 countries to submit garments in
the annual competition. Osoro spent the last month working 12-to-14-hour days
in Drexel's fashion studios completing her designs. Westphal College fashion
professors Renee Weiss-Chase and Lisa Hayes advised Osoro on her garments.

"This whole experience has been unreal," said Osoro. "It still hasn't quite
hit me, but I can imagine the different opportunities it will give me in the
future. It encourages me to continue to follow my dreams and never stop being
passionate."

For five days Drexel's campus was transformed into a veritable fashion
epicenter as lectures, exhibition, showrooms and master classes were held
throughout the main campus. Designers like Anthony Vaccarello who worked
under Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi and Mathew Ames, Christian Wijnants and Aurore
Thibout, who were just back from debuting their spring/summer collections at
Paris Fashion Week, were among many emerging designers to teach master
classes, lecture and exhibit work during the event.

In 2005, Drexel fashion student Megan Stein became the first American to win
this top honor. Additionally, Drexel fashion student Jaeyoon Yeong won the
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac Award and recently opened his own boutique,
carrying his collection in New York City.

SOURCE Drexel University

Zeek Weil, director, communications and events, Westphal College,
+1-215-895-2629, zw36@drexel.edu; or Niki Gianakaris, director, Drexel News
Bureau, +1-215-895-6741, or ngianakaris@drexel.edu